Plenty of drugstore anti-aging wrinkle creams are out there, but how do you know which one is the best wrinkle cream? Retinol, hydroxy acids, copper peptides—which ones work and which ones don't? To help you better compare wrinkle creams and try to find out which ones, if any, live up to their promises to make you look younger, healthier and wrinkle-free, you first need to understand what ingredients they use.

What About the Ingredients?
You've probably heard and seen plenty of ads that talk about the different ingredients used to plump, erase, firm and smooth out those wrinkles, but do you really know what these ingredients are?

Retinol. Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A, and it falls into that obscure category of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight to neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that are unstable because they have an unpaired electron. Their movement breaks down skin cells and causes wrinkles. The Vitamin A compound stops the free radicals in their tracks so they cannot cause further damage. Retinol comes from the stronger prescription treatment tretinoin, which has been approved by the FDA for treating wrinkles. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you need to avoid using Vitamin A derivatives because they increase the chance of birth defects, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Coenzyme Q10. This nutrient is also found in every cell in the body, and it helps to regulate the energy production in the body's cells. Coenzyme Q10 works in much the same way as retinol; it is an antioxidant that destroys free radicals. Products containing Coenzyme Q10 claim to help protect the skin from sun damage when applied before sun exposure.

Copper peptides. Every cell in our bodies contains copper, and these types of skin products combine copper with tiny pieces of protein called peptides. These copper peptides work to speed healing and stimulate the production of collagen, which is a basic building block of your skin. In fact, about 80% of your skin is made up of collagen. Collagen makes your skin stronger, thicker and flexible and keeps your skin firm, smooth and youthful. As you grow older, your skin loses collagen, and your body produces less and less. This leads to the fine lines and wrinkles that appear on the surface of your skin and also leaves the appearance of skin looking slack and loose.

Hydroxy acids. Types of hydroxy acids include alpha, beta and poly hydroxy acids. They are synthetic versions of acids that come from the sugar in fruits. Hydroxy acids work to exfoliate the skin, removing the outer layer of skin so that fresh new layers are brought to the surface. These fresh layers of skin are smoother and more evenly colored than the dead skin that is sloughed off through the exfoliating process. If you use hydroxy acids, it is very important to wear sunscreen during use and for at least a week after stopping use of the hydroxy acids.

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