How do you find the best skin firming face cream? It's simple. Learn what ingredients to look for, what to avoid and read the label. Here's some help.

What to Avoid

You should avoid parabens, thimerosal and other artificial preservatives. They tend to cause allergic reactions and some of them have been shown to cause cellular changes, which can increase your risk of cancer.

Fragrances should also be avoided, because they term is too broad. Companies are not required to reveal exactly which chemicals are used to create the fragrance. Many of them are known to be toxic to the nervous system. They can cause depression, mood swings and other mental disturbances.

Argireline is a new compound that has been called the best skin firming face lotion, at least by manufacturers that use the synthetic, protein-like substance. The compound has never been fully evaluated for safety and may cause the same adverse reactions that are caused by Botox injections.

You should not buy products intended for daily use that have an SPF rating. Dermatologists have advised that the constant use of these products can cause vitamin D deficiencies. But, what's worse is that none of the compounds were fully evaluated for safety before being put on the market. Years after their release, we are now learning that many of them actually cause cancer.

The best skin firming face creams do not contain sunscreens, because they are unnecessary. They do not contain preservatives, because natural vitamin E benefits the skin and preserves the other ingredients.

What to Look For

Functional Keratin is a naturally occurring protein extracted from sheep's wool. It is only found in the best skin firming face lotions, because it is a relatively expensive ingredient. Some companies that include the compound still provide affordable products, by limiting their advertising and other costs.

In clinical research, the protein has been shown to increase elasticity or firmness by 27% after the first use. The added bonus is that 24 hours later, the firmness measured is still 22% higher than before treatment. In other words, you can continue to look better and better.

The compound has also been shown to increase the production of skin cells. We need new cells to create new collagen and elastin fibers. Loss of collagen and elastin naturally accompanies aging and "naturally" causes wrinkles and sagging.

Whether you are looking to fight wrinkles or stretch marks, Functional Keratin can help. Other ingredients to look for include jojoba, grape seed, olive and avocado oils. Something I forgot to mention above is to avoid petrolatum. It is the most common base cream available, but it is ineffective and inhibits the natural rejuvenation process.

Jojoba and the other plant oils are very similar to the skin's own sebum. They are effective moisturizers and moisture equals elasticity and firmness. Dryness equals sagging. The best skin firming face lotion contains a number of natural moisturizers, functional keratin and lots of antioxidants. All of them work together to improve your appearance and your skin's overall health.