Collagen is an elastic and fibrous form of protein that is found in the connective tissue of cartilage and ligaments. Many people, especially women of 40 years of age and older, use collagen cream, to maintain their youthful appearance. This is because, as people age, they lose up to thirty percent of their collagen, resulting in the development of wrinkles, crow's feet and sagging skin. Collagen creams are believed by many to help slow down this process, and may actually help prevent it from occurring. Some types of collagen creams include anti-wrinkle cream, anti-aging cream and night cream.

Of the various types of collage creams, none of them actually contain collagen. A molecule of collagen is too large to be absorbed by the skin. The main ingredient in collagen cream, functional keratin, is a combination of peptide proteins that help your body to build collagen. The remaining ingredients include water, mineral Oil, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate SE, glycerin, isopropyl myristate, ceteareth-20, propylene glycol, centella asiatica extract, echinacea purpurea extract, vitis vinifera seed extract, hydrolyzed elastin, lecithin, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, tall oil sterol, linoleic acid, tocopherol, sodium ascorbate, mannitol, DMDM hydantoin, methylparaben, propylparaben and fragrance.

One type of cream that contains collagen is referred to as anti-wrinkle cream. This type of cream is said to prevent the development of wrinkles, which occur as a person ages, or from excessive exposure to sun. Anti-wrinkle creams may also contain retinol, hydroxy acids, or copper peptides, along with the previously listed ingredients, to lessen the appearance of wrinkles. Creams labeled as anti-wrinkle haven't been proven to actually prevent the development of wrinkles, but only to lessen their appearance.

Anti-aging cream is another popular type of collagen cream, as many people are trying to prevent the development of visible signs of aging. Anti-aging creams are supposed to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles that occur with aging, as well as increase the suppleness and radiance of the skin. Once again, this type of collagen cream hasn't been proven in preventing the signs of aging, though many people swear by it effectiveness. The alpha-hydroxy acids found in this variety of cream may be responsible for the increased suppleness of the skin.

Night cream is one form of collagen cream that many people find effective in the battle to fight wrinkles and crows feet. It is believed to be most effective during a person's alpha sleep cycle because it works with the bodies natural collagen to restore and rebuild the skin's natural suppleness. Collagen night cream also increases the moisture content of skin, increasing its firmness.