Most of us recall this famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, “…nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Those of us who are a bit “leaky”, or who care for someone who leaks a little, also live with the certainty of incontinence expenses. No matter where you buy them, fancy pants (adult diapers) ain’t cheap.

The Internal Revenue Service provides Pub 502 in order to precisely explain which medical expenses are deductible and which medical costs will need to be borne by the taxpayer without the benefit of a tax deduction. This paper is a light read and a degree in tax law is not required in order to understand the contents.

Here is where you can pick up this handy IRS publication: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html#en_US_publink100014757

Even if the products are non-prescription, used-in-the-home items that can be purchased in any store, if those products are purchased because you are caring for a recognized medical problem (incontinence), then you can deduct the cost of those products as legitimate medical expenses. This includes adult diapers, disposable washcloths, skin creams, underpads, and all the other accessories that go with absorbent underwear and the need to frequently change disposable adult diapers. This is really great news for all of us aging baby boomers; I am certain that I’ll soon be looking after someone who’ll need this type of care. Beyond that horizon, I can also sense that with there being just one little muscle keeping me dry down there; it is easy to imagine my own need for this deduction someday.

My spouse however is outraged that such deductions should be allowed. He’s a good guy, but sometimes we see things from different points of view. He feels that he should be allowed to deduct the cost of his own “normal” underwear, especially if others are allowed to deduct their “disposables”. He points out that it would be a public health hazard if he were to walk around without wearing his underwear. I conceded that point, even as I begged him to forgo his oath to “…never wear underwear again until Congress acts on this issue.” We’ve been married for quite a few years now and I know when to pay attention to him. As I do his laundry I would like him to continue to wear underwear. Please.

Hooray for him. But despite my husbands objections, I think the intent of this government rule is clear and well-meant.

So start looking online and find the best deals on adult diapers. Save your sales slips too; they will be worth some gold at tax time.

Of course we cannot deny our age. But this is no excuse to simply give up on ourselves and let our skin make us look old.

In these enlightened times there is no reason for anyone to have dry skin. This is because there are just so many anti-wrinkle creams and potions available to us. They all claim to make our skin supple smooth and young looking even though we are technically “over the hill.”

Let us think about the reasons your skin starts to age before reflecting on the factors that make anti-wrinkle cream work. As we advance in years our skin begins to reflect our age. We begin to experience wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots. Of course there can be many reasons for this. Prolonged exposure to the sun, smoking, heavy drinking, and even genetics can play their part in skin aging. Your skin gradually undergoes changes as you age. You will find that collagen will decrease and there is often an increase in “free radicals” which will deteriorate your skin.

Wrinkles will be present as we age, no matter what we do but an effective anti-wrinkle cream can help to slow down and sometimes reverse the effects of skin aging. Of course you will have to consider your lifestyle as well. Try to eat properly, hydrate yourself and take proper exercise. Try to get enough sleep and avid smoking and heavy drinking. All of these factors will affect your skin’s health.

There are many antiaging and antiwrinkle creams on the market, but those that benefit most have at least some of the following ingredients in them:

One of the best ingredients you can find in an anti-wrinkle cream is something called retinol. Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. it’s an antioxidant, so it helps neutralize free radicals. It also increases skin cell turnover. This is beneficial because when we are in our 20s, our outer layer of skin is replaced roughly every 28 days. By the time we’re in our 40s, that may have increased to 42 or even more days. To help retain fresh, young skin even into our 40s, we need to speed up this replacement. Retinol does this by dissolving the outer layer of skin and revealing fresh, new skin underneath.

Alpha hydroxy acids and the newer beta and poly hydroxy acids are acids derived from fruit. These acids are exfoliants, which means it removes the outer layer of skin and encourages fresh new skin to appear from beneath. This is similar to one of retinol’s functions, but hydroxy acids produce a minor “injury” to the skin that also encourages new collagen growth to occur in the skin layers themselves. One drawback to hydroxy acids is that they do make you much more photosensitive, so always wear sunscreen when you’re out in the sun.

Coenzyme Q 10 is a powerful antioxidant; in fact it is one of the strongest out there. Its purpose is to neutralize free radicals. These free radicals are toxins that damage new skin cells and make your skin age faster. It is also thought that this substance will stimulate the growth of collagen.

It is thought that Kinetin may help to moisturize the skin and increase collagen growth. It is relatively new and more clinical trials must be done to see the real results.

A point to remember is that price is not an indication of how well an anti-wrinkle cream performs. The best policy is to do your own research. You can do this by checking out reviews and testimonials of the product. This will help you to get a more balanced view of the anti-wrinkle cream. By this means you can save money and get a good product.