The New Rules for Younger Looking Skin

 

The New Rules for Younger-Looking Skin

The New Rules for Younger-Looking Skin

The latest products, tips, and techniques will leave you soft, smooth, and gorgeous.

By Susan Segrest, Prevention

Birthdays may be inevitable, but looking older than you feel doesn't have to be. We've tapped into up-to-the-minute anti-aging skin care research and expert advice to bring you the latest strategies for stopping, repairing, and disguising signs of age. "Making even one of these changes will create a big difference in your skin," says Jeannette Graf, MD, a dermatologist and skin science expert in Great Neck, N.Y. But don't stop at just one—employ all five of these anti-aging skin care solutions and you'll see

Upgrade Your Sunscreen

Why: Amping up your daily SPF from 15 to 30 is the most effective way of preventing skin aging. Although the added protection may seem minor—about 4 percent—that extra bit makes a dramatic difference for anti-aging skin, says Graf. While SPF is a measure of protection against UVB, the rays that cause sunburn, higher SPF sunscreens usually offer greater protection against UVA, the rays most responsible for fine lines, wrinkles, and age-related pigmentation problems. You'll also want to trade up to a sunscreen that contains antioxidants like vitamins C and E. According to recent research, a sunscreen with built-in antioxidants offers even more insurance against UV exposure. "Because no sunscreen protects you 100 percent, antioxidants are your ally—they fight free-radical formation from UV light, which can also damage your skin," says Jeffrey Dover, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.

What to do: Look for an antioxidant- containing sunscreen or moisturizer with broad-spectrum protection—meaning it protects against UVB and UVA rays. Check the label for UVA blockers such as avobenzone (Parsol 1789),Mexoryl, and Helioplex (found in some Neutrogena sunscreens). Apply at least 1 ounce, the amount that fits in a shot glass, to all exposed areas to get the true SPF 30.

Use Serious Skin Care

Why: Lots of products can help rejuvenate skin, but when it comes to minimizing wrinkles, smoothing texture, and fading dark spots, there are no more proven anti-aging skin care ingredients than retinoids. Derived from vitamin A, retinoids have been shown in over 30 years of study to rev up collagen production and normalize cell renewal—a process that slows with age, leading to dullness and blotchiness.

"With few exceptions, everyone over the age of 30 should be on some form of retinoid if they want to look younger," says Ranella Hirsch, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in Boston and president-elect of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery. A good starting point: an over-the-counter skin care product containing retinol, the less potent chemical cousin to Rx retinoids like Renova. "It will take longer to see results with a nonprescription product, but you won't experience anywhere near as much of the dryness and peeling that can accompany these often-irritating ingredients, " explains Hirsch.

What to do: After cleansing skin at night, use a retinol-containing cream to diminish fine lines and increase cell turnover. (If necessary, use every other night to let your skin adapt to it.) For added benefit, choose one that also contains peptides, small chains of amino acids that have been shown to signal cells to stimulate collagen. Two products that contain both ingredients: Philosophy Save Me ($60; Philosophy.com) and Neova Dual Action Lotion ($85; Skincarerx.com) .

Treat Forgotten Parts

Why: These days, it's often your neck, chest, and hands—areas that usually get short shrift when it comes to skin care—that give away your age. "With so much focus on how to rejuvenate their faces, women frequently look 40 above the jawline and 60 below it," says Hirsch.

What to do: Recognize these zones as extensions of your face and treat them as outlined in Rules 1 and 2. "Whatever you put on your face, put it on your neck, chest, and hands, too," advises Hirsch. That means using anti-aging skin care products like an SPF with antioxidants in the morning and a retinol at night. One caveat: Because the skin on the neck and chest is thinner and contains fewer oil glands than the face (and thus is more prone to dryness and irritation), start by using retinol products every other day and building up to daily application, advises Kimberly Butterwick, MD, a dermatologist in La Jolla, CA, and a board member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. To keep hands protected, apply sunscreen or a moisturizer with built-in broad-spectrum sunscreen if going outdoors.

Get Better Sleep

Why: "Sleep is like must-see TV for your skin," says Hirsch. "Physiologically, important things are happening to your skin then—including an increase in cellular renewal." Unfortunately, as a recent University of Chicago study shows, we're not only getting less shut-eye than we need (six hours, instead of the recommended seven to nine), we're getting less efficient sleep. Even after crawling into bed, we spend as much as an hour and a half awake—sharply diminishing the time skin has to repair itself.

What to do: Make your sack time count. For deeper, more restorative sleep, help your mind and body wind down before hitting the hay, advises Rubin Naiman, PhD, a clinical assistant professor in the University of Arizona's Program in Integrative Medicine and author of Healing Night. Begin by dimming the lights an hour before bedtime; light suppresses melatonin, disrupting the natural sleep cycle. Soaking in a hot bath can also help you nod off faster. Listening to soft music before turning in improves sleep quality, too—the sedative sounds may decrease levels of hormones that keep you awake.

Make Under Makeup

Why: "As we age, our faces demand different makeup and application techniques," says cosmetics creator Lauren Hutton. When she returned to modeling at age 46, makeup artists used the same heavy products on her that they were using on younger models—making her look at least a decade older than she actually was. "The key is to apply the right products exactly where you need them. That way, you'll look like yourself, only better," says Hutton.

What to do: Start by dusting on a loose yellow-toned face powder to remove shine, which can accentuate fine lines. Then spot apply a creamy concealer that's two shades lighter than your skin tone on fine lines, pigmented areas, and undereye circles. "Disguising darkness instantly makes you look more well-rested and youthful," says Hutton. To add definition to cheekbones, which become less prominent as you age, apply a rose or coral blush. Sweeping a natural eye shadow over lids is optional, but filling in eyebrows is a must: "Full and natural-looking brows soften your face," says Hutton. For an extra anti-aging skin care tip: Finish with a vibrant lip color like a pretty pink; darker hues, which don't reflect light as well, are more aging.

Finds for Over-40 Faces

The competition for your complexion is heating up. Major beauty companies such as Clarins, Dove, and Lancôme are creating lines with anti-aging skin care products specifically targeted at maturing skin. These products have more than good marketing behind them; according to Graf, the formulations are likely to be extra hydrating, collagen boosting, and focused on reversing the signs of aging. Some even contain key anti-aging ingredients like peptides, retinol, and alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs), which are proven to rejuvenate skin. So, whether you're 30 or 50, if your skin is dry or sun damaged, they will help. Here are our favorites:

• Dove Pro Age Hand Cream ($5; drugstores) contains AHAs to speed cellular turnover; glycerin restores softness.
• Lumene Rejuvenating Instant Serum ($30; CVS) packs seabuckthorn oil to boost circulation and peptides to stimulate collagen production.
• L'Or&éal Paris Advanced Revitalift Double Lifting Intense Re-Tightening Gel for Face and Neck ($17; drugstores) offers criste marine, an ingredient to maximize moisture, and retinol to firmsagging skin.
• Clarins Extra-Firming Night Cream ($82; Clarins.com) supercharges your complexion with regenerating alfalfa extract, brown algae, and vitamin E.
• Lancôme Absolue Eye Premium Bx ($73; department stores) is formulated with salicylic acid (a BHA) to smooth fine lines.