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Saturday, November 7, 2009

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16 rules to live by for young-looking skin

16 simple yet wildly effective rules to live by for dewy, plump, perfectly smooth skin--no matter what your age.

1. Even if you're sitting in the shade, without sunscreen you're being zapped by aging rays. Sunscreen, (at least SPF30, every day) not only prevents aging, it gives your skin time away from defending itself, so it can actually repair and undo existing damage.

2. There's wet, and then there's wet: If you want any antiager to work better, get your skin very wet. For instance, if you want your face scrub to exfoliate more than usual, do it at the very end of a shower.

3. Always pat eye cream in with your ring finger--it's the weakest, so the most gentle.

Perfect Your Skin: The right regimen makes all the difference, whether you're treating breakouts, wrinkles or redness.

4. Retin-A, Tazorac, Renova: These prescription-only retinoic acid formulas de-age skin like no over-the-counter cream. It takes about six weeks to see results, but the difference in most people is truly spectacular.

5. For some, retinoic acid is too skin-sensitizing. The next strongest thing is available over the counter: retinol. The most powerful retinol we know of is Help Me by Philosophy. If that's too much for you, Healthy Skin by Neutrogena is nonirritating but still extremely effective.

6. Too much sugar in your diet causes glycation--an inflammation and a disruption of collagen production. Avoid eating sweets, and use a product designed to prevent (and undo) the reaction.

7. Your skin does most of its repair-and-refresh work at night. Lack of sleep shows up on your face as dullness initially, graduating to wrinkling, sagging, and even breakouts as you continue to lose sleep.

There are no falsities to this beauty sleep business. A Lucky beauty editor was recently inflicted with mono (and a 1,000 hours of sleep) and reemerged with her most luminous skin ever.

8. Supplements: Who knows if they work? They might, and that's why we take them--especially those with omega-3, -6, and -9 oils. Since none of us can eat as much youthifying salmon as the experts say we should.

9. Cold really does bring down puffiness. Throw your eye cream in the fridge, or use these already-frosty versions.

10. Unanimous editors' rave: More Lucky staffers mentioned Kiehl's when they were queried about their antiaging routines than any other brand. They love the avocado eye cream, the pineapple papaya face scrub, the...

11. Peptides stimulate your cells to produce more collagen. They retexturize--so your skin feels silkier and looks brighter--and minimize lines. And they don't irritate at all.

12. Smoking is even better (and faster) at aging your face than the sun.

13. Wind and cold are dehydrating. Moisturizer plumps up your skin, making it look and feel smoother temporarily. We have never met a makeup artist who doesn't apply moisturizer liberally before makeup--it really makes a difference.

14. If you overdo it on skin treatments, anti-inflammatory products like Dr. Brandt's Laser Relief will calm your skin back to normality overnight.

Been a little overzealous with your skin care routine? One Lucky editor suggests this calendula cream as a cure all.

15. Tinted undereye moisturizer is a genius invention. Use it alone if your trouble is not severe, under concealer if it's more major.

16. If all else fails, keep your sunglasses on--and not solely for the obvious reason of camouflage. You also shield the delicate and first-to-wrinkle-and-sag eye area from future damage. Eye cream with SPF helps too.

Want more tips and suggestions from Lucky editors? Visit our how-to channel for expert advice in fashion and beauty.

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Comments 1-10 of 65
  • Health Naturalist's Avatar
    Posted by Health Naturalist Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:41am PDT

    Some good advice here. What you put in and on your body really can affect the aging process. If you want your skin to have that natural glow only use products that are free of harmful chemicals. They do more damage than good and those toxins build up in your internal organs. This can eventually lead to degenerative disease. My mantra is stay clean and green just to be on the safe side. I eat organic foods and use only safe, natural, environment friendly products. People think I'm much younger than my actual age.

    http://www.ineways.com/kurtngail

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  • kh's Avatar
    Posted by kh Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:53pm PDT

    Yes I know sunscreen sunscreen---but I didn't know that too much sugar is bad....so that is it I will cut back sugar it will be good for my body too

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  • Betty's Avatar
    Posted by Betty Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:26pm PDT

    OK. I get it, we are supposed to be young forever. NOT, I enjoy my wrinkles I've earned them and proud of them. Let the young be just that and let us age normally as God made us.

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  • Isky's Avatar
    Posted by Isky Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:38pm PDT

    I agree with Health Naturalist! Eat healthy, unprocessed, whole foods. Drink water to hydrate your body and skin, and stay away from chemical-laden "beauty" products, except for (alas!) sunscreen. I seldom exfoliate, because that happens naturally with skin. I wash my face with DHC pure soap, and follow up with warm water w/vinegar. The vinegar rinse removes any soap residue, it's pH balanced -- that means it closes the pores AND hydrates the skin. The scent does not linger. I'm 70; my skin looks much, much younger in age. 70 is the new 50!!

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  • June B's Avatar
    Posted by June B Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:01pm PDT

    good to know

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  • girlygirl's Avatar
    Posted by girlygirl Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:15pm PDT

    Good advise...but...been there, heard that, most of it is common sense. Is there ever anything new...because these tips have been around for years and years.

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  • Brittney-San's Avatar
    Posted by Brittney-San Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:31pm PDT

    Luckily, i dont need any of this stuff since i already look young^^ I have the face of a 14 year old lol

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  • phonz's Avatar
    Posted by phonz Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:53pm PDT

    i dont that lack of sleep isa fast to the way oy aging anf u nid 1,000 hrs. to recover.. ouch!!!

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  • __A_YAHOO_USER__'s Avatar
    Posted by __A_YAHOO_USER__ Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:08pm PDT

    Excellent advice. Alot of it is common sense. But some of it I really didn't know. It's good to learn about ANYTHING that keeps you younger!!!!

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  • Planet's Avatar
    Posted by Planet Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:08pm PDT

    everybody has ther own unique technique to make ther own beauty to glow and maintain young beautiful skin and face. so better go on your own way of beauty tips.

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