The Foolproof Anti-Aging Skin Routine


By Melissa Matthews

Ask any woman of a certain age and she'll tell you that looking younger is at the top of her wish list. But when it comes to figuring out how to get ageless skin, well, most of us wouldn't know the answer if it was staring us in the face. Serums? Creams? Cleansers? What to use and how? This skincare-by- numbers regimen makes it easy to stop aging in its tracks.

Find out which beauty drinks and supplements really did improve our testers' hair, skin or nails.

Your Morning Routine

1. Wash your face. Using a non-soap cleanser and warm water, remove dirt and oil to create a canvas for products, which you'll be applying in order of consistency, from thinnest, like gels, to thickest, like creams, so they properly penetrate skin, says Kathy Fields, a San Francisco dermatologist and cocreator of Proactiv.

2. Treat your eyes. "The area around your eyes is the first place to show visible signs of aging-fine lines and wrinkles," says Gary Goldfaden, MD, a Miami-based dermatologist. The skin here tends to be thinner, drier and more sensitive than any other area on your face, so gently pat a pea-size amount of cream on the undereye area with your ring finger, which applies the least pressure. Start below the inner corners of eyes and move out toward your temples. Pick the formula that will attack your trouble spots.


If You Have... Puffy Eyes

As you age, circulation slows and eye ligaments weaken, pushing fat forward. Apply a cream with aloe vera to soothe swelling or caffeine to boost circulation. Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream ($29.50; Origins.com) has caffeine from coffee and ginseng.





If You Have... Dark Circles

Blame heredity for raccoon eyes, caused by pooled blood in blood vessels. To promote circulation, use cream with caffeine or grapeseed extract. Both are in Good Skin Labs Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer ($39.50; Kohls.com), a day gel and a night balm.





If You Have... Crow's-feet

Over time, collagen, a firming protein, breaks down and causes wrinkles. Choose a cream with amino acids, which trigger collagen production. L'Oréal Paris Collagen Micro-Pulse Eye ($20; at drugstores) even has a vibrating massager to stimulate blood flow.






If You Have... Crepey Skin

Got bags? When skin loses collagen, it becomes less elastic and sags. Apply an eye cream with hyaluronic acid, like Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream ($18; MarioBadescu.com), to lock in moisture and kick-start collagen production.





3. Moisturize. Each time we wash your face, we remove some of its natural moisture-and if we don't apply something to replace what's missing, skin becomes dehydrated. "Maintaining a moisture balance in our skin reduces the appearance of fine lines, prevents sensitivity and controls oil production," says Jennifer Linder, MD, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based dermatologist. Apply a dime-size amount of the formula for your skin type to each cheek and massage it into your face, neck and chest. If your lotion doesn't have SPF, follow up with sunscreen.

If You Have... Dry Skin

The culprits: a change in hormones or the weather, or using alcoholbased cleansers or bar soap. Try a cream with a humectant, like glycerin, which attracts moisture to skin. Our pick: Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue UV-Lotion SPF 15 ($8; at drugstores).





If You Have... Uneven Skin Tone

You could be suffering from a loss of collagen and elastin or too much sun. Apply a cream with peptides, which firm up elasticity, and soy or licorice extract, which lighten dark spots. One to try: First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Face Cream SPF 30 ($38; Sephora.com).




If You Have... Combination Skin

An oily T-zone (dry on cheeks; oily on forehead, nose and chin) is probably due to hormones or genetics. Look for a lightweight moisturizer like Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief ($34; Clinique.com), which has dimethicone, a hydrating skin conditioner, and soothing green tea.





Your Night Routine

1. Wash and exfoliate. As you do in the a.m., wash with a gentle cleanser. Once a week, switch to an exfoliating cleanser that goes deep, removing dead skin cells that build up and cause uneven texture, suggests Frederic Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in Miami and New York City.

2. Treat your eyes. Apply the same eye cream you used in the morning.

3. Pump on serum. Consider serums the SWAT team of beauty products: You bring them in when you've got a specific problem (age spots, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles) and nothing else seems to be working. "Serums have a higher concentration of active ingredients and seep deeper than moisturizer into your skin layers to deliver nutrients that help repair your skin," says Kenneth Beer, MD, a West Palm Beach, Florida-based dermatologist. Serums are lightweight, super-hydrating and typically won't clog pores. Pump a pea-size amount onto the back of your hand and use your ring finger to gently massage it into trouble spots.

If You Have... Age Spots

Your go-to ingredient: kojic acid, which is found in (of all places) mushrooms. It blocks the skin's tyrosinase enzyme, which creates melanin, the pigment that determines how light or dark skin can get. Try PCA Skin Pigment Gel hq free ($42; 877-PCA-SKIN).




If You Have... Dull Skin

Want to glow again? Apply a serum with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), fruit acids that gently exfoliate skin to reveal fresh, younger cells. Antioxidant-rich Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Intensive Skin Repair Serum ($20; Target.com) has AHAs blueberry and apple extract.




If You Have... Wrinkles

Protect skin from free radicals-pollution and UV radiation-that speed aging. Neutralize their effects and prevent further damage with a vitamin C-infused formula, like Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster ($48; OleHenriksen.com).





4. Moisturize. Formulated to work with the body's natural healing cycle (hello, cell turnover!), night creams are enriched with vitamins and antioxidants to help repair damage. Apply a dime-size amount to each cheek and massage into your entire face, neck and chest.

If You Have... Dry Skin

Use a moisturizer that's packed with shea butter, which is rich in fatty acids and helps skin retain moisture and elasticity. Our pick: Lumene Excellent Future Deep Repairing Night Cream ($29.99; Target.com).





If You Have... Uneven Skin Tone

At night, skin doesn't have to worry about UV exposure, so it's prime time to combat age spots with peptides. Try Skin Effects by Dr. Jeffrey Dover Cell 2 Cell Intense Illuminating Cream with Anti-Pigment Peptides ($20; CVS.com).






If You Have... Combination Skin

To bridge the battle between dry and oily skin, use a hydrating moisturizer that delivers essential nutrients like vitamin E. Dead Sea Essentials Almond Oil Night Cream ($15; Target.com) has a blend of mineral extracts, plus free radical-fighting Vitamin E.










Original article appeared on WomansDay.com.


Related Articles at WomansDay.com:



Get Younger-Looking Hands

8 Beauty Sins You Might Be Committing

4 Steps to Perfectly Groomed Eyebrows