Step 2: ADD ANTI-OXIS
If you read our tip on vitamins, you’ll know they can help improve the skin. Here’s a quick recap of why antioxidants help. Natural antioxidants inside the membranes of your cells (vitamin E is the most common in the skin) protect you against free oxygen radicals in the membrane and lipid portions of the cell. They’re especially important for protecting your skin, because they help thicken your epidermis while the sun quickly depletes levels of vitamin E. Your body will replenish its own vitamin E if you are eating smart, but adding some extra vitamin C (which protects the water-soluble portions of your cells) can help decrease the appearance of wrinkles and improve the formation of collagen and elastin.
Only certain types of vitamin C will penetrate the skin—one called L-ascorbic acid does this particularly well. To work, it must be in a concentration of at least 10 percent and must be kept acidic. So, you can’t just rub oranges on your face and expect it to work. L-ascorbic acid is oxidized by the sun, rendering it ineffective, so use it at night.
Topical application of niacinamide (niacin, vitamin B3) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and other antioxidant vitamins (taken orally) are good for the skin. In fact, topical niacin helps prevent injury caused by the sun, and increases the level of certain fats and protein in the skin, which improves its barrier function, and it helps reduce the yellowing of skin that’s associated with glycation (the yellowing can disappear between 4 and 12 weeks of use).
Step 3: MOISTEN BEFORE USING
Typically, your skin soaks up moisture to keep itself young and vital, but it loses the ability to do that as you age. Most commercial face creams are oil-based and work by blocking the release of water from the skin. As people grow older, however, they cannot rely on oil-based preparations to block the release of moisture. That’s because aged skin loses the ability to attract moisture in the first place and becomes fundamentally dehydrated. But the vitamin A family, commonly called retinoids, can increase the actual water content of the skin without clogging the dead layer of cells. Retin-A contains retinoic acid and requires a prescription. Retinyl propionate, retinyl palmitate, and retinol (retinaldehyde) don’t require a prescription, and all are converted by your skin’s own enzymes into retinoic acid.
Healthy moisturizers don’t disturb the acid mantle of the skin or clog pores. We prefer natural moisturizers, such as squalene (made from olives), avocado oil, walnut butter, or cocoa butter, and ones that are proven to be hypoallergenic. Apply while you’re still damp from the shower to seal the moisture in, and remember, it’s especially important to moisturize when you’re flying, at high altitudes, or in dry climates.
Step 4: EXFOLIATE OFTEN
Which is better for your floor? Sweeping it clean every week or waiting for all the gunk to build up and then doing one big power wash a year? Exactly. You have several choices when deciding to do the same with your face:
Mop it clean daily or weekly with a light physical exfoliant or a chemical exfoliant. Don’t use physical exfoliants that have sharp edges, since they can damage healthy skin below. Apricot seeds are natural and work like an old-fashioned straw broom as opposed to the newfangled chemical beads, which are more symmetrical like a synthetic broom. We favor the latter but won’t report you to the authorities if you insist on going the old-fashioned way. Try some on the back of your hand to make sure it’s not too harsh.
Microdermabrasion is industrial-level exfoliation and can be repeated monthly for the best results in typical people. Microdermabrasion uses either aluminum oxide or salt crystals or, even better, embedded diamonds to exfoliate while the oils are sucked right out of those pores. See below for more about microdermabrasion.
Power-wash it with something stronger, like trichloroacetic acid, which takes off the top layer of skin (it looks so bad for a week that we recommend doing this once yearly around Halloween). This is most useful to lessen that annoying splotchy brown pigmentation. This requires a doc.
Every few years you can scrape it with a sandblaster or wire brush—that’s real dermabrasion and the recovery is not particularly pleasant, so new light lasers are being developed to do this without the downtime. Unfortunately, they’re so new we can’t recommend one yet.
While they all can be effective, it makes the most sense to us to exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells and stimulate growth of new ones. If you wear makeup or are exposed to a lot of dirt, exfoliating nightly is recommended (don’t do it at midday, which basically only removes your makeup). Also, for the women here, you produce more oil during your period so you’re susceptible to more acne, meaning you should use a lighter peel.
Use a loofah sponge for your body. The loofah mechanically removes the old layer of skin. (Turkish baths require loofahs, and folks don’t feel really clean unless they’ve had a vigorous rubdown.)
If you’re going to do it yourself, look for exfoliating products that contain acids compatible with your skin’s own natural acidity. Some options:
Alpha-hydroxy acid (usually listed as glycolic acid) works as an exfoliant by peeling off the top layer of dead skin and hydrating with moisturizer. Alpha-hydroxy acids (skin-rejuvenating fruit acids) have been around for about 20 years and make a marked improvement in skin quality by sloughing dead skin cells off the surface so that more youthful-appearing fresh cells become visible. Fine lines and wrinkles lessen and your skin takes on a fresher-looking tone.
Glycolic acid (less than 10 percent concentration is safest; docs use higher concentrations), which is derived from sugarcane, traps moisture in skin and releases dead cells. Use it sparingly at first to make sure it doesn’t cause skin irritation.
Hyaluronic acid is a large sugarlike molecule in the extracellular matrix that binds with water and provides volume and fullness for skin, making skin smooth and moist. Hyaluronic acid can’t penetrate the skin, however, so when you put it on your skin, it’s really just a moisturizer.
Apple cider vinegar also works as an exfoliant for the top layer of skin.
Step 5: PICK THE BLOCK
You’re supposed to get 20 minutes of sunlight a day—but only when it’s at low levels (a good rule to tell: your shadow should be longer than your height). This includes even on a cloudy day, which stops only 20 to 40 percent of UV radiation. Beyond that, you know the drill. You know it, you hear it, you see the ads with the baby’s butt on billboards. Wear sunscreen. Like punishment doled out in the principal’s office, sun protection is nonnegotiable—because it’s the most critical factor in keeping skin healthy. It’s best to make sunscreen a part of your daily regimen so you won’t get unexpected exposure (or get a sunburn). Use a great moisturizer that you love that also contains an SPF 30 sunscreen and affords the protection you need. If you’re going to be outside for sports, use a lotion with SPF 30 (for UVB) and a four-star rating (for UVA) and reapply every two hours.
Our recommendation: Always protect your face and the backs of your hands but allow your body to be exposed to some sun for a few minutes before you add sunscreen. A little redness in the skin signifies that vitamin D is being made. Here’s a helpful hint: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens protect immediately, and newer versions of these sunscreens form a thin film rather than making you look as if you smeared crayon all over your face. All the rest of the sunscreens—called chemical or organic sunscreens (misnomers if we ever heard one)—take 20 minutes to absorb into your skin before protecting. So get those few minutes of sun and then apply the zinc.
You need to slather all sunscreens on thickly and apply them evenly, making sure not to miss any spots such as the back of the neck, the top of the ears, and any exposed scalp. Most of us don’t put on enough sunscreen, and if that’s the