MMC Alerts

Your skin in your 20's: Skin's at its most firm and dewy: you have all that collagen and elastin working for you. One hitch: Oiliness can cause acne. What to do: Show off skin with sheer makeup.  For pimples, use salicylic acid cleasner; spot-treat with a benzoyl peroxide fix.  Your skin in your 30's: Estrogen, the "youth" hormone, keeps skin soft and supple.  You may see your first signs of tanning fallout: freckles, spots, finelines. What to do: Prevent more spots and lines with broad-spectrum SPF; apply retinoid creme to smooth fine lines.  Your skin in your 40's: You've pretty much outgrown acne (phew). But slowing hormone and collagen production can dry and dull skin.  And, yeah, wrinkles can become more obvious.  What to do: Keep skin firm with a strong retinoid cream; build from biweekly to daily.  Use an anti-oxidant-rich creme to help reverse damage.

- GLAMOUR October 2008

 Your get-luminous plan: Exfoliate weekly.  Radiance starts with sloughing off dead skin cells.  Because new skin equals younger-looking skin, your goal is to speed it up.  Sensitive types can try a night moisturizer with alpha hydroxy acids.  For normal skin, try a stronger salicylic acid peel or a microdermabrasion kit; use either once a week.  Right after you exfoliate is the best time to hydrate.  Use a serum with humectants such as hyaluronic acid daily. For extra-dry skin, look for proteins or linoleic acid, which will plump up skin.  Follow with sunblock-derms warn that nothing destroy radiance more than sun exposure.

- SELF August 2008