Hydrating Sunscreen
When to use it: Morning
You wouldn't think of leaving home each day without applying deodorant; now try to be as religious about sun block. Sunscreen not only helps prevent skin cancer, it "minimizes your skin's exposure to free radicals in UV rays, which cause the breakdown of collagen," says Vivian Bucay, MD, a San Antonio dermatologist and melanoma survivor. Bucay suggests you choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 that is also broad-spectrum, meaning it blocks both UVB rays (those that burn) and UVA rays (those that cause cancer and accelerate aging).
To save time and money -- and space in your medicine cabinet -- it's smart to opt for a formula that's also hydrating, since most of us need a moisturizer during the day. Try L'Oreal Advanced RevitaLift SPF 15 Day Lotion ($20; drugstores).
Tip: Clinical studies show that antioxidants such as vitamins C and E help to fend off the kind of free radicals found in UV rays -- and improve your sunscreen's ability to do the same. So to maximize your sun protection, consider choosing a hydrating sunscreen with antioxidants. We like Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15 Face Cream ($49; clinique.com, available in March), with vitamin C.
Eye Cream
When to use it: Morning and night
You already know the eye area ages first. "That's because its skin is thinnest, driest, and most susceptible to wrinkling," says Susan Taylor, a Philadelphia-based dermatologist. The undereye is also among the first spots to sag, and when this area stretches out, blue blood vessels (aka dark circles) become more obvious. Finally, because circulation slows as we age, most of us also suffer some blood pooling under the eyes, creating a perma-puff effect.
The hard truth: Short of an eye-lift, there's no miracle cure for these complaints. But certain creams and serums can minimize them. For wrinkling, sagging, and dark circles, your best bet is an eye cream with peptides, a chain of amino acids that have been shown to boost collagen production. (More collagen equals plumper, firmer skin -- which fills out fine lines and thickens skin enough to make blood vessels less prominent.) To shrink puffiness, you need an ingredient such as topical caffeine, which constricts blood vessels and diminishes pooling.
