Skincare At Every Age

Step away from your high school nuclear-grade zit cream—you want to keep your complexion balanced, not under siege. “A gentle cleanser and a lightweight hydrator with SPF 15 or higher will restore your skin’s natural oil-production cycle and minimize flareups,” says N.Y.C. dermatologist Joshua Zeichner. To avoid breakouts, smooth on an oil-free moisturizer infused with salicylic acid before bed.

A.M. ROUTINE
Olay Fresh Effects Shine Minimizing Cleanser, $6; target.com.
Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15, $12; drugstore.com.

Pimples happen (especially when drinking and debauchery are in the mix). Spot-treat with a proven blemish buster: Up to 10 percent benzoyl peroxide or 5 percent salicylic acid will do the trick without overdrying the area.

P.M. ROUTINE
Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Vanishing Treatment Cream, $10; drugstore.com.
Proactiv+ Complexion Perfecting Hydrator, $30/3-piece set; proactivplus.com.

A charcoal and clay mask dries zits and calms redness. Smear on, watch an episode of Girls (Season 2 is out on DVD this month), and let the healing begin.

ONCE A WEEK
Glamglow Supermud, $69; sephora.com.

You wouldn’t leave your iPad screen smudged with fingerprints,so why would you let complexion-dimmingdead cells linger on your skin? Slough them away with a sonic cleansing brush and a dollop of an anti-redness cleanser, advises N.Y.C. dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas. A sunscreen with antioxidants will keep sunspots at bay; a night cream with peptides promotes the production of new, undamaged cells.

A.M. ROUTINE
Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser, $7; aveeno.com.
Clarsonic Aria Sonic Skin Cleansing Brush, $199; clarsonic.com.
L’Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture Even Skin Tone Normal Skin Day Lotion SPF 25, $7; lorealparisusa.com.
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller, $10; ulta.com.

If you want to check your bags, look for a caffeinespiked gel, which temporarily constricts blood vessels to diminish inky pools. (A rollerball applicator helps redistribute fluids too.) To fade melasma and other discoloration, treat with a brightening serum. Natural lighteners, such as yeast, are the least irritating.

P.M. ROUTINE
Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector, $50; clinique.com.
Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream, $20; drugstore.com.

Who needs airbrushing? Massage this grainy scrub with soothing botanicals onto damp skin for two minutes, and watch your skin take on a warm, backlit glow.

ONCE A WEEK
Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion, $78; drbrandtskincare.com.

Load on the moisturizers. “Creams and washes with basic hydrators like glycerin, ceramides, and cholesterol can actually plump furrows and grooves,” says N.Y.C. dermatologist Frederic Brandt. Older cells are even more vulnerable to damaging UV rays, so diligent sunscreen use is an absolute must. At night, break out the big guns: A vitamin A–based retinol speeds cell turnover and improves skin rejuvenation.

A.M. ROUTINE
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, $12; drugstore.com.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid sunscreen SPF 70, $12; neutrogena.com.

Layering an antioxidant serum under your night cream is like ordering an anti-aging double shot. Forthe crepey zone under your eyes, try a mild form of retinol?the high-test varietiescan abrade the thin, delicate skin there.

P.M. ROUTINE
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II serum, $62 ; esteelauder.com.
Kate Somerville 2-in-1 Retinol night cream, $85; sephora.com.
RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive eye cream, $20; target.com.

Dead skin cells are roadblocks that prevent antiwrinkle agents from passing by and doing their jobs. Clear the way with a glycolic exfoliant once a week. (The rosewater in this version fends off inflammation.)

ONCE A WEEK
Chanel Le Weekend serum, $115; chanel.com.

Vitamins, applied topically, are key. Try a nutrient- and anti-ager-packed cleanser to remove the bad (dirt, makeup) and leave behind the good (like niacinamide, a component of B3 that builds strong new skin cells). Follow it with a vitamin C–enhanced sunscreen to scrounge up sag-inducing free radicals. Used nightly, aproduct with peptides increases collagen and repairs skin.

A.M. ROUTINE
37 Actives Cleansing Treatment, $79; spacenk.com.
Skinmedica Environmental Defense sunscreen SPF 50+, $45; skinmedica.com.

To combat crow’s feet, add an eye cream with collagen plumping kinetin to your p.m. regimen. N.Y.C. dermatologist Patricia Wexler advises sealing in all your anti-aging ingredients with a thick cream.

P.M. ROUTINE
Lancôme Renergie Lift Multi-Action Reviva-Concentrate Cream, $120; macys.com.
Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream, $62; kiehls.com.
Kinerase Advanced eye cream, $56; ulta.com.

Tighten up with an at-home peel. This one contains 25 percent alpha hydroxy and polyhydroxy acids to kick cell turnover into overdrive.

ONCE A WEEK
Exuviance Performance Peel AP25, $72; ulta.com.

Oil used to be your complexion’s archenemy. Now it’s your BFF. Try a cleansing oil followed by a powerful UV blocker, as sun parches cells even further. “Your skin is producing less oil, so it’s very important to retain and give back moisture,” says N.Y.C. dermatologist Roy Geronemus. At night, use a hydrating retinol (the onebelow has shea butter) and an eye cream with growth factors to refine tone and texture.

A.M. ROUTINE
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, $28; dhccare.com.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light sunscreen, $30; cvs.com.

For even more moisture, an oil-based hyaluronicacid serum with botanical extracts can soften lines and give you that lit-from-within luminosity.

P.M. ROUTINE
Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate, $85; clarins.com.
DDF Advanced Firming Cream, $130; ddfskincare.com.
Neocutis Lumiere Bio-Restorative eye cream, $85; lovelyskin.com.

This FDA-cleared at-home LED device combines sonic vibration, gentle warming, and concentrated beams of red light to boost collagen production and fight signs of aging.

TWICE A WEEK
Tanda Luxe Skin Rejuvenation Photofacial device, $195; tanda.com.