Anti-aging is all about preventing or diminishing signs of aging skin, including fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and discoloration (age spots, under-eye darkening.) Prevention is better than a cure; and proper cleansing and moisturizing will help delay or minimize these natural signs of aging. Even so, there are some things that cannot be totally prevented, no matter how thorough your skincare routine is, how early you begin it, or how diligently you continue it.

Prevention and protection are better than reversal or fixing. The most obvious skin protection is sunscreen. Sun exposure and damage is one of the biggest causes of skin damage, but is also one of the easiest to minimize. If you're not using an SPF daily, START. NOW. Even in winter. Even if you live in a place where it's perpetually overcast (like I do.) So do it. Do not rely on your makeup to provide SPF coverage - most makeup only provides up to SPF 15, which is like trying to use a paper parasol to keep out pouring rain. Use your sunblock of choice daily on your face, hands, arms, and neck. I use Neutrogena Ultra Dry Touch SPF 70 (which now is marketed as “55+”.) It doesn't feel greasy, it absorbs quickly into my skin, and it doesn't require too many reapplications throughout the day unless I'm swimming.

I've already mentioned how I use Olay Regenerist Serum as part of my daily routine. The entire Regenerist line was formulated and marketed specifically to people who were in their mid to late 30s and who wanted to keep looking that way as long as possible. I don't use all of the products in the Regenerist line, but I've tried several: the cleansing micro-abrasion foam, the night cream, the micro-sculpting cream, and of course the serum itself. I ended up only keeping one in my current skincare regimen. The Regenerist serum hydrates my skin and diminishes my wrinkles - even on my elbows, which are constantly abraded and treated really rough.

As I've gotten older, I've noticed faint age spots appearing - areas of slightly darker pigmentation on my face and arms. I use Ambi Targeted Mark Miminizer on these spots every other day when they appear. It's actually lightened those dark spots a bit, so that the skin more naturally blends into the surrounding areas. (Be very cautious when using any lightening or bleaching product. Read the ingredients and directions. Don't over-use, and if any product contains hydroquinone, check with your dermatologist. I got a recommendation from a friend to try Ambi Fade, but when I read the ingredients I decided to go with another product from their line instead. Topically-applied hydroquinone is an effective way to minimize or block melanin production; but it has side effects that can range from mildly unpleasant to possibly toxic. The extreme problems have only been seen when people use it daily for years…but I prefer to err on the side of caution, and not use products that contain this ingredient at all. As always, speak with a dermatologist - or in the case of hydroquinone, a pharmacist can also give you information.) Age spots don't appear as a result of sun exposure, but they can be made more prominent by sun exposure. Before you start trying to minimize any dark spots, have a doctor or dermatologist check them out to make sure they're not the beginnings of melanoma (skin cancer.) I've heard that if a spot is smooth-edged and generally rounded, it's a freckle or age spot, but if it's got jagged/irregular edges or an odd shape (more like an amoeba than an egg) it may be melanoma. Again, I prefer to err on the side of caution when asking my dermatologist to check out any spots that look suspicious…but that's because I have several family members who have been diagnosed with (and beaten, yay) skin cancer. I'm genetically predisposed to nasty things ending in -oma.

Any anti-aging product can take 2-3 weeks to show results, though some will show some degree of results far sooner. When in doubt, ask a dermatologist or esthetician - preferably, one without a given line of products that they're looking to sell, or someone whom you personally know and trust to give you clear, unbiased advice.

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