But just because your skin is delicate doesn’t mean you’re out of anti-aging options. With the right ingredients, you can have the skin you want, minus the drama. Take notes. Tighten with: Retinol + Hyaluronic Acid Vitamin A-derived retinol is the gold standard in anti-wrinkle ingredients, Tanzi says. It helps increase collagen production and cell turnover, for tighter, fresher looking skin. But it’s also notorious for causing redness, dryness, and flakiness, no matter your skin type. Over-the-counter retinol is much gentler than the prescription form, Retin-A, so head to the beauty aisle and look for a retinol product infused with soothing ingredients, like emollient hyaluronic acid. Try Neutrogena’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer ($21; Neutrogena.com), which blends the two in an easy overnight treatment. Brighten with: Kojic acid + Licorice Extract Wrinkles aren’t the only year-revealers—age spots give it away, too. While dermatologists typically recommend skin lightening ingredient hydroquinone to lighten dark spots, but it’s so strong that using it for long periods of time can actually have the opposite effect, leaving your skin permanently pigmented, says Ted Lain, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Austin, Texas. Instead, go for natural brighteners kojic acid (sourced from fungi) and licorice extract, which lessen the intensity of age spots without the potential for irreversible pigmentation. We like Jurlique’s Purely Bright Spot Treatment ($42; jurlique.com), which targets dark spots and old acne scars with a licorice root extract blend, and La Roche Posay’s Mela-D Pigment Control ($53; laroche-posay.us), which provides an all-over dose of 2% kojic acid. Protect with: Antioxidants Bummer alert: Even the air makes you look old. Free radicals in the environment around you break down collagen, which accelerates the aging process, Lain says. In lieu of living in a vacuum (hey, you’d probably look great forever), smooth on antioxidants in the morning before you head out the door. “Antioxidants absorb free radicals before they cans cause DNA damage,” Tanzi explains. You’d be hard-pressed to find an antioxidant that will rouse a negative reaction from your skin, but Lain and Tanzi stress that vitamin C has the most research backing its effectiveness. You can find it in Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Serum ($98; perriconemd.com). Formulas with green tea and ferulic acid are also good options. Smooth with: Low-Dose Acids As harsh as they may be on skin, alpha and beta hydroxy acids and glycolic acid are still some of the best smoothing ingredients around. They help remove dead skin cells, which make your skin look dull and can act as a barrier to the skin-improving products you’re using, Lain says. Those with sensitive skin can still use acids, just at a lower percentage. Tanzi recommends looking for products with no more than four percent acid concentration (some contain more than ten percent). Tanzi also recommends testing the waters by using glycolic acid pads a couple nights a week after you wash your face—just be sure to wash once more before you doze off so the acid doesn’t work through the night. Try Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads ($36; peterthomasroth.com), which balance the acid with calming aloe vera, chamomile, and green tea. Shield with: Hydrating SPF We’ll never get tired of telling you to put sunscreen on. And as long as it’s the best tool out there for keeping the sun from breaking down the elastin fibers separating you and saggy skin, you’d be wise to keep yourself covered daily. But here’s the thing: While minerals sunscreens containing zinc and titanium dioxide are best (chemical options can aggravate sensitive skin), they can also dry out skin that’s prone to irritation, Tanzi says. You can stick with sunscreen with zinc and titanium dioxide as the active ingredients as long as the formula also offers emollient ingredients too. We like Josie Maran’s Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 ($32; josiemarancosmetics.com), which blends the physical blockers with hydrating jojoba seed oil, argan oil, and green tea leaf extract. MORE: The Smoothie Fix For Glowing Skin
