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The days of soaking up the sun may already seem far behind us, but the effects of those rays last well beyond summer. Dermatologist Jeanine Downie highlights the latest products to help fight those fine lines and wrinkles:
Sunblock
Sunblock every day, rain or shine, January through December, regardless of your ethnicity from Scandinavian to African and everyone in between these shades. I cannot explain enough times that no sunblock means you are not doing your best to keep your skin looking young and to decrease the incidence of skin cancer. There are new sunblocks with broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Many old sunscreens only blocked UVB, but new sunscreens have UVA stabilizers like helioplex, active photobarrier complex and solaplex. Stabilizers like these give you more broad-spectrum protection.
Products:
MD Forte Sunblock SPF 30 (prescription only)
Neutrogena Suncare with Helioplex (Ultra Sheer)
Aveeno Continuous Protection with Active Photobarrier Complex
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are also important. Not just a buzzword anymore, antioxidants help to fight free-radical damage from the environment (think stress, pollution, sun and ozone depletion). Antioxidants improve texture and tone and help to decrease fine lines. The tried-and-true gold standard is Prevage MD, which corrects previous photodamage and protects against some future problems. Coffeeberry is a new antioxidant that is being introduced into the market as Revale Skin. It is reported to be 10 times as strong as green tea with regard to antioxidant capacity. Honey is also a natural antioxidant that regenerates damaged tissue, decreases free radicals and improves elasticity. Dark honey has more antioxidants than light-colored versions.
Products:
Revale Skin (prescription)
Prevage MD
L'Occitane Honey Comfort Cleansing Fluid
Naturopathica
Glycolic acids
Glycolic acids are alpha hydroxy acids. These are so safe that pregnant women can use them. They are naturally derived from fruit and help repair sun damage, even out texture, improve tone, clear acne and decrease fine lines. Glycolic acids are key in an antiaging regimen and are available in a new product line called Vivite. This line includes a night repair cream, an eye cream, a daily antioxidant and an exfoliating cream wash.
Products:
Vivite (prescription only)
MD Forte Cleanser (prescription only)
Avon Anew Cleanser
Retinoids
Not everyone can tolerate Retin-A or even many over-the-counter retinoids. However, in small amounts (so they are not too irritating), they help to plump the skin, significantly decreasing fine lines and wrinkles, build collagen and repair sun damage.
Products:
Differin (prescription only)
Avage (prescription only)
Neutrogena Healthy Defense
Night repair
Night repair products are wonderful to use while we sleep as our skin cells turn over more, so we can get deeper penetration of some products, leading to a more therapeutic effect. They can build collagen, decrease fine lines and repair sun damage. TNS by Skin Medica, Alyria Intensive Lotion with Matrixyl, Vivite and MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation II are some of the better, but not too costly, products on the market.
Products:
TNS by Skin Medica (prescription only)
Alyria Intensive Lotion with Matrixyl (prescription only)
Neutrogena Copper
Aveeno Positively Ageless Night Cream
Diet and exercise
This is no joke. Exercise improves your circulation, tones your muscles and decreases your stress levels. Ultimately, exercise makes you look and feel better. A balanced diet is also key. Overeating or chronic bingeing and starving is not the answer. A proper diet of healthy foods and vegetables is not easy in our high-fat, high-sugar, and highly processed food world.
Jeanine Downie, M.D., is the director of Image Dermatology in Montclair, N.J., and is an assistant attending physician at Mountainside and Overlook Hospitals. She is the author of “Beautiful Skin of Color.”
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
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