Morning and night.
“Everyone in my office, male or female, regardless of age, is advised to use sunscreen with zinc oxide in the morning and a retinoid in the evening. The retinoid I choose depends on the skin they have. With acne, it’s Retin-A, which kills two birds with one stone: It addresses acne and stimulates collagen. If a patient is in her thirties, then maybe it will be a retinol, which is less irritating. For a more mature woman, with dryer skin, I might prescribe Renova, which has mineral oil.”
—Jessica Wu, MD: Harvard-educated dermatologist and well-known media personality

Triple threat.
To prevent aging: “Protect the skin from inflammation and keep it calm, because inflammation results in the overproduction of destructive free radicals; protect the skin with antioxidants to keep destructive free radicals under control and provide the skin with the nourishment it needs.”
—Shan Albert: the director of education and product development for Zed laboratories, the world’s leader for revolutionary advances in skin care

Don’t underestimate a grape.
“Grapeseed extract is one of the most effective antioxidant ingredients in skin care. It provides more antioxidant power than vitamins C, E and beta carotene. It also has the ability to bind to collagen and thereby promotes youthful skin, healthy cells, cellular elasticity and flexibility.”
—Jim Miller: founder of California North, a West Coast skincare line

Get a smart routine.
“The most common mistake women make with their skin is to assume that just washing their face once or twice a day and applying a moisturizer is sufficient to ‘age gracefully.’ An anti-aging regimen is the most important aspect in trying to reverse and prevent aging. For the daily regimen, cleanse every morning and every night, preferably with a gentle foaming cleanser one of those times and a slightly more abrasive but non-irritating cleanser perhaps once every night or every second or third night, depending on skin sensitivity. Sun-screening is essential and should be applied year-round. Then, I recommend a retinoid and a botanical such as green tea extract or another antioxidant such as vitamin C. Please note that no twelve hour period should pass without an active ingredient being applied to the face. If sunscreens are used, then a combination sunscreen and anti-aging product is appropriate, or an anti-aging product may be applied under the sunscreen so that during the day, the individual has both sunscreen on and something that is helping to reverse the aging process. At night, of course, after cleansing, at least one anti-aging product should be applied.”
—Jeffrey Dover, MD: top dermatologist, professor and creator of Skin Effects, the first dermatologist-developed anti-aging line for the mass market