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Skin Savers

It’s never too late to slow the effects of time on your skin. Dr. Paula Moskowitz, clinical assistant professor at Brown Medical School, shares tips for regaining the glow.  

• Choose a broad-spectrum zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or Mexoryl sunscreen. “I recommend SPF 30 for every day,” says Moskowitz, who advises against depending on sun protection from makeup. “To get the amount of SPF on the package, you would have to put your makeup on really thickly.”
• Use sunscreen year-round. “People don’t realize how much sun exposure they get even driving in their cars,” says Moskowitz. “UVA rays penetrate right through glass. Those are the rays that cause damage and skin cancers.”
• Products that contain topical anti-oxidants, such as vitamin C, or retinol will help improve texture and tone. “Products like Vichy, Neutrogena or Aveeno are inexpensive and effective,” she says. Choose a cream if your skin is dry, serum if it tends to be oily. For holistic options, Moskowitz likes green tea. “Green tea applied to the skin has antioxidant properties that can help sun damage.”
• Try sleeping on your back. “People who always sleep on one side of their face will notice more wrinkles on that side from all those years of smooshing their skin into a pillow,” says Moskowitz. “If you can do it, back sleeping is the way to go.”
• Quit smoking. “Even if you’re seventy years old,” says Moskowitz, “it’s never too late to stop smoking or start using sunscreen to protect your skin from ongoing damage.”