Wrinkles, dark spots and damage – oh my! When it comes to predicting what your future skin might look like, there can be quite a few spine-tingling “what ifs.” What if I didn’t wear enough sunscreen? What if I started using retinol too late? What if I didn’t moisturize enough?
Fear not! While there’s no changing the past, it’s never too late to instill good skincare habits. When you commit to preventing damage and preserving skin health NOW, you can ensure not-so-scary skin later on.
So how do you guarantee a brighter future for your skin? Follow these three essential steps on a daily basis.
1. Always, always, always wear sunscreenWhether it’s hot and sunny or dark and gloomy, sun protection is an everyday essential. Studies show that UV exposure seems to be responsible for 80% of visible facial aging. That means cumulative unprotected sun exposure can result in fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone and texture, loss of elasticity (aka, droopy, crepe-like skin) – all on top of the more severe risk for developing melanoma and other skin cancers.
The easiest solution is to add SPF to your daily morning routine. It’s easy! Use a morning moisturizer with SPF, like our Daily Perfecting Moisturizer SPF 30. Packed with broad-spectrum protection, powerful antioxidants, caffeine and niacinamide, it not only protects against future damage but helps to repair any UV-induced damage already done.
This time-released hydrator keep skin nourished all day and helps reinforce a strong skin barrier to lock out other environmental stressors that can prematurely age your skin.
2. Keep under eye baggage bright, tight and out of sight
It doesn’t take much to rough up this delicate area of skin. From a couple nights of bad sleep to UV damage, nothing ages you faster than dark circles, fine lines and puffiness under your eyes.
To ensure your eyes are always your brightest (and most youthful) feature, add a smoothing and soothing eye gel to your morning and evening skincare routines. Our MD Restore Eye Gel is packed with a unique blend of 5 ultra-nourishing, collagen-signaling peptides, works around the clock to release moisture, and peps up skin with caffeine and niacinamide that help brighten, tighten, and smooth.
Use in the A.M. to instantly wake up eyes. Plus, this gel-like emulsion serves as the perfect primer for a smooth, makeup-gripping surface. In the P.M., dab it on before hitting the sheets for ultra-nourishing, powerful ingredients that work overtime while you sleep.
3. Make retinol part of your nightly skincare routineThe sooner you start to incorporate this essential into your routine the better! Considered the gold standard of anti-aging, retinol is a Vitamin A derivative that speeds up skin cell turnover rate and decreases collagen breakdown, resulting in a smoother texture, brighter tone, reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, and a youthful glow. AKA, if your skin is already showing signs of sun-damage, retinol can help reverse and erase!
We’re sure you’ve probably heard that retinol can be harsh for first-time users. That’s why we made our MD Revitalize Retinol Serum with encapsulated and stabilized retinol. This allows it to move delicately and deeper into the skin first before it’s activated, so you don’t have to suffer the typical side effects of dryness, peeling and irritation.
And don’t forget! UV rays are known to degrade the effectiveness of retinol. So make sure to follow two rules of thumb: Only use retinol as part of your evening skincare routine, and be super vigilant about wearing SPF during the day to maximize your results.
While we can’t see the future, we can predict a brighter, healthier one for your skin if you treat it right, starting now!
