Younger Skin: Tips 1-5

1. Add antioxidants to your protection plan.
We’ve gotten sunscreen-savvy, but no matter how much or how often you apply, it can’t protect you 100 percent. For extra defense, layer a serum that contains antioxidants (such as SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum, $128, skinceuticals.com, or Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough, $35, philosophy.com) under your sunscreen every morning, says Ranella Hirsch, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and president-elect of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. The combination has been shown to produce significant improvement in fine lines, inflammation (think redness), and hyperpigmentation.

2. Undo sun damage — seriously!
UV-ravaged skin can be helped with Aldara, a prescription cream that stimulates your immune system to attack the diseased cells that ultimately give rise to squamous cell carcinomas, explains Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, PhD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. To turn back the clock on earlier signs of damage, such as fine lines around your eyes and mouth, brown spots, and rough skin texture, use a retinoid cream, says Dr. Hirsch.

3. Try the sun-safe diet.
New research suggests that the polyphenols in brown algae may help repair sun damage — and even prevent skin cancer — by essentially turning off cancer genes. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, was done on mice, but lead researcher Gary Stoner, PhD, says he has “every reason to believe that the polyphenols would also be active in humans.” To add them to your diet, order a mixed seaweed salad from your favorite Japanese restaurant (its properties remain most stable when eaten raw).

4. Brighten your eyes.
Vascular dark circles — the kind that result from blood vessels underneath thin skin — can be camouflaged with more than just concealer. “Restylane injections at a cosmetic dermatologist’s office can help hide them,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. Not one for needles? Hydrating creams and serums with water-binding ingredients, like collagen and hyaluronic acid, can temporarily plump up the skin to mask blood vessels, she adds. If puffiness is your problem, smoothing an algae mask over the area “can stimulate skin cells to eliminate excess fluid,” says Jeannette Graf, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Medical Center. (Try Osea Red Algae Mask, $36, oseamalibu.com or Astara Activated Sea Mineral Mask, $42, astaraskincare.com.)

5. Try complexion perfection combination therapy.
The newest prescription drug, Ziana, combines an exfoliating Retin-A derivative with the topical antibiotic clindamycin. The two ingredients work synergistically to deliver the most powerful skin-clearing treatment, says David E. Bank, MD, director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic and Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York. This double-whammy way of thinking has trickled down to drugstore products, too. Acne treatments like L’Oreal’s AcneResponse Adult Acne Peel ($25, at drugstores) rely on “salicylic acid for its antibacterial effect and glycolic acid for its exfoliating effect,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. “Peels don’t work as well when you use only one type of acid.”