Earlier in the week I harped on how young was too young to start with the anti-aging intervention. But now that we’re all of age, let’s swim thru the procedure-primordial stew towards the safety of the island of reason – offering up a doable regimen of skin care for every wrinkle, spot and dry patch from the beginners to the advanced.

A handy guide via the good folks at Real Simple magazine, aptly titled “Anti-Aging Made Easy,” keeps caring for your skin… um… real simple… with a step-by-step article that levels the skin-care playing field without all the marketing muss and fuss that can be so distracting. (Ooo… pretty, shiny packaging! Where’s my wallet!?) Whether your skin is in sparkling, average or oh-my-god! condition, Real Simple makes anti-aging… um… well… you know.

For those of you with stellar genetics, the where-with-all to cleanse, moisturize and SPF daily, and the good sense to avoid too much sun, smoke or sauce (aka. vino) – you’ve probably got the good skin to show for it… which, according to Real Simple, means you’re a beginner. This means that all you really need to do is keep it simple. Real Simple (sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

Daytime skin care should protect your skin. And nighttime skincare should repair. Your daytime moisturizer should have at least a broad spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB rays) SPF 30 to prevent any future wrinkles, sagging and brown spots. Don’t forget your neck and décolleté either… a 30-year old face and a 50-year old neck is unseemly unless you are this guy.


For beginner nighttime care, pull on into hydration station. Remember that hydrated skin is supple and sexy skin, so replenishing the natural oils and water that you might lose during the day and then locking that moisture in (with such handy ingredients as squalene and jojoba oil) is the key. If your prone to breakouts, just choose one that is labeled “noncomedogenic” and be done with it.

And even though you’re a beginner in the skin-care needs department, doesn’t mean you get to neglect a good exfoliator. Removing dead skin cells and creating a smooth texture is key to looking dazzlingly youthful, so use either a good chemical exfoliant (either cleansers or creams) that contain such ingredients as alpha hyrdroxy acids, or a good physical exfoliant (scrubs) to gently buff those blahs away twice a week.

But what if you did imbibe in a few too many vinos and occasionally neglected a daily SPF slathering? Well, then you just might need a little more help than that. Real Simple calls your skin care needs intermediate and has a few additions to the daily protect, exfoliate, moisturize beginner’s regimen. Like what, you ask? (Hand perched annoying on your hip, to be sure.)

Oh calm down. It’s not that bad and you do want to take care of those few brown spots and fine lines, don’t you?
One good addition that you might consider is a good antioxidant serum to add a little oomph to your SPF’s ability to protect your lovely visage. Antioxidants like green tea, reservatrol (this does not mean dabbing your third glass of vino on your face) and vitamins C and E are thought to help prevent and repair environmental damage from the sun and pollution. So slap a little serum on your skin under your SPF moisturizer and double down on the protection. Easy-peazy.

Other additions include a retinoid product (either over or under-the-counter) to penetrate into the skin and stimulate collagen production, a good peptide cream or serum which aid your luscious body in producing collagen, and an eye cream to keep those delicate bits all hydrated and stave off wrinkles.

Okay? So… what if I’ve abused my skin into a weak semblance of myself – smoking, drinking, tanning, eating crap, not washing my face for days? (Or you neglected to make that pact with the Devil to never age beyond 25.) What then?

Relax. Real Simple keeps that real simple too.

If your anti-aging needs zip past the beginner and intermediate regimen, then perhaps a call to your doctor for a few in office procedures might help? A terrifyingly named chemical peel isn’t really all that terrifying and can help reduce the appearance of sun damage, brown spots, fine lines and a dull and “leathery” texture (They said “leathery,” folks. I’m just the messenger.) By applying a combo of acids (lactic, glycolic, retinoic, salicylic or the stronger trichlorocytic), your Doc can gently dissolve the top layers of the skin, revealing a fresh new dermis.

Injectables are another source of anti-aging magic in your Doctor’s arsenal, and are best for treating fine lines, sagging skin and the hollows under the eyes. Using an and/or combo of fillers like Radiesse, Restylane and Juvederm, and neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport, your good Medical Magician can fill in lines and hollows and relax crease (read: wrinkle) causing muscles.

And if you're really fed up (and advanced) with your fine lines, sagging, sun damage and uneven texture/tone, then sit down with your Doctor and discuss the fractional laser. These tiny laser beams exfoliate the top layer of the skin creating microscopic holes which, in turn, trigger collagen production. Yep, it hurts, both your face and your wallet – But hey… no pain no gain right? And, if you ignored my previous posts on eating well, cleansing, SPF-ing and moisturizing… then you brought this on yourself. Simple. Huh?