Keeping the pores free of oils and environmental toxins will help the skin stay blemish free. The resulting smoothness will reflect light, making your skin appear smooth and youthful. Use only warm water when washing, and pat gently dry. A mild foaming cleanser such as Feels Like a Facelift Facial Cleanser is preferable to soap, which can cause the skin to feel taut and dry. Although many skin care companies would have you think otherwise, it is not necessary to use a toner. Pores do not “open and close” and so do not require an astringent. Feels Like a Facelift Facial Cleanser contains a mild toner to prepare the skin for moisturizing, however.

Moisturizers prevent the skin from becoming dry in one of two ways: As a barrier preventing moisture loss, or as a humectant, attracting and holding water to the skin’s surface. Some moisturizers, such as Feels Like a Facelift Daytime Moisturizer, perform both functions. Moisturizers may also contain secondary ingredients that benefit the skin in some way. Antioxidants to watch for include those from green and red (rooibos) tea, vitamins A, C and E, Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), all of which help protect the skin from the free radical action responsible for aging.

No matter how many antioxidants your moisturizer contains, it will not prevent sun-induced damage over the long term if it does not also contain protection against UVA and UVB sunlight. Some moisturizers, such as Feels Like a Facelift Daytime Moisturizer, contain broad spectrum sun protection (SPF15). Ingredients to watch for are benzophenone 3 (UVB protection) and methoxycinnamate (UVA protection). If your moisturizer does not contain broad-spectrum sunscreen, be sure to apply a sunscreen over it.

Whenever you are out in the sun, wear a hat or large visor, as well as sunglasses. Squinting in bright light is the primary cause of crow’s feet.

During sleep the body undergoes a remarkable series of events that includes cell renewal. Providing skin with the compounds required for cellular renewal can assist this anti-aging process. Ingredients to watch for in a night cream include all those mentioned under tip #2, in a more emollient base. Feels Like a Facelift Night Cream contains shea butter, an emollient plant lipid that helps smooth and soften the skin. It is not necessary that a night cream contain sunscreen.

“Getting your beauty sleep” is an old adage that skin care scientists now confirm carries a lot of weight. The skin is a living organ and, as such, needs rest to renew itself. cream contain sunscreen.

>Dehydration is a major cause of superficial wrinkling. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of purified water daily.

These are powerhouses of nutrients that are beneficial to the skin. Aim for at least six servings a day, preferably fresh. Drinking green tea and red (rooibos) tea will increase your antioxidant intake even further.

A facial masque that has been formulated to gently supply your skin with super-hydrating nutrients is a far cry from the heavy mud-packs of yesteryear. A well-formulated facial masque such as Feels Like a Facelift Mud Masque will make your skin glow, while helping to minimize fine lines. Ingredients to look for are all those listed under tip #2, as well as a “drawing” clay such as kaolin. Using a masque regularly has a cumulative effect: your skin tone will continue to improve, and you will notice a healthy “bloom”.

Last, but by no means least, put down those cigarettes. Smoking ages the skin on two fronts: Pursing the lips and squinting to avoid smoke causes wrinkles to form around the mouth and eyes, and the chemicals inhaled cause the tiny blood vessels at the skin’s surface to constrict. Over time, the reduction of oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells causes further wrinkling.