From fighting acne decades past puberty to scoffing at the first signs of wrinkles, it’s hard to win the good-skin game. But before you curse your genes, ask yourself whether your skincare routine and lifestyle habits are up to par. And by that we don’t mean clocking hours in front of the mirror or stealing your girlfriend’s or sister’s fancy facial products.
Do wash with water
A splash of cold water does more than wake you up. A good cleanse helps slough away dead skin cells that stick together and make your face look dull. Use a wash with glycolic acid, both in the morning and before bed. For a deeper clean that also stimulates the growth of new skin cells, wash with an exfoliating scrub once or twice a week. Just don’t overdo it—cut back if skin starts to get red or irritated.
Don’t forget moisturizer
Lotion should be an automatic step two after cleansing. Apply moisturizer when skin is still slightly damp to help seal in moisture. Most face lotions are oil-based, which work well for guys with normal skin—and they’re a must for dry or flaky skin, especially in the colder months (check out these other top-rated cold-weather skincare essentials). If you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, look for a water-based product.
Do stay hydrated
Lotion is only half of the hydration equation—skin needs moisture from the inside out too. Drinking six to eight glasses of H2O a day helps. Also keep tabs on how much alcohol and caffeine you’re gulping down. Both can make you dehydrated; but, drinking coffee or booze along with food and water can help counter the dehydrating effects.
Do think about
wrinkles early
Adding a retinol cream to your daily routine in your 20s will help stave off fine lines and wrinkles down the road. Plus, retinol boosts cell growth and collagen production, which improves the tone of even non-wrinkled skin. Since the wrinkle-fighting ingredient makes skin more sensitive to the sun, use it at night. Simplify your routine by picking a product that combines retinol with a moisturizer.
Don’t overdo sugar
Indulge once in a while, but don’t turn hazelnut lattes into a daily thing. High-sugar diets cause inflammation, which can lead to breakouts. Cookies, cake, donuts, and soft drinks are obvious offenders; but don’t forget to check the grams of sugar in seemingly healthy or savory-tasting foods, like flavored yogurt, cereal, jarred sauces, and protein bars. These unsuspecting sugar bombs can deliver a huge dose of the sweet stuff without being classified as dessert.
Don’t soak up too much sun
Nothing weathers your skin more than the sun. Damaging rays speed up the aging process by slowing down collagen production and cell growth and forcing skin to lose its elasticity. Your best defense is a good sunscreen. Look for a moisturizer with an SPF of 15 or higher that provides broad-spectrum protection, meaning it blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Do get your Zzz’s
Clocking the recommended seven to eight hours of slumber will give your cells plenty of time to fix the day’s wear and tear. For skin, that means heading off wrinkles, fine lines, and breakouts. And don’t try to make up for a week’s worth of missed sleep on Sunday morning—the body needs consistent sleep to look its best. Don’t only sleep when you’re dead.
Do load up on fruits
and veggies
Variety is key when packing your fridge with produce. From berries to carrots, each fruit or vegetable has different good-for-you antioxidants. These compounds help fight off free radicals, molecules that exacerbate the effects of inflammation, sun damage, and aging. Go for a few servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Or start juicing if it makes it easier.
Don’t stress out
Long workdays don’t just affect your mood; stress wreaks havoc on your skin, too. Getting frazzled throws hormone levels into flux, which damages healthy skin cells and makes you more prone to breakouts and wrinkles. Because you won’t find a bottle of zen in the skincare aisle, recharge and relax by doing what you love, whether it’s cycling for a few kilometers, walking on the beach or cracking open a new book.
Do ditch the smokes
Add yellowed skin to the list of reasons not to light up. Smoking decreases circulation and collagen production, so skin loses its natural coloring and ends up looking sallow and pale. Plus, smoking can lead to fine lines around the lips and other signs of premature aging.
