To start, a good cleanser is key. Then a toner or essence can keep the skin luminous and smooth and allow active ingredients to work harder. And speaking of actives, it’s better to know what your skin needs—and to find the right product to provide it—than to hop on the latest ingredient trend. But you don’t have to do the legwork alone.
To help you design a regimen that addresses the needs of aging skin with products that deliver proven results, we tapped the pros. Ahead, see what dermatologists, aestheticians, and other skin experts recommend for keeping skin smooth, supple, and strong at any age, plus which classic and cutting-edge ingredients they actually recommend.
Start With a Gentle Cleanse
A good cleanse helps other products be more effective—and can also be cost-effective. “The most important thing to understand about this step is that it’s only designed to do one thing: prep your skin for the actives to follow,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Golden State Dermatology in Thousand Oaks, California. “Don’t put too much effort, energy, or money into this step. A cleanser may have wonderful antiaging ingredients, but they won’t be on your skin long enough to do any good.”
