Beautiful Skin as Easy as A-B-C [part2]

Vitamin C: All-Around Anti-Ager
Find it in moisturizers formulated to keep vitamin C stable (opaque, airtight containers are ideal). Look for C near the middle of the ingredients panel to help ensure the 5% or higher concentration needed to see benefits, advises Hema Sundaram, MD, a dermatologist in the Washington, DC, area.

Proven to mop up the free radicals that trigger wrinkling, sagging, and other aging changes. Vitamin C also helps smooth and firm skin and fade brown spots. In one study, women who treated sun-damaged skin with a C cream for 6 months saw significant improvement in fine lines and discoloration. Though the benefits of retinoids (see vitamin A) and vitamin C sound similar, using both delivers more complexion perfection. "Skin aging occurs in various ways, so you need multiple forms of defense and repair," says Lupo.

How to use
Apply vitamin C in the morning before sunscreen to shield your skin from any UV-generated free radicals that get by your sunblock.

Try
SkinMedica Vitamin C Complex ($85; skinmedica.com) or Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Facial Cream ($21; avalonorganics.com). These products contain ascorbic acid or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (the skin-friendliest forms of C) in combination with vitamin E (it's listed as alpha-tocopherol or tocopherol acetate). This duo provides 4 times more protection against free radicals when applied together.


Vitamin E: Eases Dryness and Bolsters Skin's UV Defense
Find it in sunscreens and after-sun products. The best products contain at least 1% vitamin E, so it will be listed near the middle of the ingredients panel.

Proven to quell dryness by helping skin retain its natural moisturizers. Also, vitamin E's potent ability to neutralize damaging free radicals has earned it the moniker "the protector." A slew of studies document its superstar status. In one, E significantly reduced the number of these unstable molecules created after exposure to cigarette smoke. Others show that when it's used before UV exposure, skin is less red, swollen, and dry.

How to use
Apply before and after serious sun exposure. A single strong blast of UV light can destroy half the skin's natural supply of E, so shore up defenses by slathering on a sunscreen supplemented with E and C before going into the sun — the C helps ensure effectiveness. An after-sun salve with E helps, too, says Oceanside, CA, dermatologist Jens Thiele, MD, PhD, a vitamin E expert; some studies show that the anti-inflammatory action kicks in to reduce damage even after you've been in the sun.

Try
Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 55 ($9.50; drugstore.com), MD Skincare Powerful Sun Protection SPF 30 Sunscreen Packettes ($42; sephora.com), Clinique After-Sun Rescue Balm with Aloe ($20; clinique.com), or Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Body Butter ($6; drugstores).