You are never too young or too old to start taking care of your skin. In fact, skin care and protection should be an essential part of your health, fitness and beauty regimen. If you take care of your skin, your skin will take care of you! But with all the lotions, creams, and potions on the market, it can be hard to know which product will work for your skin. Many products claim to remove wrinkles or cure dry skin and others claim to contain expensive ingredients that they say will help enhance the effects of the product. Here’s a guide to the skin care staples on the market and how you can identify which product will work best for you.

A look at the products

There are several types of skin care products that can be a useful addition to your daily skin care. These include cleansers, sunscreens, moisturizers, eye creams, toners, exfoliants, retinoids, herbs, and skin care supplements.

Toners: Skin toners offer additional cleansing properties to the skin that help remove oil, dirt, and makeup. But if your skin has become dry, avoid using toners or use them less often. These skin care products often contain alcohol or acetone and can aggravate dry or sensitive skin.

Sunscreen: Sunscreen is an essential product for the care and protection of our skin. While it is true that some exposure to sunlight is needed for the body to synthesize vitamin D, it really only takes 10 to 15 minutes per day to do so. Excessive exposure to the sun can cause changes in skin cells that lead to damage that can lead to brown spots, skin cancer, dry skin, and premature wrinkles. It doesn’t matter if your skin is light or dark, both skin colors can be damaged by too much sun exposure. Prevent sun damage and reduce the risk of developing skin problems by applying a generous amount of sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 cream or lotion daily. Many moisturizers come with sunscreen already included.

Retinoids: Vitamin A-based topical products called retinoids have made significant strides in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They help to temporarily “fill in” wrinkle areas and reduce their visibility.

Cleaners: Cleansers help remove dirt, debris, pollutants, and perspiration that builds up on your skin throughout the day. These cleansers can come in liquid, foam, or stick forms.

Eye Creams: An eye cream can help improve the condition of the fragile skin around the eyes. It helps hydrate and protect the eye area and can even help minimize dark circles or temporarily tighten fine lines.

Exfoliation: Using moisturizers and cleansers help improve the appearance of the skin by removing dead skin cells on surfaces. These can also help smooth the appearance of skin and even out discoloration from excessive sun exposure. As we age, the skin accumulates dead cells that cause us to look older, have rough skin, and cause wrinkles or fine lines to appear. Your skin looks healthy and youthful by exfoliating daily and feeling clean and fresh.

Supplements: Coenzyme Q10 is a natural cellular antioxidant that has shown potential in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It is also used in many moisturizing products for its wrinkle-reducing properties.

Herbs: Green tea and other herbal antioxidants can be applied topically or taken orally to fight free radical damage and improve your overall appearance.

Moisturizing: Moisturizers can soothe dry skin and make wrinkles less noticeable. They come in the form of cream, lotion and oil. Oil-based moisturizers are good for severely dry skin, while a cream or lotion is a better choice for your face, as it will leave your face feeling less heavy and greasy. For good results, use a moisturizer right after showering to seal moisture into your skin.

Ingredient Label Identification

You may be wondering why skin care products come with such a confusing labeling system. The Food and Drug Administration receives many requests each year to decipher the language on the labels of cosmetic and personal care products. But while the FDA is sympathetic to consumers, there’s really no way to change the labeling and keep the information accurate. Ingredients should be listed by chemical names because that is essentially what they are. Although a product may be marketed by its trade name, the name on the label will provide little clue to identify its ingredients. But despite the technical language of the personal care product label, it is possible to obtain useful information. Ingredient labeling should be listed in sequence based on the amount included in the formula. As a consumer, you can compare similar products by seeing where a particular ingredient is on the list. For example, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to avoid products that have alcohol as their first ingredient rather than one of the last ingredients.

Nourishing our skin daily is as important as taking care of our health. So the next time you’re looking for skin care products, be sure to read the ingredient label and consider the types of skin care regimen that can help you look your best.