Skin care through the years

You know you should use a sunscreen every day, but do you do it? Or, ever think about how your fast-food habit affects your skin?

"The skin is the largest organ of the body, so what you do, externally or internally, affects it," says Nicole Landgraf of Aura Skin and Body Care in Cape Girardeau. "Your diet and exercise are going to make a difference. If you eat fast food all the time, needless to say, your skin is not going to put its best face forward."

Here, Landgraf and Dustin Duncan of Shine Medical Aesthetics in Cape Girardeau break down the basics of a healthy skin care routine, and what products to add as you get older.

In your 20s

Though you may not be worrying about wrinkles yet, your skin may start to show warning signs of damage. Now is the time to focus on prevention. If you're not already, be sure to wear sunglasses and a sunscreen every day -- at least 15 SPF in winter and 25 SPF in the summer, says Landgraf.

Now is also the time to start using an eye cream morning and night. The skin around the eyes is very thin and sensitive, so it's the first to show signs of aging, like expression lines. Landgraf likes day creams made to reflect light, making the skin look luminous and minimizing dark circles. And, be sure you have a good moisturizer.

Women in their 20s may still have some acne, but Landgraf says by this stage, it's usually hormone and stress-based. In talking to clients about their lifestyle habits, she finds that many of them break out due to stress and sensitivity to products, so using gentle products may be the way to go.

In your 30s

This decade is the first time many see distinct signs of aging and skin damage, and it becomes necessary to build a more aggressive damage control and prevention regimen. Duncan recommends adding serums and specialty facials at this stage.

Your cell turnover is starting to slow down, so "pump up the exfoliation," but look for a finer, microdermabrasion type of exfoliant, says Landgraf. This will help slough off older skin and boost cell turnover and regeneration. Many exfoliants have added values, like vitamin C.

Women in their 30s are particularly busy with their kids and jobs. Make the most of minimal makeup by using products with illuminating factors to make you look fresh and well-rested, says Landgraf.

In your 40s

Years of sun exposure can leave your skin with noticeable lines, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation or dryness. Keep up with moisturizers and sun protection, look for products that "lighten and brighten," and add retinols to your routine to treat wrinkles and sun damage, says Landgraf. Step it up during this decade with peels and microdermabrasion, says Duncan.

In your 50s and beyond

This is the time for "corrections and repair on fine lines, dark circles and hyperpigmentation," says Duncan. Keep up with the retinols you added in your 40s, and add collagen and elastin boosters -- peptides are great, says Landgraf. Thanks to menopause, your skin may experience dryness and other hormonal changes. Landgraf says moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid are particularly effective on aging skin. While moisturizers won't slow down the aging process, they can help soothe increasingly raw or irritated skin and can help strengthen collagen.

Skin care checklist

Do these things for healthy skin at every age

* Drink plenty of water to help delay the appearance of wrinkles.

* Exercise.

* Wear an SPF every day and reapply every 80 minutes.

* Quit smoking. Smoking strips your skin of elastin and collagen, leaving you at the risk of severely premature facial wrinkling.

* Eat healthy, with lots of fruits and vegetables and lean meats or proteins. Cut down on fried food, alcohol, caffeine and sugar. Foods that are high in vitamin C and antioxidants help prevent wrinkles by reflecting UV radiation from the sun.

* Pick a good skincare routine and stick to it. This should be your mantra at every age: Cleanse, treat, moisturize, protect, says Duncan. Cleanse and moisturize morning and night with products suitable for your skin type. "Don't cherry pick between lines. Lines are meant to work synergetically together," adds Landgraf.

* Give it time. It may take several weeks or even months for you to see a difference in your skin after beginning new products, says Landgraf. "Try to be patient when trying to obtain a goal. Skincare is like a diet. Follow it, and you will see results and be happy looking in the mirror," says Duncan.

BrandPoint Content contributed to this report.