Tips For Skin Care & Beauty

Whatever else is in style, healthy, glowing skin is a year-round essential. Most people develop a skin care regimen over the years that works for them, including a lightweight moisturizer, gentle cleanser and spot treatments for breakouts, age spots and wrinkles. Adding a few tips and tricks to your regimen can make your skin look even better.

Try a Humidifier at Night

When your skin gets dehydrated, your wrinkles are more noticeable and your skin tone takes on a sallow cast, says Patricia Wexler, a New York City dermatologist, in Allure magazine. Wexler recommends sleeping with a humidifier in your room to keep skin well hydrated and looking its best.

Get Regular Exercise

Making exercise part of your daily routine pumps up your circulation, and that increased blood flow gives your skin a healthy glow, Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist and skin care expert, says in Elle magazine. Regular exercise can also help reduce tension--a bonus, since Perricone says stress can prevent skin from looking its best.

Add Retinol

To refresh your skin and even out your skin tone, O, The Oprah Magazine recommends adding a product that contains retinol to your beauty regimen. Retinol comes in cleansers, serums and moisturizers, so you can choose the one that works best for you. If you have serious skin issues, ask your dermatologist about prescription retinoids--a more intense, synthetic form of retinol. If retinol is too harsh for your skin, glycolic acid can have a similar effect.

Don't Neglect Your Lips

The fine lines in your lips can detract from otherwise youthful skin, and lips are prone to dehydration and chapping because the skin there is so thin. Keep lips looking their best by gently exfoliating them to rub away dead skin cells and improve circulation, then wipe the exfoliator away with a baby oil-soaked cloth before applying lipstick, recommends Mathew Nigara, a makeup artist who has worked on ads for Nars skin care, in Allure magazine.

Switch Detergents

If your skin is prone to breakouts, rashes and redness, switch to a "free and clear" detergent, suggests O, The Oprah Magazine. Regular laundry detergent doesn't always remove potential allergens, such as pet dander and dust mites, and your problem skin may actually be an allergic reaction.