Before the age of 25, you have the skin that your mother gave you. After the age of 25, you have the skin you gave yourself. Evidence of the truth in this skincare mantra can be seen on the faces of the women around you. Until their mid-twenties, most women enjoy naturally vibrant and glowing skin. However, as you approach your thirties, your skin begins to lose its elasticity and suppleness.

Fortunately, there are certain preventive measures you can take to keep your skin looking its best. Plus, certain products (like Clarisonic’s Deep Pore Cleansing System) can help you discover your most radiant skin. Make the skincare dosages listed below part of your daily skincare regimen to see radiant skin for decades to come. On the other hand, by avoiding certain harmful skin care products, you can prevent your skin from looking wrinkled and tired as you age.

Skin care

Use sunscreen. Everyone loves to feel the warmth of the sun on their skin, but remember that UV rays can cause wrinkles, sun spots, and even skin cancer. Take care of your skin by applying sunscreen every time you plan to be out in the sun, even if it’s only for twenty minutes. At a minimum, apply sunscreen to your face, décolletage, neck, and hands, as the skin in these areas is generally the most sensitive to UV rays. A product like Uber Dry Sunscreen SPF30 by Peter Thomas Roths.

Eat healthy foods. Food writer Michael Pollan’s book In Defense of Food advises readers to “eat food. Not too much. Mainly plants.” The simple and liberating approach of the Pollan diet is also healthy for the skin. Vegetables and fruits are full of antioxidants, or special chemical compounds that break down cancer-causing free radicals in the body. Free radicals also cause cellular damage to the skin. For healthy skin from the inside out, include colorful vegetables and fruits at every meal, and especially try to get plenty of vitamins C, E, A, and beta-carotene.

Drink a lot of water. Water flushes out toxins and improves circulation. Drinking 64 ounces (eight glasses) of water every day will keep your skin looking soft and supple. Plus, it’s good to have a couple of versatile moisturizing products on hand for those days when you know your water levels are low. For example, after a night of heavy drinking, you may notice your cuticles drying out, leading to painful and unsightly hangnails. This is a sign that there may be other areas of dry skin that need a little TLC.

Instead of buying a whole shelf of separate moisturizers for occasions like this, it’s better to have a few go-to products that will perk up your skin every time. A product like Smith’s Original Rosebud Salve, for example, can be applied to dry lips, minor burns, and areas of rough skin, such as knees and elbows. And best of all, Rosebud Salve is easy to keep on hand for when a skincare emergency arises, as it’s packaged in a small round tin.

Apply eye cream. The skin around the eyes is some of the most sensitive and delicate skin on the entire body. Take care of it (and avoid those telltale crow’s feet!) by applying a daily eye cream. In case you’re looking for a recommendation, check out Peter Thomas Roth’s Un-Wrinkle Eye, whose consumer studies have shown a reduction in the size of wrinkles by up to 72% in just 28 days.

What not to do in skin care

do not smoke If you need motivation to quit, just take some time to examine the skin of long-term smokers. Yellow, papery skin with lots of wrinkles around the lips – this is what you’ll get from smoking. Quit. This day. Your skin will thank you for many years.

Don’t skimp on moisturizer. Moisturized skin is happy skin. In fact, you’ll notice that right after you apply moisturizer, your skin will naturally plump up, sometimes enough to fill in those pesky wrinkles. Apply moisturizer when your skin is still damp from a shower or bath; this will lock in moisture and keep your skin looking smooth and healthy throughout the day. Body oil is an especially luxurious way to hydrate the skin. Like all oils, Patyka’s Absolis Precious Woods Body Oil creates a barrier layer that moisture cannot penetrate.

Don’t be sporadic with your skin care. Cleanse and moisturize every day to offset pollution and other toxins your skin is exposed to on a daily basis. Whatever skin care products you choose to apply, use them religiously. An investment of just five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night can make a world of difference to your skin for a lifetime.

One way to encourage yourself to complete your skin care regimen is to invest in attractive products that make you excited to take care of yourself. For example, it’s hard to put off using a Clarisonic Mia skincare brush, when just one daily application of your Clarisonic brush leaves skin looking almost new. (The Clarisonic brush vibrates back and forth over 300 times per second, thoroughly cleansing skin and leaving pores so open they actually absorb other skincare products better.)

In the end, your daily skincare choices will determine how young (or aged) you will look as the decades roll by. Take care of your skin by following the recommendations and avoiding those not listed above, and you will enjoy flawless, healthy skin well into your golden years.