3 Age-Defying Tips For Every Age by 3 Age-Defying Tips For Every Age1. Start with sunscreen, always You've heard this one before — I know. But next time you consider skipping your daily SPF, consider this: there's a delay between when the sun exposure occurs and when its effects are exposed. Meaning you might not see the wrinkles and dark spots those UV rays are causing right now, but you will see them eventually. So if you haven't already, now is the perfect time to start being proactive against UV rays. In addition to wearing sun-blocking clothing like hats and seeking shade, using a sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30 should be a part of your daily skincare routine. Since so many signs of aging are actually signs of sun damage, it’s simply the best thing you can do to protect your skin. 2. Make vitamin C your skin BFF It's never too late and it's never too early to add vitamin C to your skincare routine. Vitamin C is a must-have ingredient for making your skin look more youthful. It aids in the skin's ability to heal itself, so it should be your go-to when looking to reduce any unwanted red and brown spots on your face. That, plus its incredible anti-inflammatory properties, will give you the even skin tone you never thought was within reach. Vitamin C also boosts collagen in the skin. Vitamin C is one of the factors in stabilizing and creating collagen molecules, meaning it's one of the more reliable anti-aging ingredients on the market. Research also shows that it can increase the quality of collagen in your body, which will make your skin smoother and bouncier than ever. It's also a powerful antioxidant, which is really good news for those with sun damage. Vitamin C can donate electrons in order to neutralize free radicals created in skin after sun damage. So while vitamin C can't protect skin like sunscreen can, it can minimize the damage you can't see. 3. Make the switch to prescription anti-aging products According to dermatologists, your over-the-counter skincare products aren't always trustworthy. Unfortunately, marketing can fool a lot of consumers into thinking they are buying a miracle in a bottle. Fortunately, we have prescription skincare products for when our skin needs a foolproof fix. Prescription products are considered "drugs," because they are designed to treat medical conditions, like acne, dark spots, and sun damage. Prescription products have to pass through a lot of red tape before they become available to the public. When a drug is approved by the FDA, it must pass several phases of clinical trials determining safety first and then, efficacy. OTC products have fewer hoops to jump through, so they aren't proven to be as effective. Our favorite prescription anti-aging medication? Tretinoin. Tretinoin’s strengths include its ability to prevent wrinkles, stimulate collagen growth, and create an even skin tone. When it comes to treating signs of aging, tretinoin is arguably the best retinoid available. For hyperpigmentation, dark spots, or melasma our go-to medication is hydroquinone, which slows down the pigment-making processes in the skin.