Start considering how you treat your skin when you are a teenager or in your early twenties. The better you treat your skin over time, the better your skin will look in the future.

Although you should normally pick skin care products for your skin type, you may have been buying the wrong products for so long that your skin has become denatured. So, in order to truly know what your skin type is, sometimes you have to go back to square one. Start with a simple routine, a gentle, non-drying cleanser morning and night, toner if your skin is truly oily, and a moisturizer (again, unless you have very oily skin). After a couple of weeks of this normalizing routine, you should be in a much better position to evaluate your true skin type and can buy products that meet your skin's true needs.

If you are tailoring your skin care techniques for maximum anti-aging results, do not underestimate the power of a healthy diet. This aspect is more important than any amount of creams or lotions. Eat a well balanced diet laden with fruits and vegetables. Renew your skin from the inside out.

Be sure to include plenty of "good" oils in your diet to keep your skin, hair and nails moisturized. Use olive oil in salad dressings. Take flax seed oil and fish oil in capsule form. Use sunflower oil or peanut oil in cooking. All of these oils are healthful and help keep your skin nourished.

Keep your hands away from the cold at all times if you desire to reduce dryness. The skin on your hands is thin, and it can easily get irritated and crack. Gloves will protect your hands from the elements, keeping the skin beautiful.

Whether heading out for the day, or just to and from work, your skin needs to be protected from UV rays. Make sure you use a good sunscreen at least a half hour before going outside with at least 24 SPF protection. Don't do half measures when choosing an SPF value; max it out! Using something with higher SPF protection will help protect you from sunburns as well as prevent premature aging.