Let’s face it.

Gone are the days when you could simply wash your face with water and soap. And if you are 30-something but retinol and hyaluronic acid haven’t yet earned a spot in your busy schedule, the time has come, baby. I promise not to bother you with healthy diet, 8 cups of water per day, and exercising. (By the time you are reading it, it should have been drilled in your head).

Instead, pour yourself some wine, make yourself comfortable, and let’s talk about how to catch looks in 20 years from now. (The great part is that you don’t have to be blond to do that!)

1. SUNGLASSES FIRST

Quite simple, right? But easier said than done because who cares about sunglasses while running late for work every morning. In a best-case scenario, they earn our attention on sunny weekends and beach vacations. However, if you wish to postpone the crow’s feet and avoid dark circles under your eyes, don’t even dare leaving your house without the sunglasses. Otherwise, in a few years from now you’ll hate yourself for it.

Pick a pair with 100% UVA and UVB protection and wrap-around lenses to leave the sun no chance.

2. SPF AND MORE SPF

If you could take only one care product for your Mars mission, it should have been a sunscreen. Why? UVA and UVB rays cause irreversible damage to your once glowing skin. These slow but remorseless guys show up as age spots, wrinkles, and blotchiness and are traditional age tellers. On top of that, UVB discretely acts at the molecular level causing long-term destruction.

So whether you are a 9am-6pm office inhabitant or a mountain guide, pick a broad spectrum sunblock with UVA/UVB protection and SPF 30 or higher. Make sure it contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (otherwise don’t even bother buying). Apply your sunscreen 20 minutes before you step outside and remember to reapply every 2-3 hrs.

On sunny, cloudy, and even snowy days your answer is SPF.

Wait, did I mention SPF?

3. RETINOL RULES THE WORLD

No matter how much this pretty pink bottle or the sperm of a Fiji squirrel hypnotizes you, ingredients is what you should eyeball in the first place. And that’s when retinol comes into play. Being the only anti-ageing product that fights deep wrinkles and dry skin with visible results, retinol is an easy-on-the-pocket alternative to lasers, fillers, and mesotherapy.

But how does it work? Simply put, retinol makes your skin produce more collagen pushing new cells to its surface. In 2-3 weeks your mirror will please your eye with tighter skin and noticeably fewer wrinkles. Sure thing, retinol can’t offer you a wow-effect as if you just came back from your facelift in Thailand or Bali. But it is as close to being an elixir of beauty as possible.

One final word before we jump to point 3. Retinol is highly sun-sensitive so make sure the bottle isn’t clear. And of course, pick one with SPF 30 or greater.

4. ANTIOXIDANTS AND HYALURONIC ACID AREN'T JUST BUZZWORDS

Let’s start with the antioxidants.

Exposure to sunlight, smoking, and stresses makes our bodies produce free radicals. These traveling atoms affect collagen as a sharp knife causing cell damage. Because antioxidants interact with free radicals eliminating their harmful effect, make sure you spot them among other ingredients of your facial cream. Vitamin C and E, green tea, blueberries, pomegranate, and soy are workhorses when it comes to fighting free radicals and having healthy look.

Too boost the effect of your skincare products from the inside, set two reminders – in February and October – to take the course of vitamin C and E.

Now hyaluronic acid.

Leaving aside the fuss about this anti-ageing superstar, what you need to know about hyaluronic acid is its ability to keep moisture inside your skin and delegate it further to your dermis. As easy as that, no magic. Oh, and not to forget its antioxidant effect.

5. MAKE FRIENDS WITH NECK AND HANDS

Now that you know that your facial skincare should contain SPF, retinol, and antioxidants, let’s see how to take care of the most cutthroat age-tellers – your neck, your décolletage area, and your hands. The good news is that doing so is ridiculously simple.

Apply your facial cream on your neck and décolletage as often as you take care of your face and make sure your hand cream contains hyaluronic acid or niacinamide to retain moisture and avoid greasiness. Your hand cream should also contain SPF, remember?

6. A FEW CREAMY TIPS

It’s tempting to jump right into the skincare secrets but let’s quickly cover some must-know essentials first. Three things to remember:

• Don’t: choose a facial cream in a bottle to avoid numerous bacteria on your fingers penetrating into the bottle chemistry. Instead, go for a dispenser.

• Don’t: choose a facial cream with alcohol and that mouth-watering strawberry-and-cream fragrance as both of them may dry your skin and cause allergy.

• Don’t: choose a facial cream with lanolin which may block your pores.

• Don’t: exfoliate in the morning as it makes your skin highly-sensitive to sunlight and bacteria outdoors. Better do it before bedtime.

7. HAIR: LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Whether you are a hair care junkie or wash your bush once a week, I bet you wouldn’t mind enjoying strong shiny locks when you are 50+. So let’s turbocharge your daily hair routine with these easy to follow tips.

• Lukewarm water is best for your hair as it keeps water-lipid balance normal and helps useful ingredients of your conditioner nourish your hair even after you wash it off.

• Shampoos are meant to clean dirt, sweat, and excess fat from your hair. Period. That’s why steer clear from expensive shampoos because they stay on your hair too short to perform functions other than cleansing. Focus on your conditioner instead.

• Use towel to get excess water out of your hair to get most out of your conditioner or mask

• If you don’t feel like shampooing your hair on daily basis or are afraid to wash out the color, simply rinse your hair and apply conditioner.

• To prevent frizz, blow dry your hair pointing the device downwards.