Younger Looking Skin Without Surgery

"Go for a glycerin moisturizer," says Linda Rhein, a biochemist with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and editor of the book Aging Skin: Current and Future Therapeutic Strategies.

"It really moisturizes very well, holds the moisture in the skin," she says. Since it seals in moisture, it's good to use right after a bath or shower.

It's unclear whether other additives to moisturizers — such as antioxidants, vitamin A (retinol), CoQ10 and vitamin C derivatives — reduce wrinkles or improve the look of skin, dermatologists say. Though studies show why they could help, there aren't long-term studies showing they do, says Rhein.

Check the ingredients in your sunscreen.

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Don't Leave Home (or Even Sit by a Window) Without Sunscreen

Even though most of our sun damage occurs before we are old enough to vote, we still need to use sunscreen to prevent further damage from the sun, dermatologists say.

Block-out ingredients to look for: avobenzone, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, or Mexoryl, which nab more UVA and UVB rays, says Linda Rhein, a biochemist.

The Environmental Working Group warns against using products with vitamin A derivatives, such as retinyl palmitate, on skin that is exposed to the sun, as studies suggest that these common ingredients may pose a cancer risk. For more information on the dangers of some cosmetics and sunscreens, check out the group's cosmetic database.

Take, for example, vitamin C: The molecule changes so much when added to lotions or creams it may not remain intact. Also, the body has to convert the vitamin C in some products to a form it can use, and whether the body does that is also unclear. The problem with the vitamin A derivatives in over-the-counter moisturizers is the low or unknown concentration. For those to work they need to be prescription strength.

Referring to her study last year that found evidence to support a potential role for vitamins A, C, E and B3 in skin care, dermatologist Jenny Kim, an associate professor at UCLA, said in a press release, "While it's evident that these vitamins can play a role in fighting sun damage, the question still remains whether these properties are effective when delivered in skin care products."

Money doesn't buy better results

Consumer Reports found that the serums and eye creams it tested had little to no effect, and that, as with all cosmetic products and procedures, results varied considerably among individuals. Also, higher prices don't necessarily mean better quality.

"Many cosmetic products are expensive and their price in the store has no relation to their content," Johann Wiechers, a cosmetic scientist and founder of JW Solutions, an independent cosmetic science consultancy, wrote in an article for an online industry magazine.

But if products don't work, they can't be sold, right? Wrong.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't approve cosmetics before they are sold. The agency is supposed to be policing product claims, says John Bailey, a biochemist and chief scientist at the industry-funded Personal Care Product Council. However, the products aren't a public health issue, and the "FDA will tolerate a certain amount of … puffery," says Bailey, a former head of the FDA's cosmetics office.

On the purely cosmetic level, regular makeup options, such as foundations and blushers, slightly fill wrinkles and reflect light in such a way as to make your skin look smoother.

Large pores may cause your makeup to appear uneven, but exfoliating can remove the dead surface cells that clog and thereby enlarge pores, Schultz explains on his website.

The skin's natural exfoliating process slows down with age, but there are many exfoliating peels, cleansers and scrubbing devices on the market. Products with alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), such as glycolic AHA, can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight for up to a week after you stop using it, the FDA warns.

Whether a cream or lotion can help to reduce puffiness and dark circles under your eyes is an area of debate among dermatologists. But consumers have clear preferences.

Priscilla Gillett Parr, 57, of Seahurst, Wash., says the Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller is "absolutely wonderful for bags, sags and black circles."

For redness, try the anti-redness products that have a green tint, says Daihung Do, a dermatologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. But if you have rosacea, see a dermatologist.

Tina Adler writes about health, science and the environment.