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" American women are gorgeously diverse \u2014 and our approach to anti-aging should be too. &amp;quot;The color of your skin and your ethnic heritage play a huge role in exactly when and how your skin will age,&amp;quot; says Wendy Roberts, M.D., a dermatologist in Rancho Mirage, CA, and the founding director of the dermatopathology division at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. &amp;quot;They not only determine which products you should be using, but also how well they&amp;#039;ll work. In fact, some anti-aging treatments can actually be harmful when used on the wrong skin tones.&amp;quot;  Here&amp;#039;s a quick rundown of how your skin color and ethnicity play into your aging time line: &amp;quot;First, regardless of your racial background, the darker your skin is, the more pigment it has \u2014 and, therefore, the more natural protection it has against surface sun damage,&amp;quot; says Roberts. &amp;quot;This means wrinkles and loss of firmness usually appear later on darker skin, but pigment problems such as sun spots typically show up earlier.&amp;quot; Then, there are issues intrinsic to certain ethnicities \u2014 like bone structure, skin sensitivity, even cultural differences in how some women are taught to care for their skin \u2014 that contribute to the aging process. (If you&amp;#039;re of mixed race, follow the advice for your darker-skinned heritage.) This may sound like a lot to think about, but don&amp;#039;t sweat it. We asked top dermatologists to devise a customized plan for you, no matter which beautiful shade you are. There&amp;#039;s one product everyone should use daily: a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Beyond that, you need your very own routine, and you&amp;#039;ll find it here. CAUCASIAN Sun damage is by far the biggest ager for Caucasian women, because their skin contains the lowest amount of melanin out of anyone&amp;#039;s,&amp;quot; says Ranella Hirsch, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine. &amp;quot;The sun is a main cause of the collagen and elastin breakdown that leads to wrinkles, as well as being the trigger for blotchiness and sun spots.&amp;quot; These issues strike us all at some point but typically show up earliest on Caucasian skin: Lines can start to form around age 30, rough and uneven texture a few years before that. Your Anti-Aging Regimen Twice a day: Use a basic gentle cleanser. &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t waste money on pricey washes \u2014 they don&amp;#039;t make much of a difference in terms of treating lines,&amp;quot; says Hirsch. &amp;quot;A simple cleanser will help keep your skin soft by not stripping it of moisture.&amp;quot; She likes Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, $5.99, or, for touchy skin, Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar, $3.59 for two. A.M. Put on sunscreen (or moisturizer with SPF 30) spiked with potent antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and soy. &amp;quot;Antioxidants protect against the pollutants that can generate free radicals,&amp;quot; says Hirsch. Try SkinCeuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50, $30, or Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 with Helioplex, $12.99, both of which contain vitamin E. P.M. Use a retinol treatment, alternated with a peptide cream. &amp;quot;Many Caucasian women use harsh scrubs to exfoliate, but the better, gentler choice is adding a retinol treatment to your regimen, which both increases collagen production and helps to get rid of dead cells by speeding up your skin&amp;#039;s natural exfoliation process,&amp;quot; says Hirsch. She recommends a serum or concentrate with up to 0.1 percent retinol, such as SkinMedica Tri-Retinol Complex ES, $75; we also like L&amp;#039;Or\u00E9al Paris Revitalift Daily Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate, $15.79.  Peptides are another great collagen-booster, so Hirsch recommends swapping the retinol treatment for a peptide cream every other night. &amp;quot;My patients love this trick because they get the benefits of both,&amp;quot; she says. Her pick: Vichy LiftActiv CxP Night cream, $46.50, which also contains vitamin C to amp up radiance. &amp;quot;If you have very sensitive skin that can&amp;#039;t tolerate retinol even a few times a week, you can use the peptide cream alone, which is gentler.&amp;quot;  For extra help: If your skin looks uneven or rough, or if you already have deep wrinkles, visit your dermatologist for a chemical peel (which is a deep exfoliating treatment that dissolves surface skin cells). &amp;quot;One session can give results similar to six to 12 months of applying a nightly retinoid,&amp;quot; says Hirsch. Products to try: Vichy LiftActiv CxP Night cream, $46.50; L&amp;#039;Or\u00E9al Paris Revitalift Daily Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate, $15.79; Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 with Helioplex, $12.99; Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar, $3.59 for two. Want to reverse the signs of aging? Get the breakthrough plan that will help you look and feel 7 years younger! LATINA Latin women have a wide spectrum of skin colors,&amp;quot; says Maritza Perez, M.D., director of cosmetic dermatology at St. Luke&amp;#039;s Roosevelt Medical Center in New York. &amp;quot;There are blonde, blue-eyed Latinas who age like Caucasian women and worry most about wrinkles, and dark Hispanic women with pigmentation issues similar to those of African-Americans.&amp;quot; But the majority have olive complexions somewhere in between, and they experience a mix of both pigment problems and loss of firmness. &amp;quot;Starting around their mid-40s, they get dark spots, under-eye hollowness, and loss of volume in the mid-face region,&amp;quot; Perez says. Your Anti-Aging Regimen  Twice a day: Use a creamy, non-foaming cleanser such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, $11.99. &amp;quot;Though our skin isn&amp;#039;t dry by nature, my Hispanic patients often tell me they were taught growing up to use stronger cleansers like Noxzema. And since everyone&amp;#039;s skin gets drier with age, I find they&amp;#039;re frequently using a cleanser that&amp;#039;s too harsh for their skin now.&amp;quot;  A.M. If your biggest gripe is blotchy skin (an issue for many olive- and darker-skinned Latinas), try a moisturizer containing niacinamide. &amp;quot;Also known as vitamin B3, this ingredient helps to even skin tone and keep the skin&amp;#039;s barrier \u2014 which is the outermost layer \u2014 thick and healthy so it can protect skin better from moisture loss and the elements,&amp;quot; says Perez. Her pick is Olay Total Effects Daily Moisturizer, $18.99.  If you have wrinkles or early stages of sagging, try a peptide cream, which Perez likes for its firming benefits. She recommends StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate, $135 (a cream originally designed to reduce stretch marks) because &amp;quot;it contains more active peptides than most face creams.&amp;quot; P.M. Use tazarotene, a retinoid available in the prescription cream Tazorac. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s gentler than other retinoids, so it&amp;#039;s less likely to cause dryness or irritation,&amp;quot; says Perez. &amp;quot;I especially like it for Latin skin because it treats all of their concerns: It reduces wrinkles, a big problem for light-skinned Hispanics, and it curbs hyperpigmentation, which is a major issue for my patients with olive and dark skin.&amp;quot; For an over-the-counter option, try SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Night Cream, $59.  For extra help: &amp;quot;Under-eye bags are probably the top complaint I hear from my Latina patients,&amp;quot; says Perez. &amp;quot;The kind we get are from the fat pads around our eyes shifting downward, which causes them to bulge out near the tops of our cheeks.&amp;quot; Eye creams can&amp;#039;t correct this far-beneath-the-surface issue, but one or two treatments with an injectible filler such as Perlane or Juv\u00E9derm can help by filling in the hollowed areas under the eyes, which evens out the skin so bulges are less noticeable. Products to try: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, $11.99; StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks &amp;amp;amp; Wrinkles, $135; Olay Total Effects Daily Moisturizer, $18.99; Tazorac Cream 0.1%, approximately $300 for a 60-gram tube.  AFRICAN-AMERICAN Dark skin has a large amount of melanin, which means it has more built-in protection from surface sun damage. As a result, African-American women generally get fewer wrinkles \u2014 which appear about a decade later than they would on fair skin. &amp;quot;But don&amp;#039;t get a false sense of security,&amp;quot; says dermatologist Wendy Roberts. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s true that our skin has some natural protection against the sun, but it&amp;#039;s not nearly enough to fully protect against the harmful UVA rays that cause serious signs of aging \u2014 and skin cancer.&amp;quot; Plus, melanin has a downside: &amp;quot;Our excess pigment often causes dark spots and uneven skin tone starting around the late 30s or early 40s,&amp;quot; says Roberts.  Your Anti-Aging Regimen  Twice a day: Use a gentle, granule-free cleanser. &amp;quot;My African-American patients tend to try to scrub away their pigment spots,&amp;quot; says Roberts. &amp;quot;But anything with granules, even if they&amp;#039;re superfine, can signal the skin to pump out more melanin if you overuse it.&amp;quot; Instead, she recommends a basic cleanser for your skin type. Her favorites are Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, $5.99, for oily or acne-prone skin; Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, $5.99, for combination skin; and Clarins Cleansing Milk, $29.50, for dry skin. Then, she advises using an electric skin brush like Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System, $195, two to three times a week to exfoliate gently. A.M. Start with a moisturizer with vitamin C. &amp;quot;I put all of my dark-skinned patients with pigment issues on a vitamin C product,&amp;quot; says Roberts. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s one of the best ingredients for clearing up dark spots and blotchiness.&amp;quot; She recommends La Roche-Posay Active C Facial Moisturizer, $49.50; we also like Ambi Even &amp;amp;amp; Clear Daily Moisturizer SPF 30, $9.99. Then put on a broad-spectrum sunscreen (if your moisturizer doesn&amp;#039;t already contain SPF 30). Roberts recommends La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, $29.50. &amp;quot;It contains antioxidants, which help the sunscreen ingredients protect skin better. And the formula is super-lightweight, so my patients love it because it doesn&amp;#039;t leave a white film on the face.&amp;quot; Another good lightweight option: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock Fluid SPF 55, $11.99, which uses Helioplex, one of the most effective sunscreens available. P.M. Begin with a retinol treatment. Prescription retinoids such as Retin-A can sometimes be too harsh for African-American skin (especially for sensitive types), so Roberts recommends a gentler over-the-counter product with retinol instead. &amp;quot;It kicks up collagen production, breaks up spots, and even helps to control oil \u2014 without upsetting the pigment in dark skin,&amp;quot; she says. Her pick: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $21.99. Next, layer on a peptide-rich moisturizer. African-American skin starts to get lax around age 50, so Roberts relies on peptides to preemptively protect from sagging. She likes Olay Professional Pro-X Hydra Firming Cream, $42. For extra help: Try microdermabrasion. This deep exfoliating treatment, performed either in a spa or a dermatologist&amp;#039;s office, uses a crystal- or diamond-tipped wand to buff away the outermost layer of skin. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s fantastic for African-American skin because it tackles spots and unevenness, softens lines, and decreases pore size, but the pressure of the wand is very gentle, so it won&amp;#039;t trigger melanin production,&amp;quot; Roberts says. Products to try: Olay Professional Pro-X Hydra Firming Cream, $42; RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $21.99; Ambi Even &amp;amp;amp; Clear Daily Moisturizer SPF 30, $9.99; La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, $29.50.  Want to reverse the signs of aging? Get the breakthrough plan that will help you look and feel 7 years younger! ASIAN This skin type produces more melanin than Caucasian skin when it&amp;#039;s exposed to the sun (true even for very fair Asians), so brown spots are typically the first sign of aging, appearing around the early 30s. &amp;quot;Because our skin is often light-colored, the spots can be really obvious,&amp;quot; says Jessie Cheung, an assistant professor of dermatology and codirector of cosmetic dermatology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The other big concern: &amp;quot;Our bone structure is flatter than that of other ethnicities, so our faces start sagging earlier,&amp;quot; she says. Your Anti-Aging Regimen Twice a day: Use a non-foaming cleanser. &amp;quot;Asian skin tends to be more reactive than other types, so a soap-free cleanser is best,&amp;quot; says Cheung, who likes Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil, $19.50, for oily skin (which sounds counterintuitive, but oil breaks down excess face oil \u2014 really!), and CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, $11.99, for dry or combination skin. A.M. Layer on an antioxidant serum. &amp;quot;Antioxidants are essential, and a serum form is less likely to irritate touchy Asian skin than a cream one,&amp;quot; says Cheung. Her favorite antioxidant is coffeeberry \u2014 &amp;quot;it&amp;#039;s incredibly potent&amp;quot; \u2014 and she recommends Reval\u00E9Skin Intense Recovery Treatment, $130, which contains one of the highest concentrations of the stuff. Apply it under moisturizer and sunscreen. P.M. Use a retinol treatment. &amp;quot;This helps to shed spotty skin,&amp;quot; says Cheung, who recommends Av\u00E8ne R\u00E9trinal+ .05 cream, $61. If your skin is irritated by retinol \u2014 or if you have just a few lone spots \u2014 use a dark spot treatment, which breaks up pigment and slows melanin production. Cheung likes Neocutis Perle Skin Brightening Cream, $95, which has Melaplex, an ingredient she calls &amp;quot;one of the most powerful brighteners available, and a safe alternative to hydroquinone.&amp;quot; Another good option: Physicians Formula Dark Spot Corrector &amp;amp;amp; Skin Brightener, $18.97, which uses soy to even skin. Dab either product on spots every night with a cotton swab.  A few times a week: Do a gentle at-home peel. Exfoliating regularly helps to combat age spots, and Cheung says a peel is best, &amp;quot;because if you excessively scrub Asian skin, it can react by producing even more melanin.&amp;quot; Try Philosophy The Microdelivery Multi-Use Peel Pads, $55 for 100 pads, up to three times a week. &amp;quot;They contain lactic acid, which gently dissolves dead cells and makes it virtually impossible to overdo it,&amp;quot; she says.  For extra help: See your dermatologist for an in-office peel or one to two laser treatments (such as IPL or Fraxel). &amp;quot;If you have spots all over your face, either of these treatments can get rid of them almost entirely,&amp;quot; says Cheung. If sagging is a problem, &amp;quot;creams can only help to tighten lax skin \u2014 they can&amp;#039;t fill in lost fat or lift big drooping areas,&amp;quot; she says. For those issues, Cheung suggests a filler injection such as Radiesse or Sculptra. Products to try: Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil, $19.50; Philosophy The Microdelivery Multi-Use Peel Pads, $55 for 100 pads; CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, $11.99; Neocutis Perle Skin Brightening Cream, $95. INDIAN Indian women&amp;#039;s skin tends to remain wrinkle-free well into their 40s, even their 50s, and they don&amp;#039;t experience much sagging. But starting in their 30s, they&amp;#039;re grappling with dark under-eye circles and two issues that, while not usually considered signs of aging, tend to creep up for this ethnicity: acne and facial hair. And the mere act of treating the latter two problems can set off new ones. &amp;quot;Indian skin is very prone to irritation,&amp;quot; says Kavita Mariwalla, an assistant professor of dermatology at State University at Stony Brook in New York. So picking at a blemish or waxing facial hair may leave dark spots and scars that don&amp;#039;t fade for years.  Your Anti-Aging Regimen Twice a day: Use a gentle, pre-moistened face wipe. &amp;quot;Indian skin can get extremely dry, especially in the winter,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. &amp;quot;When this happens, we get little white or brown patches on our skin \u2014 a condition known as dyspigmentation. A facial cloth can help prevent this because it&amp;#039;s less drying than rinsing with water.&amp;quot; She likes Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes, $5.99. A.M. First, put on a kojic-acid serum. &amp;quot;This ingredient helps to lighten dark spots without causing irritation,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. Her favorite is La Roche-Posay Mela-D Serum, $58. &amp;quot;It has both kojic acid and lactic acid \u2014 a spot-fighting combo that works really well on sensitive Indian skin.&amp;quot; Follow with a moisturizer containing salicylic acid. &amp;quot;Our pores get clogged easily, which leads to acne,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. &amp;quot;Salicylic acid exfoliates pores gently, which is key for our reactive skin, and it helps prevent ingrown hairs from waxing or tweezing facial hair.&amp;quot; Her pick: Vichy Normaderm Triple-Action Anti-Acne Hydrating Lotion, $22.50. P.M. Use a retinol treatment diluted with a rich moisturizer. &amp;quot;Retinol is a must for building collagen, but used daily on Indian skin, it can cause dryness and peeling,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. &amp;quot;Instead, use your retinol product only two to three times a week, and mix it in your hand with equal parts moisturizer first.&amp;quot; Try Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM, $65. And if you get a pimple, don&amp;#039;t try to zap it with benzoyl peroxide. &amp;quot;It can leave a dark mark on brown skin,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. She prefers a natural antiseptic like The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, $9. For extra help: Consider Restylane injections. &amp;quot;These can really help with the stubborn dark circles that Indian women often get. The circles, which are often caused by leaking capillaries, tend to look darker and more obvious on brown skin,&amp;quot; says Mariwalla. &amp;quot;The injections plump the skin so you don&amp;#039;t see the discoloration as much.&amp;quot; Products to try: Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes, $5.99; The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, $11; Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM, $65; Vichy Normaderm Triple-Action Anti-Acne Lotion, $22.50. Want to reverse the signs of aging? Get the breakthrough plan that will help you look and feel 7 years younger!  SKIN-CARE GLOSSARY: Our mini-dictionary explains all the lingo the derms use here. Antioxidants: Molecules that protect cells in your body from being damaged by free radicals (see definition below).  Collagen: A protein that gives skin its supple, smooth appearance. When collagen breaks down, wrinkles and sagging occur. Elastin: Rubber-band-like fibers in the skin that support its structure and help it stay firm. When elastin is damaged, skin droops. Free radicals: Toxic molecules that form in the body when it&amp;#039;s exposed to environmental stresses such as the sun&amp;#039;s ultraviolet (UV) rays and pollution. Free radicals can damage all types of cells, including skin cells. Hyperpigmentation: The clinical term for sun spots, which occur when skin produces too much melanin (see definition at right) and it clusters together. Excessive sun exposure and over-exfoliation are the main triggers. Melanin: Skin&amp;#039;s pigment. The more you have, the darker your skin color is. Peptides: When collagen breaks down, it forms certain peptides in your body that signal your skin to make new collagen. Synthetic forms of these peptides in topical products can &amp;quot;trick&amp;quot; skin into making more collagen.  Retinoids: Vitamin A derivatives that are available in prescription creams such as Retin-A and Renova. They boost collagen production by speeding up the skin&amp;#039;s exfoliation process (the more skin sheds, the more collagen it pumps out to make up for the lost cells). Retinoids can cause side effects like irritation and redness. Retinol: A form of vitamin A that&amp;#039;s available in over-the-counter skin products. Like retinoids, it helps to speed up skin&amp;#039;s natural exfoliation, but the effect is milder. Want to reverse the signs of aging? Get the breakthrough plan that will help you look and feel 7 years younger! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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