Give your skin a youthful glow: brighten up dull, fatigued skin with this expert's advice - Beauty Rx

Shape, Feb, 2003 by Valerie Latona

One signature quality of youthful-looking skin: a subtle glow and rosy sheen that shouts health and vibrancy. The good news is that radiant skin is easy to achieve with relatively little effort - just some good habits, says bicoastal dermatologist Karyn Grossman, M.D.

THE BASIC FACTS

Every month, the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis, sheds dead skin cells that lie on its surface, allowing new cells underneath to take their place. "Light reflects unevenly against dead or dehydrated cells, giving skin a dull appearance," explains Grossman. When cells are smooth, moisturized and new, light reflects off them evenly - giving skin a healthy sheen.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Dull-looking skin isn't hard to miss, but here are some other characteristics:

* Your skin looks tired. You look in the mirror, and your complexion just doesn't shout radiance.

* It feels rough and/or dry. Poorly hydrated skin lacks that dewy glow.

* You have uneven pigmentation (brown spots) and/or broken blood vessels. These signs of sun damage can also be precursors to dull skin, explains Grossman.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

You can get healthy, radiant skin. Beauty Rx:

1. Make exfoliation a part of your daily routine. Slough off dead skin cells with chemical ingredients (alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids), physical scrubs or tretinoin-based prescription products like Retin-A or Renova. Try beComing Rapid Return Exfoliating Scrub Mask ($13; www.ibecome.com).

2. Keep skin hydrated. Well-moisturized skin is radiant, says Grossman, who recommends hyaluronic-acid-based products for oily skin and essential-fatty-acid-based products for normal to dry skin. Two favorites: SkinCeuticals Hydrating [B.sub.5] Gel with hyaluronic acid ($55; skinceuticals.com) and Prada Reviving Bio-Firm Concentrate/Face with essential fatty acids ($130; neimanmarcus.com).

3. Apply light-reflecting products. Try Prescriptives Virtual Youth makeup, a moisturizing and light-reflecting treatment foundation ($32.50; prescriptives.com).

4. Get a power peel once a month. Microdermabrasion (sloughing off the outer layer of skin with a blast of air-powered tiny particles) and dermatologist-administered chemical peels can help jump-start your skin's glow.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT WORKS "Today's consumers are much more educated about skin than ever before," explains Karyn Grossman, M.D., a celebrity dermatologist who caters to clients in both New York City and Santa Monica, calif. "They want new, fast, effective - and less-invasive - ways to get youthful-looking skin. And as dermatologists we need to be able to demystify everything that's out there for them." One key characteristic of youthful-looking skin: radiance. "Healthy skin has a dewy glow," she explains. A balanced diet and a healthy body can help you achieve that, but it also takes the right skin-care regimen. "Sunscreen is a must," she says, "and pampering your skin with products that exfoliate, even out the complexion and superhydrate will give you,that red-carpet glow."