Change your beauty destiny

Shape, Feb, 2005 by Sally Wadyka

Get your beauty sleep. When you look in the mirror after a sleepless night, you're getting a preview of how your face may look in a decade or so. Fine lines will appear deeper; slight under-eye bags will look puffier. "When people are sleep-deprived, they look older and more haggard, especially around the eyes," Alster says. During sleep your body repairs itself, and you get an increase in circulation to the face; without quality sleep, the face sags and shadows appear under the eyes. The good news: The effect can usually be reversed by going to bed earlier the next night and keeping your sleep schedule as regular as possible. Before bed, apply Therapy Systems Retinol Cellular Treatment Cream/PM ($68; therapysystemsinc.com) with retinol and glycolic acid to help repair and exfoliate skin; American Beauty Uplifting Firming Eye Cream ($22.50) and Beauty Boost Overnight Radiance Cream ($27; both at kohls.com), which moisturize and firm as you sleep; or Nivea Visage Q10 Advanced Wrinkle Reducer Night Creme ($11; at drugstores) with the antioxidant coenzyme Q10.

Feed your face. It's commonly said that you are what you eat, and it might also be true that your looks are a direct reflection of your diet. Antioxidants (especially vitamins C and E) may help boost the skin's power to fight free radicals. There's also some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish like salmon) reduce inflammation and improve skin texture.

Equally important is what not to ingest: alcohol and sodium. Alcohol dilates capillaries and makes them more fragile (making your face look flushed, bruised or splotchy), and salt causes skin to retain water (think: swollen eyes and cheeks). Put the two together (in, say, a sushi dinner where you consume lots of soy sauce and sake) and you're going to wake up looking bloated. You can help feed your face topically with these editor's picks: IS Clinical Vitamin C Super Serum ($115; isclinical.com) with stabilized L-ascorbic acid, a potent topical vitamin C that works as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, and Chanel Precision Hydramax Serum Intense Moisture Boost ($65; gloss.com), with vitamins [B.sub.5], E and F to help protect against free radicals.

Believe in miracles. "We live in a golden age of ingredients," Gross says. "Even if you're genetically destined to have the same aging patterns as your mother, you have access to modern ingredients that can help build collagen, more effective sunscreens to protect against ultraviolet radiation and cosmetic procedures that can undo what you've inherited." He recommends consistently using modern "miracle" ingredients such as the antioxidant vitamins C and E, lycopene and green-tea extract (to fight free-radical damage), retinoids or genistein (to build collagen and elastin) and alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids (to speed skin cell turnover). Best product bets: Prevage Antioxidant Cream ($100; prevage.com) with idebenone, an ingredient that helps repair skin cells; Neutrogena Visibly Firm Lift Serum ($19; at drugstores), with concentrated active copper to restore firmness; L'Oreal Transformance Skin Perfecting Solution ($16.59; at drugstores), an oil-free serum with vitamin C to hydrate and protect; and CelGen Age Repair Moisture Solution ($45; stc biotech.com), a toner that hydrates and promotes skin renewal.