How to improve the skin

If you do only three things to improve the look and feel of your skin, make them these three, agree several of our experts:

1. Follow a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish. When researchers from Monash University in Australia studied the diets of 453 people ages 70 and older from Australia, Greece, and Sweden to see if there was any correlation between what they ate and the number of wrinkles in their skin, they found those who ate the most fruits, vegetables, and fish had the fewest wrinkles. Conversely, the researchers found, foods high in saturated fat, including meat, butter, and full-fat dairy, as well as soft drinks, cakes, pastries, and potatoes, increased the likelihood of skin wrinkling.

2. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. This helps flush toxins through your kidneys. Take these steps for a healthy complexion.

3. Protect your skin from the sun all year round with a sunblock with an SPF of 30 or greater. Just because there's snow on the ground doesn't mean your skin can't be damaged by the sun, says Andrea Lynn Cambio, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. Time outdoors is time well spent, but be sure to keep your skin either well covered or well protected with sunblock. In particular, the sun is at its most damaging between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.