6 Look-Younger Tips That Actually Don't Work

Myth: Moisturizer Prevents Wrinkles

Why it's not true: We smooth it on and expect moisturizer to just wipe our wrinkles away. But that is not what moisturizer does."Only using sunblock prevents wrinkles," says Dr. Downie."Some moisturizers can make wrinkles harder to see, other moisturizers really don't do anything to affect wrinkles one way or the other." What moisturizers do is lessen the appearance of wrinkles by hydrating your skin. In terms of wearing sunblock, "for sunblock to be effective in preventing wrinkles it must be a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or above," says Dr. Downie. And you should reapply it every two hours and use it year-round even when it's not super sunny.

Myth: The More Expensive the Product, the Better It Is

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Why it's not true: It's not about the cost, says Dr. Downie, it's about products having a lot of science behind them. "Products tested in double-blind clinical trials typically work better then the ones that have a lot of fluff behind them," she says. Are those products more expensive? Sometimes, but not always. "Many inexpensive products found in the drugstore are good," says Dr. Farris. "Stick to major consumer brands like Neutrogena, Roc, and Eucerin for good products that are backed by good science." And, say both physicians, pay attention to ingredients and how the products are formulated. If you don't know what to buy, talk to your dermatologist and ask for product recommendations or ask what ingredients and formulations you should be looking for, so you can compare products.