With that in mind, I had to ask: What ingredients does use on her own skin every day? Unsurprisingly, her daily picks are clinically-backed, ultra-powerful staples you’re definitely already familiar with: SPF, vitamin C, and retinol. For women in their 40s, like Dr. King, these ingredients should be non-negotiable. Together, they work to protect skin from future damage while also helping to repair any damage that’s already occurred, which means they fight signs of aging on two fronts.
- Hadley King, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Below, Dr. King explains why these three ingredients are truly the ones she can’t live without, and why they should hold the same type of “non-negotiable” status in your routine, too.
SPF
Dr. King’s absolute must-have, above all else, is sunscreen. “I use zinc oxide [a key ingredient in SPF] for sun protection every single day,” she says. There are so many dermatologist-approved sunblocks to choose from, so finding the best one for you comes down to your skin type. But this much is clear: have a solid SPF in your routine, every day, without fail. It’s clinically proven to prevent skin cancer and signs of aging, making it well worth the 10 seconds it takes to apply every a.m.