As you guys know I recently turned 32. Back in the day I used to think people in their 30s were so old! And growing up I think if you’d asked me where I’d be at 32, I might have answered in the suburbs, married, with children. But I love the path my life has taken me on…often challenging but very rewarding regardless.

In honor of turning older, and in partnership with Olay, today I’m sharing some lessons I’ve learned over the years when it comes to anti-aging skincare. And given I’ve recently had a facialist remark how impressed she was with the firmness and youthfulness of my skin despite being in my early 30s, I’d say I’m doing an ok job! Hopefully in this post you find plenty of good takeaways to give your skin some anti-aging TLC.

SPF, SPF, SPF.

Oh how I wish I had listened to my mom about this! I’ve suffered too many bad burns over the years and now suffer from pretty bad sun damage along my hairline. Nowadays I’m much more religious about wearing sunscreen – even on cloudy day – and am paying extra attention to making sure I have a hat in tow when I know I’ll be outdoors for longer periods of time. Did you guys know that sun damage is one of the top causes of compounding the aging process? Take care and slather on the SPF daily and remember that looking tan short term will never be as good as looking young long term! (In a post soon I’ll be sharing my favorite sun care products so keep an eye out for that.)

Don’t be dehydrated.

Earlier this year I had multiple estheticians remark about the lack of hydration in my skin. I’ve been working hard ever since to ensure my skin has the proper moisture because I’ve learned that hydration is key when it comes to anti-aging. Basically, as your skin cells become dehydrated, your skin will pretty immediately become dry, flaky and wrinkles begin to come to the forefront. (YIKES!) You can combat this by A) drinking more fluids and B) using a good moisturizer morning and night. And while expensive skincare can seem worth it, you also should recognize you don’t need to be spending a ton when it comes to quality.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been using Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream which, at under $30, recently beat out loads of other expensive anti-aging creams when tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Upon application, my skin is noticeably firmer, brighter and my fine lines are reduced in size. Over time it can even reduce the look of up to 10 years of wrinkles! It is packed with vitamins and extracts but is still lightweight. Hyaluronic acid helps to firm and plump skin, Carob seed extract aids in skin repair and Vitamin E protects against free radical damage. Oh and did I mention that it moisturizes 400% better than a cream nearly 18 times its price? Yeah, this stuff is good. Scroll below to see my skin before and then right after application with no other face makeup on (just eye makeup.) Bright and radiant, right?

Be all about eye cream.

Under and around our eyes is one of the first places our skin starts to show aging (Hello, crow’s feet) so it’s imperative you wear an eye cream every night. And did you know there’s a right way to apply eye cream!? Dot it from the inner to outer corner and tap it on, don’t rub it. This helps the product to better absorb into the skin.

Don’t forget the décolletage.

I’ll never forget my godmother telling me over dinner years and years ago how important it is to apply cream to your décolletage (aka: neck and chest) in addition to your face. They can often show early signs of aging and need just as much TLC as our faces. I, for one, also had several of my aforementioned bad sunburns happen on my chest so it is an area I try and pay particularly more attention to.

See a dermatologist.

Don’t waste time battling your skin and trying things that may just not suite your skin type. I owe my clear skin to my great Upper West Side dermatologist (who now many of my friends also see) and I’m so glad I invested in the time to get less problematic skin so that I can focus on keeping it looking young.

Use a Vitamin C serum.

If you’ve been reading for a while you know I’ve been using a Vitamin C serum every night for nearly a year. This one and this one are my preferred two and I make sure to put it on my face as part of my nighttime routine, particularly on my forehead to keep wrinkles at bay. It also helps to brighten and hydrate skin so it can work wonders when paired with a moisturizer like Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. (As background, about a year and a half ago I sat down to dinner with someone I would have guessed was 25. She then revealed she was nearly 40 with multiple children and we all remarked “What on earth are you using on your face!?” and she replied “Vitamin C!” and thus started my nightly use of this stuff :))

Layer properly.

Ever wondered what the heck kind of order all these serums, oils, lotions and creams should be applied? Wonder no more! After you cleanse, dermatologists say to first apply eye cream, then your serums (you can layer those, too but just give them each a minute in between to absorb), then your moisturizer, then any oils and, lastly, in the morning apply your sunscreen.

Do you guys have any anti-aging tips you swear by? I would love to hear them!

Thanks to Olay for partnering on this post all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Bekka Palmer Photography]