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Whether the signs of aging are showing up in your hair, on your face, or all over your body, no matter the problem, there's an anti-ager for it. But shelling out money for plumping, hydrating, and shine-boosting benefits begs the question: How can you be sure you're getting the biggest bang for your buck? Glad you asked—consider this your cheat sheet on how to get the maximum effects from head to toe.
Day Moisturizer
This serves as your sun protection, so don't be skimpy. Spread a marble-sized blob over every inch of your face, making sure not to get it in your eyes. Take the same amount and rub it over your neck, the base of your throat, and your chest (it's easier to do this if you apply before you get dressed). Wait 2 minutes for the moisturizer to absorb before you put on makeup.
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Eye Cream
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Put a bead of eye cream on your ring finger, then stroke once under your eye, starting an inch from your hairline and moving toward your nose, and once more over your eyelid, from the inner corner outward. Blend in using the same gentle, sweeping motions until the cream disappears completely. (Rubbing too hard or pulling can damage the delicate skin around the eye.)
Night Treatment
Wash your face, dab with a towel so it's damp but not dripping, and then use your treatment. Anti-aging ingredients such as enzymes, antioxidants, and retinoids penetrate more deeply on damp skin, although they can irritate sensitive complexions if skin is moist. If you're in the sensitive-skin camp, dry your face completely, then wait at least 2 minutes before applying a treatment. Treatments tend to be more potent—and spreadable—than moisturizers, so you usually need a smaller amount: think pea-sized, rather than a marble-sized dollop. And be sure to cover your entire face.
MORE: 8 Overnight Anti-Aging Face Masks That Can Save Your Skin
Body Moisturizer
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Make your body lotion more effective by massaging it onto damp skin, right after you shower, so it can seal in the moisture. Use a marble-size amount of cream for each leg and arm and the front and back of your torso (that’s 6 marbles, total).
Shampoo
Experiment to see how long it takes for your hair to get visibly oily (for textured hair, that can be up to 2 weeks), then start shampooing the day before you reach the too-oily mark. Soak hair with warm water, then massage your scalp with a quarter-size blob of shampoo—that's all you need, no matter how long your hair is, since you don't need to suds the length of the strands (they get clean when you rinse out shampoo).
Conditioner
After shampooing, rub a quarter-size blob of conditioner between your fingers, then use your fingers to rake the product gently through your hair from mid-strand to the ends. Once your hair is saturated (if you have long hair, you may need another quarter-size blob), smooth any remaining product from your hairline back over the top of your head. Leave on for at least 2 minutes, then rinse with cool water.
MORE: 5 Ways To Add Body To Flat Hair
Jennifer Goldstein is the former beauty & health director of Marie Claire and co-host of the award-winning beauty podcast Fat Mascara. In her quest to uncover the world's beauty secrets, she’s gotten tattooed in New Zealand, dug up turmeric in India, harvested shea nuts in Ghana, and squeezed enzyme-rich eggs from salmon in Norway. She can pluck eyebrows like a pro and has read the FDA monograph on sunscreen labeling and effectiveness—but she still can’t get liquid eyeliner to look the same on both eyes.
