A personal program for the best anti aging skin care begins with simple lifestyle choices. The aging of skin is a natural process but it can be accelerated by habits that add abuse to the effects of time. In order to support your skin, you'll need to take your environment into account, and you'll also need to think about diet and activity level. If you're really serious, you'll tackle bad habits like alcohol abuse and tobacco smoking. Heredity is a factor as well and everybody's different. Pay attention to your skin.

The sun is a major culprit: the high value we place on a golden tan is at odds with the damage that repeated exposure to sun can cause. Sun simply damages skin and spending long hours tanning will cause your skin to age faster. Similarly, tanning salons expose your skin to the same harmful rays. If you must tan, the best anti aging skin care products for you are sunscreens with an SPF (sun protection factor) that will prevent a burn. For most people, an SPF of 15 is appropriate, but skin types differ: if you're very pale and burn easily, use a lotion with a higher SPF. If you're more interested in looking young than getting a tan, use a sun block, which should block the sun's rays entirely.

Wind, extreme cold and extreme dryness are factors as well. While it's possible to get a sunburn from sunlight reflected off snow or water, or even from prolonged sun exposure on a winter day, most reddened skin during the winter months is caused by the wind. If you're going to be exposed to wind, cold, dry air, or any combination of these, the best anti aging skin care products to use are good moisturizers applied liberally and often, especially if there is any chance of the product getting rubbed or washed away. A product with an SPF of about 15 is a good idea as well, to protect you from the sun exposure you do get. Be sure to use a good lip balm to protect your lips.

Unhealthy habits like cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption have a direct and cumulative effect on your skin. There is no question that smoking can cause premature wrinkling of the skin, even in young smokers. Even exposure to second hand smoke can have a detrimental effect on the skin. Similarly, alcohol consumption damages your skin: it dries the skin and often causes permanent enlargement of the tiny blood capillaries close to the surface. Even topical products containing alcohol will dry the skin. If you smoke or drink too much, stop - even the best anti aging skin care products cannot prevent or reverse the damage that they do.

Diet and exercise play an important role in all aspects of health. It makes sense that skin health depends on adequate nutrition and a physically fit body. If your diet isn't too good, start with a comprehensive vitamin and mineral supplement while you make the necessary changes, and refer to a good nutritional food guide to evaluate your diet. You may be able to identify particular nutrients that you need more of. Add regular physical activity to your schedule, even if it's just walking to the store instead of taking the car. And for that extra boost for your skin, buy one of the best anti aging skin care products and use it as directed.