<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Looking younger may hinge less on a lineless complexion and more on a clear one: Research shows that uneven skin tone can add about a decade to your perceived age. So while you&amp;#039;ve been heaping attention \u2014 and night creams \u2014 on wrinkles to turn back the clock, other factors like age spots, redness, enlarged pores, and adult acne might be putting those years back on. The bright side: Uneven skin tone is easier to correct (or at least conceal) than wrinkles, and it&amp;#039;s often treated with the same active ingredients, so you can combat both at once. Here, we put together the best tips for hiding skin tone imperfections instantly, plus expert advice on healing them over time. Redness &amp;quot;Over time, UV radiation thins skin and dilates superficial blood vessels,&amp;quot; Dr. Herschthal says, which is why skin often looks redder as you age. Sun exposure and aging can also exacerbate the symptoms of rosacea, a hereditary inflammatory skin condition characterized by persistent flushing and pimple-like bumps. Hide It  Boost your coverage. &amp;quot;Women often prefer sheer foundation, but it doesn&amp;#039;t cover redness very well,&amp;quot; says Kimara Ahnert, a makeup artist in New York City. Instead, pick a more opaque, oil-free foundation. Use a flat-bristle brush \u2014 try Essence of Beauty Concealer Brush ($4.49, CVS) \u2014 to spread the base; it will deliver more pigment, especially to redness hot spots like the sides of the nose. Then blend with a damp makeup sponge to get a more lightweight look and feel. Double up on foundation. If redness affects only a few areas, invest in a foundation stick. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s easier to blend than heavier concealers,&amp;quot; Arlt says. Apply a sheer foundation first, then warm the stick on the back of your hand. Dab on with a brush where you see discoloration. Try E.L.F. All Over Cover Stick ($1 \u2014 yes, you read that right; eyeslipsface.com).  Heal It  Extinguish inflammation. Calming ingredients such as white and green tea extracts, both found in Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream ($40, department stores), provide immediate improvement for aging-and rosacea-related redness. For a long-term treatment, try new Pyratine-6 or more potent Pyratine-XR ($138, 888-467-9728 for physicians). Both contain cytokinins, plant-based growth factors that may help regulate skin&amp;#039;s inflammatory response, Dr. Kunin says. In two separate studies from the University of California, Irvine, users of Pyratine-6 saw a 60 percent improvement in redness after four weeks, whereas the XR formula cleared rosacea patients&amp;#039; pimple-like bumps, redness, and visible capillaries by 90, 45, and 28 percent, respectively, in 48 weeks. Look to lasers. Pulsed dye and other vascular lasers essentially obliterate blood vessels with one zap, stopping redness at the source, Dr. Ostad says. One five-minute treatment can eradicate a few evident capillaries. Depending on your skin&amp;#039;s condition and the type of laser, you may develop a small bruise lasting a week. You can avoid this \u2014 and treat more diffuse redness and rosacea \u2014 by choosing three milder treatments, each a month apart. Cost: $350 per treatment for a few red capillaries; about $750 for more pronounced redness.  Adult Acne Thanks to stress and fluctuating hormones, pimples can surface even after your kids have outgrown their teenage zits. More than a quarter of 40-something women and 15 percent of those 50 and older report having had adult acne, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Hide It  Hydrate first. Counter the drying effects of pimple medications by rubbing on a noncomedogenic, oil-free lotion or an eye gel (which tends to be non-oily) before concealing. &amp;quot;If you put cover-up on a dried-out blemish, it looks like a frosted flake and attracts more attention,&amp;quot; Arlt says. Give the moisturizer about a minute to sink in, then apply concealer with a small brush or clean finger. Those with salicylic acid, such as Physicians Formula Blemish Rx ($9, drugstores), help fight inflammation and keep pores clear during healing. Brush on a little at a time to get plenty of coverage without cakiness.  Heal It   Multitask. To form, acne requires a perfect storm of clogged pores, bacteria, and inflammation. You&amp;#039;ll get the best treatment results if you attack it on all fronts, Dr. Kunin says. A regimen to consider: Twice a day, unblock pores with a 2 percent salicylic acid cleanser such as Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash ($8, drugstores). Kill bacteria and sop up oil with a 10 percent benzoyl peroxide spot treatment like Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream ($10, drugstores). And apply a sulfur mask a few times a week to draw out excess oil; try Proactiv Clear Purifying Mask ($20, proactiv.com), an odor-free, sulfur-based face mask. Once skin calms down, maintain results with easy-to-use salicylic acid pads such as Dr. Brandt Blemishes No More Cleansing Pads ($25 for 60, Sephora).  Next: Find GHRI-tested pore-targeting products.   See your M.D. Adult acne can be persistent \u2014 and resistant to treatment. So if an at-home regimen doesn&amp;#039;t clear up skin within a few months (or you want to skip a few steps), talk to a dermatologist about Rx retinoids. Along with building collagen to smooth wrinkles, these multitaskers exfoliate skin to keep your complexion clear. Prescription retinoids can be irritating, but you can tailor their use \u2014 applying the solution every other night instead of nightly, for example. Expect to see results within a few months.  For breakouts seemingly immune to other therapies, oral antibiotics are another option. So is prescription Aldactone, which is typically used as a diuretic, but has anti-testosterone effects that prevent excess oil production. Dr. Marmur calls this drug her &amp;quot;magic bullet&amp;quot; for squelching hormonal acne. GHRI Product Tests: Incredible Shrinking Pores Blame it on magnifying mirrors or high-def TV, but there seems to be a surge in beauty products promising smaller pores. To find out if they work, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute put six new pore-minimizing serums and gels to the test. While none immediately reduced volunteers&amp;#039; pore diameters, most did deliver a more flawless-looking complexion. Patricia Wexler M.D. Skin Brightening &amp;amp;amp; Pore Refining Serum ($55, bathandbodyworks.com) and DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer ($85, Sephora) scored highest for creating an instant soft-focus effect. After four weeks of use, volunteers praised all the products for softening skin, improving texture, and reducing shine. But Murad T-Zone Pore Refining Gel ($40, Sephora) came out on top overall \u2014 the only product that reduced pore size in the lab. The Patricia Wexler M.D. and DDF serums ranked a close second. As one tester noted about the Murad, &amp;quot;I learned that to see a product&amp;#039;s effectiveness, I have to use it for a few weeks, not just a few days.&amp;quot;  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/tips/a16500/conquer-complexion-imperfections/?src=shelter_footer>