How Your Morning and Nighttime Routines Affect Your Health

What you do: Use a topical antioxidant product (with ingredients like vitamins C or E or ferulic acid, a plant-derived antioxidant) in the morning in addition to sunscreen.

Why that's good: It helps protect against damage from environmental pollutants like smog, car exhaust and small particulates in the air, which, research shows, can lead to signs of accelerated skin aging, like dark spots. Living in high-traffic areas can increase forehead and cheek pigmentation by 20 percent compared with low-traffic zones, found one study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The study, like many others examining the effect that pollution can have on skin, was partially funded by a skincare company, but we've spoken to several dermatologists who agree that adding an antioxidant to your morning routine is a smart move.

One more thing: Put your antioxidant on before your sunscreen. Products should be layered in order of consistency, from lightest to heaviest, so the heavier products don't block the absorption of the lighter ones.