Any dermatologist will tell you it's never too late to start caring for your skin—yet the earlier you develop a regimen, the better." Generally prevention is more effective than correction," comments Miami-based cosmetic dermatologist and co-founder of Dr. Loretta skincare Loretta Ciraldo, MD, FAAD. That means incorporating certain habits and ingredients into your morning and nighttime routines in your 20s and 30s so that by the time you reach your 40s, you're likelier to have tighter, brighter, healthier skin.

According to Ciraldo, it's important to use brightening and anti-wrinkle products even before any deep-set lines or sunspots show up because microscopic changes like excess pigment and loss of collagen start in our 20s and progress so slowly that you don't usually see them until your 30s and 40s. By then, they're much harder to treat.

Use brightening and anti-wrinkle products even before any deep-set lines or sunspots show up.

At the same time, there is so much skincare advice in the world that distilling the most important habits to take on before 40 can be tricky. Not to mention the hard-core anti-aging services you might find at a dermatologist's office or skin health spa can be time-consuming, pricey, and (unless you're majorly skincare-obsessed) not that fun. When developing a skincare routine in your 20s and 30s, dermatologists agree that you have to adjust to what feels doable and fun to you personally—otherwise, you won't stick with it, and it won't work.

Adopt skincare habits that are enjoyable to you.

— Dr. Craig Kraffert