Why restrict yourself to only one line of skin-care products? Your skin is idiosyncratic, so it’s better to cherry-pick the best products from a variety of lines – augmenting tried-and-true favourites with powerhouse add-ons that address skin’s ever-changing needs.

“After 40, we lose one to two per cent of collagen per year,” says Dr. William McGillivray of Vancouver’s Project Skin MD clinic, making lines and wrinkles more visible. Our skin thins and can become more sensitive. And after 50, hormone and oil production slows, leaving skin drier than before. So create your own bespoke “cocktails” by adding any of the following proven age-effective fighters to your existing regimen for added brightening, hydration and collagen boosting.

And unlike contraindicated medications, these ingredients chosen here are proven to work well together, boosting each other’s efficacy. But if you have sensitive skin, as 68 per cent of Canadian women think they do, avoid using retinol in tandem with salicylic or glycolic acids, which already peel skin. And because all these products make skin sun-sensitive, don’t leave home without your sunscreen. But other than that one caveat, let your inner mixologist reign. —Liza Herz

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