How to improve sun damage: a step-by-step plan

Week 1: baseline and simplify

Scan or photograph cheeks, nose, forehead, chest and the backs of hands. Strip the routine to antioxidant serum in the morning and cleanse at night, plus SPF. Apply SPF 50 as the last step every morning and reapply when outdoors.

Week 2: add one active

Introduce retinol. Start two nights per week, then three after a fortnight, evening only; typical sensation: light dryness or tightness during the first weeks, never burning.

Everything else stays the same so you can attribute changes.

Week 3: hold steady

Resist adding more. If skin is comfortable, you can raise frequency by one night. If it stings, drop back — UV exposure is cumulative, so daily protection matters more than occasional vigilance.

Keep avoiding new tanning while treating spots.

Week 4: review and decide

Compare week-one and week-four scans of cheeks, nose, forehead, chest and the backs of hands. A full verdict needs three to six months for visible tone and texture improvement, so decide whether to continue, not whether to quit.

If progress is stuck, change one factor — for example vitamin C in place of the current active — and restart the clock.

A zone-by-zone check

Skin rarely changes everywhere at once, so score each zone separately and note the date.

Strengths, timing and clashes at a glance

If a label matches any of these, you already know the starting point.

Frequently asked questions