The Hungarian-American dermatologist Erno Lazlo once said, “Beautiful skin requires commitment, not a miracle.” But once the cold weather comes around, that skincare commitment seems to demand another level of intervention, especially for older women. And this winter, beyond the usual heightened winter skin regimens, there’s the constant hand washing and mask wearing that are taking their toll on our hands and faces, in addition to the inside dry air that can wreak havoc on older skin. It’s enough to make you throw up your hands and wave the white flag in retreat, as mother nature seems intent on overwhelming you no matter how much you fight back. In fact, The Guardian newspaper recently ran an article on the many British women who have decided to go on a ”grooming hiatus” during the pandemic, foregoing their usual efforts to wash, pluck, color, and tweeze, all previously done to keep up with some pre-ordained beauty standard. As one exasperated woman commented, “When everything was spinning out of control…I stopped trying to control my body. I decided to just be who I am.”

Some won’t go that far in ditching beauty routines, but we’re likely nonetheless to be searching for basic skincare regimens that address our aging skin without chaining us to our bathroom counters (or emptying our bank accounts). As beauty consultant and Beautycounter brand ambassador Barbara Scaros reminds us, “The whole array of makeup and skincare choices is available for us as older women, but keep in mind, that for us, less is more. The fewer the products and steps involved, the less irritating it will be for aging skin.” Her suggestions? “Sunscreen is the most important thing you can put on your skin at any age and time of year. And of course, a gentle cleanser and moisturizer are a must. But if you do nothing else, wear sunscreen.” Beyond that, she also advises you to look out for those “never list” ingredients that contain questionable chemicals that can harm your skin.

Allure magazine recently posted the morning and evening skincare regimens of 4 noted female dermatologists, each emphasizing how your skin needs change from morning to evening and require different ingredients for different goals. While the products they recommend have their expert seal of approval, for many, between cost and availability, these recommendations are unachievable. For more affordable skincare alternatives, Harvard Health Blog describes the key science-backed ingredients you should look for in products available in your local supermarket or drugstore. And if you’re specifically honing in on wrinkles, consider the recent list of the 12 best affordable wrinkle creams recommended by Real Simple Magazine.

But perhaps the most interesting ingredient that has recently surfaced as a wrinkle-fighting partner is the ataulfo mango, (also known as the honey mango or champagne mango) which originates from Mexico. Not only delicious to eat but apparently chock full of beta carotene and antioxidants that do wonders for your wrinkles. In fact, in a new study out of the University of California Davis, researchers determined that eating ½ cup of this mango 4x/week can quantifiably reduce facial wrinkles. Women enrolled in the study were able to see a 23% reduction of deep wrinkles on this mango regimen within 2 months, and after 4 months, were still seeing a 20% decline in facial wrinkles. But lest you think that more is better, researchers advised that eating too much mango can actually have the opposite effect and worsen the appearance of wrinkles. So, as the lesson goes with all skincare, for older women, less is more!