The old saw "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" was no help at all when this beholder recently looked in her makeup mirror and saw nothing close to beauty - just those "webs" (a euphemism) at the corners of her eyes. "Crinkly" eyes may be adorable on Meg Ryan, but they do very little for me.

I knew it was time for major maintenance. I also was aware that I couldn't reverse what was there, but I did hope to put it "on hold" for as long as possible. Clinique.com seemed a good place to start, and CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE looked like what I might be looking for.

First, as luck would have it, I was scheduled for an appointment with my dermatologist, so I thought I'd pick his brain. He began by telling me everything I didn't want to hear - exercise, eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water. Skin, he said reflects the general health of your body. In other words, your face is connected to your neckbone, your neckbone's connected to your shoulder bone, etc.

As for that "lucky ol' sun," well, it's not lucky for any of us. According to my doctor most of what we consider to be evidence of aging is actually caused by the sun. So, stay out of it!

One helpful hint he gave me was to put on sun screen perhaps 30 minutes before sun exposure so the ingredients will have time to soak into your skin.

Then we got down to business - my "webs." From what he said I've learned that proper skin care for me is now going to take more time and thought than it did when I was 20. Time is what I don't have a whole lot of, and I'd love to get by with just patting on moisturizer all over. But there's that dreaded T-zone (chin, nose and forehead) which seems to need a different treatment.

After a few days and some practice I'm getting pretty speedy at using a lighter moisturizer (CLINIQUE MOISTURE IN-CONTROL on the T-zone and CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE for the other facial areas and throat. A water-based formula in moisturizers is the best for me because creamy moisturizers tend to clog my pores (surely I'm not the only one.........do creamy moisturizers just have it in for my pores?)

Another lesson I've learned is to do this regularly because while a moisturizer can't replace the moisturizer I've lost, it can keep the skin's natural moisture from evaporating which, friends, is exactly what we want as that "plumps" the skin and makes it look smoother. It surely does feel better! "Plumps" the skin. Isn't that a phrase? I always thought the specter of "plump" was why I couldn't have Ben and Jerry's at bedtime.

By the way another tip from my friendly dermatologist - put on body moisturizer when your skin is still damp after showering. It's economical because a little goes a long way. And maybe more importantly it captures the water in your skin.

So, bottom line is as we grow older we simply have to adapt our skin care system. Just because we've been using one product for years doesn't mean it's the best item for us now, and perhaps at a different time of year such as cold winter a heavier moisturizer would be more beneficial at night while the lighter one is fine for day.

WHY DID I CHOOSE CLINIQUE?

I chose both of these products because they are water based. "Webs" are enough to deal with without adding clogged pores. Also, they delivered skin hydration, and while they do have an aroma I found it to be pleasant, almost relaxing.

CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE provides me with several products in one as it can be used as a five minute mask and on the lips!

Also important to me is its accessibility - I can order Clinique on line, or pick it up at our local department stores. And, yes, of course, I'm a patsy for their periodic freebies.

RESULTS?

So far so good. I don't look five years younger. My crinkles still aren't anywhere as cute as Meg Ryan's. But my skin feels, softer, more supple, and looks clearer. Remember the cheer, "Hold that line! Hold that line!"? That's exactly what I'm trying to do.

Recommended: Yes