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Passing down beauty secrets from one generation to the next is a tale as old as time. Whether it’s using cold cream every single day to getting your beauty sleep, our mothers are usually right. However, there’s a person who is even smarter than mama when it comes to anti-aging advice: Our dermatologist. These skin experts know exactly what to do to keep our complexions looking like a spring chicken. But, derms have mothers and grandmothers too, so we began to wonder if there’s any advice that they’ve taken to heart. That’s why we asked eight dermatologists about the tips and tricks they’ve learned from the leading ladies in their lives:

“My mother has beautiful skin despite her northern European descent, a life time of farming and not spending any time in her daughter’s dermatology office! This is because she always has on a hat (a white, wide-brim visor to be exact) and sunglasses. And for as long as I can remember, she has used tretinoin. Although she never talked about its benefits, it was one of the VERY few staples in her cosmetic bag. Maybelline Great Lash and Renova, that was it for her beauty routine. To this day, I am never without my hat, sunglasses, mascara and tretinoin.” – Dr. Heather Rogers

“My momma is a beautiful Southern belle and a therapist, so I have always held her advice in the highest regard. Although she never leaves the house without makeup, her best beauty advice to me was and is: “Pretty is as pretty does”  — meaning upward beauty is wasted, if you aren’t acting nicely. On the contrary’s inward beauty shines through as outward beauty, so be kind, loving, and SMILE (with lipstick on, of course).” – Dr. Dendy Engelman

“The best beauty advice I got from my mom was the importance of a good nighttime moisturizer. My mom always had a jar of cream by her bedside, and it was the last thing she put on her face and hands before she went to sleep. She was a firm believer in hydrating her skin so it could repair overnight – it turns out science now supports her habit! When I was younger and more breakout prone, a lightweight/non pore-clogging moisturizer helped offset dryness from acne products. Now that I am older, my skin has become drier and more fragile; when I moisturize, it helps camouflage fine lines and improves the radiance of my skin. Now I have a jar of cream on my bedside table too!” – Dr. Sonia Batra, co-host of The Doctors TV show

“Smiling makes you look more attractive. And now there are psychology studies that confirm that photos of the same women smiling or frowning show that the smiling face gets a higher score in attractiveness than the frowning face.” – Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, Miami dermatologist and co-creator of Dr. Loretta skincare

WATCH: 10 Things Every Southern Woman’s Asked Her Momma

“Use gentle cleanser. Harsh cleansers can strip away all essential oils leaving the skin dry, irritated, and wrinkles more obvious. Dove beauty bar is my favorite.” – Dr. Mona Gohara

“Getting plenty of sleep is one of the best beauty advice. Beauty sleep is very important since your cells regenerate themselves, your skin is most able to absorb topical treatments and DNA repair is boosted.” – Dr. Debra Jaliman, Assistant Professor of Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of the book, Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist

“The best beauty advice that I got from my mother is to always wear large sunglasses. This will help you avoid squinting from the bright rays of the sun and forming those 11 lines between your eyebrows. My grandmother also gave me a helpful beauty tip which was to always wash off my makeup every night… no matter how tired I am.” – Dr. Nazanin Saedi, Director, Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

“My mom, who was a fashion model in New York City, gave me plenty of advice in my youth. The best tidbit of knowledge was to enhance my features and not try to conceal them to look like a cover model. Given I have yellow-green eyes, she always encouraged a complimentary purple eye shadow.” Dr. Rachael Cayce, Physicians Formula dermatologist