From Virgil ("fugit irreparabile tempus") to television soap operas ("Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives"), humanity has long remarked on the unrelenting march of time.

While no one has yet figured out how to stop the proverbial clock, its dermatologic effects are getting easier to combat.

In a departure from the harsh treatments of the day -- injections that partially paralyze the muscles in your face, lasers that summarily remove its surface -- a different approach pairs equal parts gentle and natural. As cosmetics companies use botanical extracts to ever greater effect and holistic-minded pros rethink conventional skin-care strategies, options abound.

Whether you're starting to see brown spots, redness, dullness, furrows, sagging, or some combination of these, we'll explain what's going on and what you can do about it.

Using both the latest and time-honored natural solutions, you'll wheedle more than an extra hour's sleep out of Father Time; you may well get years of youthful skin in the bargain.