Understanding your skin and knowing what it needs with every trip around the sun means that we can achieve, and see, better results and gain more knowledge about how our own skin works. Skin is incredibly intricate and no two people are the same, but some rules are universal and we can all benefit from them, including preventative measures and products to our skincare routines. Nowadays, however, we’re trying to do away with the term ‘anti-ageing’ and instead focus on issues we come to face with age, such as pigmentation, dullness, excessive dryness and sensitivity. That said, we can still make use of ingredients and clever technology that can help prevent, or at least slow down, age-related sagging and loss of volume we’ll inevitably experience later in life.
In your 20s | maintain & prevent:
Your 20s might just be the time when your skin goes through the most changes, albeit slightly less drastic or visible than in later years. In your mid-20s, your skin starts to go downhill at a slow, but steady pace and this is when your collagen production starts to slow down. More visibly though, hormonal acne is most prominent in your 20s due to high levels of oestrogen and progesterone, and any imbalances we might experience during menstruation can also wreak havoc to your skin. This includes dull and dry skin, painful cystic acne and often a flare-up of inflammatory conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. All of these issues can be traced back to inflammation, so the easiest way to deal with it is to see a dermatologist – someone who can put you on the right medication or guide you toward the correct products. If your skin is perfectly fine, you’re one of the lucky ones. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off. Include fatty acids in your diet to boost your mood, a light-textured sunscreen that you can apply daily, an acne-fighting cleanser if you’re experiencing some textural issues and an ‘entry-level’ retinol to help stimulate collagen production and keep skin bouncy and clear.
Products we recommend
1. Neutrogena Bright Boost SPF 30 Gel Fluid
2. SKOON. SK!NSIDE OUT – Breakouts All-in-one Beauty Smoothie (30)
3. The Beauty Worx Retinol Night Cream
4. SKOON. HAPPY FLORA Microbiome Face Moisturiser
In your 30s | correct & prevent:
You should have a solid routine by now, but at this stage you can start swapping some products to include formulas that target newly arising issues. You probably no longer struggle with hormonal acne, so it’s time to start repairing any sun or post-acne damage, such as scarring and hyperpigmentation. It’s also a good idea to include a potent vitamin C in your routine to add some much-needed antioxidant and brightening power, along with an acid toner (think glycolic or lactic) to boost cell renewal and keep pores clear. Switch to a more hydrating cleanser to avoid drying your skin out too much, but keep a deep-cleansing mask handy for days when you might feel a little congested. If you’ve been slacking on the sunscreen front, now is the time to up your game, so include a daily sunscreen to your routine along with a brightening serum to tackle any post-20s acne scarring or sun spots.
Products we recommend
1. NUXE White Ultimate Glow Glowing Brightening Concentrate
2. Clarins Clear-Out Anti-Blackheads Stick + Mask
3. REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
4. Skin Creamery Oil-Milk Facial Cleanser
5. Eucerin Dermopurifyer Protective Fluid SPF 30
In your 40s | replenish & repair:
Loss of volume and sagging is inevitable and no cream or potion can prevent it, but we can make efforts to slow it down. In your 40s you should be focusing on replenishment and adding extra hydrating elements to your routine to slow down the ageing process, even if it’s just a little bit. Your skin will also start becoming duller and drier, so you need to pump up the volume with your antioxidants, peptides and other active ingredients. Stick to your hydrating cleanser, preferably an oil or cleansing balm to avoid stripping any essential oils, and include a really hydrating moisturiser before your SPF. At night, an oil can be a wonderful addition to help replenish moisture and boost your overall glow. You can now also take it up a notch with a punchier retinol to help stimulate collagen production and even out the skin tone.
Products we recommend:
1. L’Oréal Paris UV Defender Moisture Fresh Daily Anti-Aging Sunscreen SPF 50+
2. REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate
3. Codex BIA Wash Off Cleansing Oil
4. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex 50 ml
5. NUXE Bio Organic Ultimate Night Recovery Oil
In your 50s | strengthen & rebuild:
Your late 40s might have been the trigger point for menopause, but your 50s is when it will take full effect. For your skin, that means hormonal imbalances, much like your 20s, which can cause more dryness and an even more compromised skin barrier. Gravity will also start catching up with you, but if you’ve been diligent with sunscreen for the past few decades, you’ll still be looking decidedly younger and fresher. However, with an impaired barrier, dryness and sensitivity (which includes redness) will be the more uncomfortable of the lot. Keep up with a hydrating cleanser, rich moisturiser and SPF, but add more retinol and try some growth-factor peptides to counteract any volume loss. Lastly, be careful with using too many actives (such as glycolic acid) as this can damage the barrier again and undo a lot of hard work.
Products we recommend:
1. Dr. Brandt Do Not Age Triple Peptide Eye Cream
2. Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules 30s
3. Lancôme Crème-Mousse Confort Cleanser
4. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid SPF 50 Day Cream
60+| boost & repair:
In your 60s and over, you can expect the same type of issues as you have been in your 50s. Loss of volume will be more prominent if you haven’t been taking care of your skin, and your skin will also be significantly thinner. Again, you need to make sure you’re strengthening your skin barrier especially when skin is more fragile and prone to injury. That includes lots of moisturising in the form of lipid-rich oils, hyaluronic acid and potent antioxidants. This
is also the time to visit your dermatologist (which you should be doing annually anyway) to check
up on any precancerous lesions, moles, sun spots and pigmentation. That said, keep going with your SPF – especially now that skin is more fragile! This will help keep skin protected and slow down the aging process for the years to come.
Products we recommend:
1. Clarins Double Serum Eye R975
2. NUXE Nuxuriance Gold Nutri-Fortifying Night Balm 50 ml R945
3. Lancôme Rénergie Multi-Lift Ultra SPF 20 R1 820
Ageless tip: Sunscreen should be a permanent component in your routine, at every age and in every stage. If you start using it daily at an early age, you will definitely need less additional help later on.
Words by Leandri De Kock
