Most of us start some form of a skincare routine as teens, with spots emerging, oily t-zones and experimenting with make-up. It’s important that our routine adapts with our age, supporting our skin as we move through life. We’ve simplified things into bite-sized age brackets to give you all the need-to-know info on keeping your skin healthy through the age.
20s
As we move from our teens into our 20s, most of us are still fighting breakouts, although hopefully they have began to subside by now. While expression lines start to stay around a little longer than we would like, deep lines are not yet a problem. Preventative beauty habits such as drinking plenty of water and taking supplements can help combat the skin damaging effects of a twenty-something lifestyle. A lot of partying and late-night takeaways, sound familiar?
Things to do now
Prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to your skin, so make sure to protect it from the sun. It’s a known fact that the sun ages and damages our skin. Make it a priority to cover your skin in peak sun hours and always wear an SPF – you will be so grateful in your 40s if you adopt this simple habit now.
30s
With high-flying careers, and maybe children arriving on the scene, things are a new kind of hectic as we move through our 30s. Lack of sleep and stress may all be things we have to combat in our skincare routine. Our skin begins to dry out and things such as fine lines and pigmentation start to show up, so our routine needs to turn things up a notch to meet these new needs.
Things to do now
It’s time to introduce an anti-ageing night cream, while continuing with our already established good skin habits. You should also increase exfoliating to 2–3 times a week to remove dead skin cells and maintain healthy glowing skin. Look for a moisturiser that contains antioxidants such as vitamin C to fight the signs of fatigue and, of course, keep applying that SPF.
40s
In your 40s, every sign of ageing seems to appear with pigmentation possibly worsening and overall loss of elasticity particularly around the eyes, so fully fledged slowing of ageing is necessary. High oestrogen levels equal glowing skin, but around 40 your oestrogen levels begin to drop, so expect the luminosity of your complexion to go down. As collagen decreases, fine lines may appear to be more firmly etched
in to the skin than before.
Things to do now
If you are using a foam or gel cleanser, switch to a cream cleanser now and make sure it is hydrating. In your 30s you could get away with a skin treatment only at night, but in your 40s you need extra protection all day, something such as a serum with ingredients that work all day long.
50s+
With collagen and skin elasticity on the decline, the inevitable skin sagging begins to happen. Oestrogen levels plummet with the onset of menopause, making the skins ability to protect itself and maintain hydration levels weaker. If you’ve had a healthy skincare routine in place, you may be lucky enough to see minimal effects on your face.
Things to do now
It’s time to improve your at home skincare routine. Use a gentle cream cleanser that helps protect the moisture balance of your skin. As your skin slows down oil production even further in your 50s, switch to oil-based everything. It’s important that you avoid anything soap-like that will rob your skin of precious moisture and oil.
For the full article, get your September issue of Balanced Life.
