As you age and change, so does your skin. It can be difficult to navigate and know what kind of skincare to use throughout the years. Products that you may have used in your early twenties may not work the same on your skin in your late thirties, and it’s important to known how to adapt your skincare routine to your skin’s new needs. Here we have outlined what you should use and how to look after your skin at every stage of your life, so that you have the best ageing skincare routine.
Skincare in your 20s…
In your 20s, skin types can vary as some people enjoy flawless soft skin, whereas others may be dealing with acne breakouts. Your 20s is a period of big changes and stress, and with stress comes a shift in an individual’s hormonal balance. Studies have also found that physiological stress responses can directly influence wound healing processes, which means if you are under a lot of stress, it can affect the way your skin heals things such as acne breakouts and scars. It’s also the perfect time to begin taking care of your skin to prevent skin issues in the future such as wrinkles, sagging and sun damage.
Skincare Routine
It’s important that at any age, you cleanse at least once a day using a gentle cleanser. This will remove any excess oils, dirt and dead skin cells and can even remove pollutants that clog your pores if you live in a busy city. A good cleanser won’t strip the skin of any natural moisture or oils it produces. If it does, it can cause the skin to become oilier as the skin will overproduce moisture and your pores will appear larger.
You can then go in using some form of treatment. This could be a toner or a form of exfoliant, like a retinol or AHAs and BHAs. These will help even out the skin tone by fading out nay hyperpigmentation or scars left from acne pigmentation. Retinols and any other chemical exfoliants will help rejuvenate the skin by promoting new skin cells to form.
Hydration is vital to not only the health of your body, but your outer layer of skin too. This means drinking plenty of fluids (at least 8 glasses a day) to flush out any toxins and keep the skin’s natural elasticity. You should also be moisturising day and night to encourage the natural moisture in the skin. It reduces dry skin which could cause large pores, irritated or red skin and breakouts.
Even if your moisturiser or makeup contains SPF, you should still apply it as the last step of your skincare routine. It should be at least factor 30 or above. This will prevent any sun damage to the skin by the sun’s UV rays. Over exposure to the skin can cause the skin to lose its natural elasticity and form fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. Starting to apply SPF from a young age can help maintain a more youthful looking appearance in the long term.
Skincare in your 30s…
Your 30s is a vital time to prepare for your skin in the future and is the time to begin using effective, anti-ageing products that can help nourish your skin. During this period of time, you may experience breakouts, but they won’t be as common as your 20s. You may notice that your skin takes longer to heal and repair as your growth hormones slow down. You should consider that anything you incorporate into your skin routine now could mean you deal with less skin related issues as you age.
Skincare Routine
Cleansers are a great place to start any routine as it allows you to create a clean foundation to apply any other skincare products. It is effective for some skin types to double cleanse by beginning with an oil cleanser and then following with a regular cleanser. It’s a common misconception that the only properties of a cleanser is to clean the skin, but it can additionally help with inflamed skin, locking in hydration and promoting skin barrier function.
Toners are a great second step in your skincare routine as you age as they contain maybe anti-ageing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. As you age, your skin finds it difficult to retain moisture and produce enough natural oils to keep the skin barrier healthy so ingredients such as hyaluronic acid are vital in your skincare.
Retinols help target any issues you may be experiencing, as they are some of the most potent and effective anti-ageing tools. They work to increase skin cell production, which keeps the skin feeling soft and looking youthful. It can also aid in fading scars, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles.
At this period of your life, it’s best to focus on areas with delicate skin such as the eye area to prevent sagging, fine lines or wrinkles. Your skin around the eyes is much thinner in comparison to the rest of the face, so it’s important to take care of this area as you become older. To target this area, you can use an eye cream that contains effective ingredients like vitamin C. This can help with issues such as puffy or dark circles in the eye area too.
Skincare in your 40s…
With your 40s comes a major loss of volume, elasticity, plumpness and hydration in the skin. Your skin during this age period becomes drier due to the decline in cell regeneration and loss of hormones. Some women may notice more acne breakouts and this is due to perimenopause and menopause, which causes a shift in hormones.
Ageing Skincare Routine
Hydrating the skin is vital as you age because the skin struggles to naturally create oils and moisturise to replenish the skin. Your collagen also declines as you age, which would usually encourage the skin cells to produce hyaluronic acid. Look for products such as moisturisers that contain hyaluronic acid that can help artificially add hyaluronic acid to the skin to help it appear plump and nourished.
To tackle acne breakouts, you can use an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). They work to exfoliate the skin and remove any clogged pores that could lead to pimples or further breakouts. If you have acne prone or oily skin, you may deal with larger pores, and using a form of AHA can reduce the appearance of these. It additionally promotes skin cell regeneration and can help with issues such as scarring and hyperpigmentation.
Establishing a skincare routine is vital at this age, but so is establishing a healthy lifestyle to help your skincare work as best as possible. Drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses of fluid a day, and eat a healthy and balanced diet. Look to incorporate foods that contain vitamin E such as seeds that helps the skin hydrate itself better.
Skincare in your 50s…
In your 50s, it’s inevitable to stop the signs of ageing from appearing on the skin. Your body itself and everything in it, including the organs, are getting older, resulting in visible changes to the texture and appearance of your skin. Your body loses much more fat, natural moisture and collagen and the skin starts to appear sunken, saggy and may be more prone to hyperpigmentation because of this. Some individuals may want to start a rigorous skincare routine because of this and even incorporate some cosmetic treatments.
Ageing Skincare Routine
Chemical peels can work to improve skin issues such as wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin texture. There are 3 different types of chemical peels that include; light, medium and deep which vary in intensity, with deep peels being the strongest. During a chemical peel, a chemical solution is applied to the skin that peels away damaged skin cells, promoting new skin cells to grow.
A daily facial massage can help stimulate blood flow within the skin and aid in sculpting areas such as the jawline and cheekbones. It can boost collagen production, which plays a massive role in plumping and firming the skin. You can use your fingertips or a facial massaging tool to do this, and even freeze the tools beforehand to calm and de-puff the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient that you should be looking for in your 50s, as its main quality is retaining water and hydration within the skin. It can improve elasticity in the skin and make it appear plump and generally feel much softer and smoother. All of these qualities can minimise the appearance of wrinkles and scars.
If you are looking for a suitable cosmetic treatment in your 50s, we recommend Profhilo.
Profhilo is a hyaluronic acid based skin booster that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. It restores hydration, elasticity, skin tone as well as naturally lifting the skin for a more youthful and glowy appearance. It has a gel-like consistency that distributes evenly within the skin that makes it ideal to treat difficult areas such as the neck and forehead.
