With a tuned-in skin routine it’s possible to have your skin looking its best, no matter what your age.
We all know that age is just a number, but when it comes to our skin, time waits for no one. Certain skin concerns are more prevalent during different decades in our life – from pimples as a teen to battling dark eye circles thanks to those late nights of our 20s. The first signs of ageing creep up in our 30s, with wrinkles becoming firmly entrenched in our 40s, and the inevitable effects of gravity starting to take their toll in our 50s.
But the news isn’t all bad. Caring for your skin and putting your best face forward has never been easier with the huge range of targeted skincare products and treatments available.
Teens
Getting into a good skincare regime in your teens not only helps resolve some of the teen angst-causing skin issues but it also forms good habits for the coming decades. First up, ditch the bar of soap and switch to a facial cleanser that suits your skin type!
Many teens find oily skin is their main concern, so a gel-based cleanser is ideal – perhaps one that includes salicylic acid to help clear acne. Cleanse morning and at night – sleeping in your makeup after getting home from a party is a huge no-no.
Whoever spread the rumour that those with oily skin don’t need a moisturiser is just plain wrong. Use a light, non-comedogenic, oil-free moisturiser after you cleanse.
A clay mask applied once a week will deep-clean your pores, and use an exfoliator twice a week to remove the build-up of dead skin cells. Make sure you’re gentle – if you over scrub, your skin may break out.
Not to sound like a mother, but you simply must use sun protection – the younger you start, the better. Not only does it protect your skin from the sun but 90 percent of premature ageing is caused by UV exposure – you’ll be thankful for
this advice in 15 years.
If you suffer from acne, a topical treatment using salicylic acid or tea tree oil can work wonders. For severe cases, a prescribed treatment from a GP may be a good option.
20-something
If skin has a heyday, your 20s is it. The worst of teen problem skin is typically behind you and you’re yet to bear the hallmarks of ageing. However, this decade is all about damage control. Your hormones are still balancing themselves, so stick to oil-free, gentle cleansers, moisturisers and makeup.
Try adding some products with antioxidants to combat free radicals and balance the effects those nights out have on your skin. Green tea, soy, lycopene and Vitamin C are all good options.
Foamy gel cleansers and light moisturisers are sufficient at this age, perhaps a milky cleanser if you’re prone to dry skin. Sunscreen is essential, so apply a day cream with SPF and UV protection to your face and décolletage.
Of an eve, use a hydrating fluid or an oil-free moisturiser along with a mild hydrating eye gel to stave off early signs of ageing.
Exfoliating speeds up the natural sloughing process of the skin and helps keeps you baby-faced and blackhead-free. A grainy mechanical exfoliator or something with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) will do the job.
Many dermatologists suggest starting on Vitamin A-derivative retinoids, which are considered by many as the gold standard for reducing fine lines, stimulating collagen and treating acne.
“Vitamin A derivatives are considered by many as the gold standard for reducing fine lines”
30-something
Even if you’ve taken good care of your skin, it becomes a little drier and sun damage may begin to appear in your 30s, so it’s motivation to start getting with the times.
As you age, keep adjusting your routine. Your mid-to-late 30s is a great time to start using nutrient-packed serums and active night creams.
Use a creamy cleanser, perhaps with AHAs to encourage exfoliation in the morning; in the evening a calming milky cleanser can work wonders. Use creamy moisturisers to lock in hydration (apply over damp skin) and continue with eye creams at night.
Microdermabrasion treatments and Vitamin C facials will keep your skin glowing. Secondly, introducing some products with Vitamin A derivatives is key at this age. Retinol can be found in low doses in many over-the-counter night creams and serums or, for stronger dose retinoids, creams and gels may be prescribed by your aesthetician, dermatologist or GP in some cases.
Use your UVA/UVB sunscreen religiously, as it’s in your 30s that the effects of more than three decades in the sun begin to become apparent in lost collagen and elasticity and the resulting fine lines around the eyes and lips.
40-something
Kick it up a notch as the signs of ageing deepen. In your 40s you should seek products with plumping and firming benefits. Those beach holidays have started to catch up and your skin may lose tightness, begin to look dull and pores may enlarge.
Spots and discolouration may appear and, because it doesn’t reflect light evenly, your complexion is losing some of its glow. The gradual loss of collagen and elasticity is part of intrinsic ageing and becomes more apparent in the furrows and frown lines of 40-something skin. Vitamin C can boost the synthesis of collagen, especially when it is applied in a potent and active form.
Additionally, prescription retinoids containing Vitamin A acid used topically help fight nasty free radicals and can reduce brown spots, increase exfoliation and collagen production, thicken the epidermis and improve sun damage. If your skin can’t tolerate a retinoid every night, use it every other night.
You may also be considering anti-wrinkle injections to smooth your complexion and as a preventative method for future wrinkle formation. Injectables help diminish and softens lines and wrinkles on the face and can refresh your overall appearance.
Chemical peels are also good for refining the skin’s surface, and filler injections can replenish volume and boost collagen production.
Of course, it’s essential you continue using rich face and eye serums on a nightly basis, with moisturising properties such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter or oils. Along with your broad-spectrum moisturiser, add in a couple of creams, lotions or serums containing at least two types of antioxidants. For crepey skin try a formula with peptides, which have been shown to strengthen collagen.
50-something and onwards
This is the time to put your skincare regime into high gear. Loss of oestrogen, which gives your skin its elasticity and hydration, sees deeper wrinkles form, drooping eyelids and expression lines around the mouth and forehead.
Cell turnover is much slower and you’ll notice dryness and loss of suppleness. Expression lines start to remain static and pores are more visible. You also may have developed spider veins and hyperpigmentation (age spots), as well as pre-cancerous spots from sun damage.
Wash morning and night with a creamy cleanser and apply a serum containing peptides or an antioxidant such as Vitamin C when your face is still damp. Anti-ageing or wrinkle-reducing prescription formulas containing retinol or glycolic acid products can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin texture, tone and colour and help boost hydration.
Glycolic acid has been found to trigger new formation of collagen to plump cells and reduce wrinkles on the skin’s surface. Consider taking a coenzyme Q10 supplement every day. Studies have shown this may help prevent skin cancer, which commonly appears in this decade.
Laser skin resurfacing can offer an effective solution to diminish wrinkles, scarring and age spots, as well as improving the overall appearance of your skin. This is also the age where cosmetic surgical procedures may be seriously considered to help restore your more youthful looks of yesteryear.
