Using the right skin care products for our skin is important. We need to find something that helps to balance the oil production, reduce acne, and improve the collagen production.
Many of us will stick to the same products throughout the years. Most of us will make a mistake in believing the skin we had in our teens is the skin we will still have in our 50s. If we had extremely greasy skin during puberty, we believe that that’s how it will be for the rest of our lives.
This common misconception leads many women down a dangerous path of using the same products over and over again. Many women fail to change their products based on how their skin loses water or shows signs of aging later in life.
If you don’t fall in that camp, you may fall in the one that uses Botox and peels before needing to. Rather than look at what your skin is doing, you hear about the risks in the future—about how your collagen production will eventually drop. The problem is using these drying treatments leads to damage and more problems later in life.
Each product you use on your skin should work for your skin’s current condition. As we age, our skin and our cells change. Collagen production drops and our hormones start to balance out. Acne forms for different reasons, and we need to deal with environmental damage.
So, it makes sense to break down skin care by age. Here’s a look at the products you need to use based on your 20s, 30s, and beyond.
What to Use in Your Teens
At this stage in your life, your hormones are everywhere. It can take to the age of 20 for your hormones to settle down and your oil production to even out. That means you need to use products designed for your delicate, young skin.
If you have oily, acne-prone skin, look out for products that are gentle with salicylic acid. This is the most effective for killing bacteria that causes acne. You also want to look for products that help to hydrate the skin without blocking the pores. Use oil-free, non-comedogenic options, whether you’re considering moisturizers, cleansers, or even makeup.
Those with dry skin need to add more moisture to their skin. You can look for oil-based cleaners, but make sure the oils don’t block the pores.
What to Use in Your 20’s
Your 20s is all about preventing the wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. Yes, you need to start now. It’s no point working on your skin after the damage has been done.
Use sunscreen right now. Look out for water-based formulas that are at least SPF 30. If you have especially fair skin, factor 50 is necessary. It doesn’t matter if the sun is hiding behind the clouds; your skin needs a protective layer from the UV damage. It’s the sun’s rays that will affect the health of the cells and cause the aging process to speed up.
You may have some excess oil production and acne from your teenage years. If so, keep using the oil-free options with salicylic acid. However, don’t forget to add more moisture to your skin.
Your collagen production needs you to help it out. Moisture will help with that, especially moisture with proteins and vitamin A. Collagen is the reason for your skin’s elasticity. If you allow the collagen production to drop, you will see more marks, scars, and fine lines form during your 20’s.
Keep your cleansing products gentle. Foams are good for removing makeup (even waterproof makeup) without stripping all the oils from your skin. Avoid layering too many products by using moisturizing creams with adding sunscreen (or vice versa!) and look out for anything that includes zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Both products will get into the layers of the skin to protect from and repair the damage.
Avoid picking at your acne. It doesn’t matter what age you’re at. Picking acne doesn’t make it go away. It makes it worse as you spread the bacteria across your face and cause tears in the skin. You will get acne scars, affecting your confidence.
If you do stay up all night (who doesn’t in their 20s) or if you drink alcohol or smoke, you need to add some extra nutrients to your skin. Vitamins C and E are essential. They are antioxidants that get into the cells and protect them from free radical damage. Free radicals are commonly linked to cancer, but they also dry out the skin and cause signs of aging, like pigmentation damage.
This is the time to think about eye creams on a night. The skin around your eyes is extremely fragile. Signs of aging and tiredness are noted here before anywhere else. You’ll get dark spots, crow’s feet, and puffy areas. Night creams help to repair damage, soothe inflammation, and moisturize the area to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. Make sure your eye creams and any other anti-aging creams you use have alpha hydroxy acids. They help to prevent and repair pigmentation damage, including those dark rings under your eyes!
As You Reach Your 30’s
When it comes to your 30’s, you’re still doing some prevention. However, the later into your 30s you get, you need to work on taking action against the aging that happens.
This is the point that you need to exfoliate more regularly. Your skin cells are dying, but your skin isn’t doing a good natural job at removing them. The dead cells will collect in your pores, blocking them, so acne builds up. Your body needs to release the toxins from the environment but finds it hard when your pores are blocked.
The dead skin cells are also blocking the new ones shining through. Your skin is left dull and dry.
Cleansers are still a requirement, but you want to change from the ones you used in your 20’s. Opt for a cleanser that removes dirt and makeup while exfoliating. Look out for products that include maltol bionic acid and other anti-inflammatory properties to reduce puffiness in the face. Inflammation blocks the pores and increases the number of toxins getting trapped in your skin.
Continue the use of eye creams. Now you want to use them day and night to help improve the suppleness of the skin around your eyes. Make sure your creams add moisture without being oily or leaving a residue. Look out for anti-aging creams that have extra SPF added to them to protect the skin from sun damage.
Always use a moisturizing cream that is full of antioxidants. Remember that you’re taking action against the aging process. You want to slow it down—after all, nobody can stop it forever! Protect your skin from the free radicals that cause dark spots and blemishes. The moisturizing cream should help to boost collagen production too, which means find something with vitamin A, as well as antioxidants.
Don’t forget the sunscreen. You want to add this on top of your moisturizing cream. This needs to protect against the harmful rays. Most of the time, your sunscreen won’t need to change, especially if you’ve already used a good quality option. However, keep an eye on your skin and look at upgrading if you need to. If you can find sunscreen with Reserva tetrol, you’ll get extra hyaluronic acid to improve the moisture of your skin.
One thing that you want to add into your skin care routine is a toner with retinoids. You can get synthetic options, but tomatoes are full of natural ones. They both work extremely similar. Retinol helps to improve your skin’s texture, making it feel soft deep within the layers. Only use retinoids on a night, as the sun will prevent them from working!
Moving Into Your 40’s
Your 40s is still about acting against the signs of aging. This is the stage that your estrogen levels will start to drop. Your skin is directly affected, as the collagen production and skin cell rejuvenation are both directly affected. You need to start adding more peptides to your skin care routine. These will help to boost collagen, so the fine lines don’t appear whenever you make an expression!
Your skin will start to dry out now. It’s important to drop the products for oily skin and start using non-drying cleaners. Look out for cleansing oils or balms that you can massage into your skin. If you massage them in, you boost the blood circulation, and that helps to improve the health of the cells and boosts collagen production.
At the same time, look for a good but gentle exfoliating product. You could even use a gentle cleansing brush instead of a specific cleanser to remove the dead skin cells. You need to keep using retinol on a night, but this will lead to the skin flaking the next morning, so you want to get rid of those flakes regularly.
Keep using the retinoids and add those peptides. Meanwhile, keep using the sunscreen to prevent any further damage from the sun’s rays. You may need to apply the sunscreen more often throughout the day. Look out for one that adds moisture to your skin at the same time, as many sunscreens are drying and damaging.
When using a moisturizing cream, make sure it includes hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Either of these will add extra moisture to your skin. Apply as much as possible and allow them to soak right into the skin. If you want a natural option, coconut oil is your best option. It includes anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial properties to help improve the overall health of the skin.
Getting Into Your 50’s
From your 50’s, you need to help repair some of the damage and prevent it getting worse. It’s all about moisturizing now. Your skin will be extremely dry, and your collagen production drops considerably. Your skin loses its tone, and you will start to see the skin sag in various places—usually around the eyes first.
You can only do so much with skin care products. You’ll need to make sure they contain plenty of alpha hydroxy acids and peptides. These will help to keep the collagen production up while adding more moisture to your skin. This is the only time you want to consider some non-invasive options to improve the rejuvenation process and tightness of the skin. You don’t need anything chemical before this point!
Get rid of the drying cleansers. You need to get something that is hydrating and cleansing at the same time. This is when the oils will be extremely useful. They are gentle but get rid of waterproof makeup with ease. The oils get into the pores to remove all bacteria and dirt build up.
When using any product on the skin, make sure it will add moisture to your skin. You don’t want anything that is drying and damaging. Your sunscreen needs to keep your skin hydrated the whole time you wear it, so look out for those that include retinoids or hyaluronic acids.
This is the stage that you want to use serums daily. The best time is on a night. This is when your skin will regenerate and repair, so your serums get deeper and boost collagen easier. You also avoid the sunlight that stops the retinoids from working. Look out for serums that are full of free radicals. You need to prevent any further damage to your skin and boost as many healthy skin cells as possible.
Hormonal aging is common from your 50s. Start looking for moisturizers with phytoestrogens. They will add more estrogen to your body to help improve your hormone balance and avoid some aging acne production. You can’t have too many moisturizing agents on your skin right now!
Now you need to lock in all that moisture. Petroleum jelly is something you need to stock up on. It’s a barrier to keep the moisture in, but it doesn’t attract any extra moisture. You can’t replace your moisturizing creams with this. It needs to be added on top. The good news is that once the moisture is locked in, you keep the dirt and grime out!
Changing up your skin care routine as you get older is a must. As you age, your skin cells change. Your collagen production drops and your oil production is affected. You will need to follow a skin care routine that is suitable for your age. Make sure you don’t dry out already drying skin.
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