Skincare by Age: Customized Routine for Every Age
Fact Checked By Skin Formulations
| Jun 11, 2021
- Aging is natural and inevitable. However, it can be aggravated and hastened by environmental factors, poor skincare practices, and lifestyle choices.
- A solid and consistent skincare routine is highly beneficial for all skin types, ages, and colors.
- Opting for an age-appropriate routine is advantageous for both present and long-term skin health.
- While the routines can be different for different decades, some can be carried over to the next decade.
- Aging signs begin and progress gradually and only a consistent and quality skincare program, alongside lifestyle modifications, can slow down the process.
- It is never too late to begin a skincare routine and the best skincare products are also not often excessively priced.
Introduction
If you have ever done a web search for a skincare routine, you would notice that most of the results (videos, pictures, and blog articles) offer generalized skincare recommendations and advice. While any good quality skincare advice and recommendation can be helpful for all skin types, only a suitable and customized routine for a particular age will yield the most results.
The skin can be at different states at different times and will require different approaches for a particular time. Although it is also true that there are routines, modifications, and products our skin will find beneficial, you will achieve more with an appropriate skincare care regimen for your particular stage. Hence, the need for this article on skincare by age.
We will go through the different routines for different stages of life, such as skincare in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. You want to be certain that you are not over or underdoing your current routine to the detriment of your skin health now or later.
If you have questions or suggestions about a routine for a particular stage or any skincare question at all, you can ask in the comment section below and we’ll get to them.
Skincare Routine for the 20s
Many skincare experts agree that the best time to maintain and prevent some of the most severe signs of aging is in the 20s. During this decade, your skin should be provided with maximum hydration and protection from the sun. These two cannot be emphasized enough as photodamage and dryness at this stage can affect the tone, texture, and appearance of the skin and cause premature aging.
Many skincare experts recommend opting for formulas that contain hyaluronic acids and preferably, formulations with a combination of different molecular weights for both deep and surface-level hydration.
Products with SPF are also recommended to prevent sun damage. And as the twenties are when adult acne begins for many, products containing salicylic acid and zinc are recommended.
A good skincare routine for your 20s should include a cleanser (preferably a zinc or salicylic acid-containing cleanser for acne), moisturizers/serums with UV protection, peptides, and hyaluronic acid for their hydrating and nourishing qualities. If you are already dealing with hyperpigmentation from sun damage or acne, a retinoid formula can also be included in your supply at this stage.
Anti-Aging Regime for the 30s
Your 30s skincare routine shares some similarities with your 20s, especially if a sunscreen product has been a regular part of your routine. While there may not be major changes in your skin at this stage, for most people, it will not remain as bright as it was in the last decade before due to the lesser cell renewal rate. This is a good time to introduce regular exfoliation to your routine.
If you are regularly out in the sun, you may observe the formation and increase in fine lines, dark spots, and collagen depletion. While introducing a sunscreen product will not immediately cause these signs to disappear, it can help prevent further damage. You also want to consider wearing hats and sunglasses outdoors if you frequently have to be out in the sun.
As this is also when the crow’s feet, dark circles, and saggy lower eyelids start to form, you want to improve and protect the skin’s barrier and cushion. To do this, you can start by using a mild face wash in the morning and evening.
For more luminous and supple skin, you can use a cleanser with hydroxy acids as these types are known to boost cell renewal levels alongside a twice-weekly gentle scrub for more exfoliation and better cell turnover.
On moisturizers, a broad spectrum SPF 30 product is often recommended for protection against UV rays and pollution alongside a good quality vitamin C serum used underneath.
Vitamin C is recommended for its effect on hyperpigmentation and its ability to boost skin moisture, improve glow, and temporarily diminish fine lines.
If dealing with saggy lower eyelids, you can opt for an eye cream with retinol for its collagen-boosting effects, niacinamide for anti-redness, and caffeine for anti-inflammatory effects. If you haven’t begun this in your 20s, invest in a good quality retinol night cream for wrinkle prevention.
40s: The Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine
As collagen breaks down substantially at this stage, the skin loses its elasticity and becomes thinner, increasing sagginess, wrinkles, and fine lines. You may also notice a reduction in skin oil and sweating alongside dark circles, premenopausal dryness, acne, larger pores, rougher skin texture, and crepiness around the eyes.
While your anti-aging skincare at this point will still consist of a cleanser, you want to find one that provides extra hydration instead of stripping the skin of its limited natural moisture.
You also want to find a product with solid skin-renewing ingredients, including antioxidants and peptides to help support collagen and elastin production and minimize the sagginess, and one with an ingredient like salicylic acid if dealing with acne.
For hydration, you want a good quality moisturizer and serum-containing antioxidants and peptides to boost collagen production and then top with a quality broad-spectrum SPF moisturizer.
At night, a good retinol preferably, a prescription product, can help boost collagen and elastin levels, preventing sagging and reducing premenopausal acne, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots.
The Best Skincare Routine After the 40s
For most people, the 50s are when they experience major hormonal changes often marked by noticeable signs, such as a reduction in the skin’s cushioned feel. The under-eye area, lips, cheeks, and forehead also become thinner and dryer than they were before. Bone density loss around the jaw may also lead to jowls while the fat loss will cause a sunken look.
The fine lines and wrinkles also begin to deepen at this point alongside flakiness, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots, especially if you did not have a consistent anti-aging skincare routine in the earlier decades.
Thankfully, while no skincare product will immediately diminish these signs, there are certain steps you can take to rebuild volume from the inside out to counteract the progression.
To do this, start with a creamy moisturizing cleanser to keep your skin both healthy and hydrated and prevent it from becoming more prone to environmental damage. You want to avoid harsh and drying cleansers by carefully checking the ingredients of any formula you pick.
When picking moisturizers, opt for serums containing resveratrol, green tea, vitamin E or C, or any other antioxidant-rich ingredient. You also want to top with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. For hyperpigmentation and dark spots, if you haven’t already, you can start on cream with kojic acid or retinol.
At night, you can repeat the same products or opt for peptide-rich alternatives, prescription retinol creams, and if the latter causes your skin to dry out, mix with a moisturizer or your preferred night cream and use as directed.
When it comes to creams for facial aging, you want to ensure that they are applied in adequate amounts on your lower eyelids, neck, chest, and back of your hands as these are usually more exposed and reveal aging signs earlier.
Conclusion
Aging is inevitable but there are steps and routines you can adopt to slow down the process, including following a proven skincare regimen, using quality products, and making healthy lifestyle changes.
However, while there is no doubt that the right skincare products can heal the skin, even the most expensive products will only do so much. Implementing preventative and protective measures, like using sunglasses and hats and avoiding excessive sun exposure will help prevent a world of skin and health problems in the long run.
Also, you want to practice skincare by age because while well-intentioned skincare advice and products can be helpful, the most improvements in your skin health will only be derived from following the appropriate skincare for your age.
So here, we outlined and broke down the different skincare regimes for different stages of your life.
If you haven’t followed a skincare regime in the past, you can begin now. It is never too late to start implementing the right routine for your age if you stay consistent with it.
Finally, do not let the possible cost of implementing quality measures and products deter you, as some of the best ingredients are, sometimes, contained in moderately-priced and budget-friendly products.
