“When it comes to skincare, it’s no secret that routine is key.
Getting into a habit of routinely practicing proper skincare can be half the battle.
If you want to see real changes in the look and feel of your skin, it takes more than just removing your makeup at night.”
Just like the seasons of your life continually change , your skincare routine should be no exception. Your skin, the largest organ in the body, deserves to be taken care of throughout your life. As you age, your skin cycle continues to get longer and longer. For example, when you’re in your 20s it takes about 10-20 days for your skin to turn over and create new cells. But in your 30s, it can take 30 days or more for you to start seeing new skin . In order to keep your skin looking its healthiest self, your skincare routine MUST change with age. We’re here to help you discover the importance of routine, find the right products for the current phase in your life and incorporate practical skincare tips to increase collagen and elastin production.
The Basics
When it comes to skincare, it’s no secret that routine is key. Getting into a habit of routinely practicing proper skincare can be half the battle. If you want to see real changes in the look and feel of your skin, it takes more than just removing your makeup at night. Every skincare routine at any age should consist of a cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, and exfoliator. These are the non-negotiables. Cleansing twice a day is table stakes, but we’ll settle for it We’ll go into further detail on the type of cleanser you should be using based on your age. Cleansing doesn’t simply remove dirt from the surface of our skin—it’s crucial for keeping the surface of your skin clean, avoiding breakouts, dehydration, and aging. Every skin type needs a moisturizer for both day and night. We might sound like a broken record, but SPF truly is everything. SPF is the best preventative anti-aging measure and the healthiest way to take care of your skin. It’s better than Botox! Incorporating an exfoliator will help your skin break down the dozen layers of dead skin that sit on your face at any given time. If you want your other skincare products to work, they need a fresh surface. When it comes to the specifics of your products, we’ve got you covered from your 20s all the way to your 70s.
Skincare in Your 20s
Skincare in your 20s often the time we think of our skin as invincible. With elasticity and collagen galore, you’re riding the wave of primetime skin. But don’t be fooled! If you want your skin to thank you for years to come, now is the perfect time to establish a routine. Now’s the perfect time to establish a routine that your skin will thank you for years to come. It’s time to kick those bad skin habits to the curb including: sleeping with your makeup on, skipping moisturizer, trying too many different treatments, forgoing SPF, and over-exfoliating. When it comes to skincare in your think cleansing regularly, keeping your skin hydrated, trying the occasional spot treatment, and jumpstarting the anti-aging process. The key products to include in your skincare lineup in your 20s is:
- Foamy / Gentle Cleanser: These are typically gentler on the skin but still effective in cleansing the skin of makeup, dirt, dead skin cells, excess oils, and other pollutants.
- Serum: All you really need for serums in your 20s is Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. These are great for keeping the skin hydrated and bright.
- SPF: Aim for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher.
- Spot Treatment: You may still be experiencing some intermittent breakouts during your 20s. Try a spot treatment to help with some of the leftover teenage congestion or hyper-pigmentation.
Skincare in Your 30s
The main focus of skincare in your 30s is anti-aging and combatting stress. As you may recall, your skin cycle doubles in your 30s in comparison to your 20s. To help kick your skin cycle into gear, you’ll need to incorporate regular exfoliation into the mix. You should aim to exfoliate 2 times a week in addition to using a lightly exfoliating cleanser. In terms of exfoliants, there are two main types out there, chemical and physical. The difference is that chemical exfoliants use acids and enzymes to buff skin while physical exfoliants could be any textured surface you use to wash your face or products containing small particles that work to scrub away dead skin cells. We recommend a chemical exfoliant that contains either BHA or AHA in comparison to a texturized physical exfoliant. Eye cream and retinol are your new go-to products. Retinol includes Vitamin A which is one of the best anti-aging ingredients out there. It helps increase cell turnover, diminish early signs of aging, and improve the overall tone and texture of your skin. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your entire body and it’s one of the first places you’ll notice the early signs of aging. Poor sleep habits, stress, and dehydration combined with aging and sun damage leave your eye area vulnerable. To treat, prevent, and protect this delicate area it’s important to start using an anti-aging eye cream in your 30s. To break it down a bit further, add these products to your skincare shopping list:
- Lightly exfoliating cleanser: You don’t need an aggressive exfoliant to help kickstart your skin cycle, look for a gentle exfoliant cleanser that can be used daily.
- Plant-Based Retinol We highly recommend trying out a plant-based retinol alternative, like our Bakuchiol products.
- SPF: Aim for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher.
- Eye cream: When searching for the perfect eye cream, look for an Some ingredients to look for are Peptides, Ceramides, Vitamin C, and Hyaluronic Acid. This will help to not only hydrate the under-eye area but also help with collagen production and fine lines.
Skincare in Your 40s and 50s
Your 40s and 50s are all about building on your earlier skincare practices and habits. We can’t ignore the importance of also getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water, and even using a silk pillowcase to avoid wrinkling and fine lines. At this point in your skin journey, it’s time to skip the foamy or exfoliant cleanser and ditch the Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic acids in favor of ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acids, and antioxidants! It’s important to keep up the eye cream and SPF use during this time. Your skin is much more delicate and can’t protect itself as well as when you were in your 20s. Amp up the Vitamin C to prevent future damage and lighten dark spots. Peptides will help your skin to appear plumper, promote cell activity, minimize wrinkles, and increase collagen production. Continue to use your Retinol to protect your skin against aging. These are your must-haves for your 40s and 50s:
- Creamy Gentle Cleanser: All you need is a creamy, non-foaming cleanser to gently slough away dead skin cells. No need for any exfoliants.
- SPF: Aim for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s SPF 45 or higher.
- Vitamin C: Acting as an antioxidant, a Vitamin C serum can help neutralize the free radicals that cause oxidative stress to the skin and lead to premature skin aging.
- Peptides: Naturally occur in the skin and are crucial for collagen production. When you incorporate peptide products, you’re giving your skin a boost of collagen which helps give a youthful, firm, and overall, more even appearance.
- Retinol: Continue to use this anti-aging product to help your skin fight the effects of aging.
Skincare in Your 60s and 70s
At this time in your life, your skin is thinner and more sensitive, requiring your most thoughtful approach to caring for your skin. It has less elasticity so it’s important to be gentle, yet effective, with your products. Now is also the time to start seeing a dermatologist and get your skin spots checked out. A pro tip when applying products is to apply them upwards to go against gravity. In your 60s specifically, you should still use anti-aging products like retinol. However, once you hit your 70s you don’t necessarily need these products anymore, instead focus on moisture and protection. Stay away from artificial fragrances as your skin is more sensitive. You should still be cleansing, moisturizing with a facial oil, and using SPF! Here is exactly what you need.
- Creamy cleanser: Typically more hydrating than a foamy and exfoliating cleanser and your skin needs that extra boost of moisture.
- Facial Oil: Instead of using a heavy lotion-based moisturizer, try using a facial oil. Look for facial oils with ingredients like shea butter, ceramide, and hyaluronic acid.
- Retinol: This can still be incorporated throughout your 60s, but once you hit 70, you don’t need these types of intense anti-aging products.
- SPF: Aim for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s SPF 45 or higher.
Our Top Tips for Every Age:
No matter what age and where you are in life, it’s important to keep these skincare tips in mind. The first and most important is that the order application of your products matters! You can check out our ‘Ultimate Skincare Routine Order of Product Operations’ article for more details but the basic order is this: cleanser, exfoliate, toner, eye cream, serums, moisturizer, retinol, facial oils, and finally, sun protection. Skip the sunbathing and try out tanning drops! They’ll offer that natural, sun kissed glow you’re looking for without the harmful effects of the sun. We personally love the St. Tropez Self-Luxe Tan Tonic drops. With natural skincare ingredients, just a few drops applied directly to your skin, or mixed with your moisturizer, can give you an instant radiant glow. We also highly recommend using both face and undereye masks at least once a week. These can give your skin and eye area the extra boost of hydration and skin cell stimulation it needs at any stage in life. We recommend the Patchology masks as they’re made with the best and most effective skincare ingredients to fit every skin age need. Did you know that waxing can also help with skincare? When you wax regularly the top layer of dry, dead skin cells are removed along with your hair which leaves you with smoother, softer skin and the perfect canvas for your skincare products to work their magic.
No matter your age or stage of life, your skincare matters. The sooner you start optimizing your skincare routine, the better results you’ll see down the road. It’s never too late to start your skin journey. If you’re ever overwhelmed by the number of products and skin trends out there, just take it back to the basics. All you really need to do is remember to take off your makeup before bed, cleanse daily, moisturize, and use SPF. It’s time to give your skin the attention it deserves. Consider this your sign to pick up the proper products and book a wax! The skin of your dreams is waiting for you.
