How many skin conditions are there? There must be hundreds? Thousands maybe? Most individuals will encounter at least one skin issue in their life (only one if lucky). Whether it be dryness, acne, pigmentation, or general skin sensitivity, it is important to know what products and treatments you should be using in order to maintain skin balance and health.
Products used in your early 20’s may no longer be sufficient in your late 30’s as the skin changes, so should your beauty regime. That’s not to say you should eradicate every sign of aging but rather you should bear certain points in mind for your skin through the different age groups, making it easier to preserve and protect what you have, rather than spending years (and cash) playing catch up. Here’s our summary of how the skin changes over the years and our recommendations on how to care for it.
Teens to the Mid 20’s
During teenage and early 20’s, many will battle with either acne, blackheads and/or blocked pores, and sometimes combined with dry skin. As the skin naturally exfoliates, dead cells can become lodged in the pores along with debris and excess oil, i.e. blackheads. Add bacteria to the equation and lo and behold, a spot is born.
To combat this, establishing a good cleansing routine early on is key. Use gentle AHA and BHA exfoliants 2-3 times a week and invest in quality ingredients such as Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Light Natural Botanicals, along with a broad-spectrum SPF to protect your skin through these youthful and important years.
How your skin is influenced in these early years will have a great impact on the years to come. By learning the appropriate basic skills early on, future skin issues can be avoided.
Mid 20’s to the Mid 30’s
As you enter into your mid 20’s and young adult life, the first signs of aging can begin to appear, such as fine lines, wrinkles or mild pigmentation, usually due to sun damage. And whilst you may think acne was a thing of the past, adult acne and various other hormonal skin changes as you age, can affect the appearance of your skin.
Pregnancy whilst providing the ever-desired glow, can also wreak havoc on your skin. Increased estrogen and progesterone can stimulate your melanocytes cells to produce more pigment (also known as the pregnancy mask or melasma).
Therefore, the level of treatment and strength needed for this age range greatly depends on how you’ve looked after your skin up until this point. Try Dermalogica Pure Light SPF50 RRP £65.00 to help regulate melanin production.
If signs of ageing are noticeable, try to go a little deeper and stimulate your fibroblast cells. Maintaining collagen and elastin production is essential in order to maintain the youthful elasticity of your skin. Treatments also depend on the current state and needs of your skin and can be tailored to your future age predisposition. At this stage, here is where treatments like the CryoFacial™ really help improve the skin as it focuses on boosting the collagen and elastin stores that are starting to deplete.
Another tip is to look at your parents and find out if they have battled with particular skin issues, so you are able to identify and tailor your skincare regime to your personal needs.
Consider introducing an eye serum at this time that specifically targets dark circles, puffiness, fine lines or a general prevention try Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF15 RRP £45.00
Stay away from anything too heavy. Application should always be a light tapping with the ring fingers. Upward and outward motions towards the hairline to drain any excess fluid trapped in the area.
Late 30’s to the Early 40’s
As you enter your 30s and beyond, acnes will usually subside but unfortunately this is because your skin is starting to dry out. You may also see more fine lines, sun spots and hyperpigmentation which might make you question where your youth has suddenly gone? However, don’t despair, it’s not too late to turn back the skin clock.
Stronger treatments require a prepping phase where you use high quality/percentage cosmeceuticals to acclimatise your skin. Cleanse twice a day and use a toner to firm up your skin, minimize pores and keep them from clogging up. Exfoliate 3-5 times a week and ensure you wear sunscreen every day, yes even when cloudy.
Now is also the time to think about using retinol to ramp up your skin’s collagen production and switching to a heavier night cream.
You might want to consider a treatment such as micro needling to greatly stimulate the deeper levels of your skin, tighten, lift, treat scarring, and deliver potent vitamins, peptides, antioxidants, growth factors, down into the deeper levels.
Mid 40’s to the 50’s
Unfortunately, during your mid 40s you are more than likely to experience jowls, wrinkles, large pores and worsening of pigmentation. There will also be a loss of overall skin elasticity, especially around the eye area.
To add to all this many women actually experience the perimenopause/menopause in their 40s which will wreak havoc with hormones, exacerbating skin dryness and for some, it also means the return of acne.
In your 50’s skin elasticity and collagen takes a nosedive meaning loose skin and smile lines. If you were careful and used sunscreen you might find you are not as affected with wrinkles and hyperpigmentation as those that didn’t use diligently.
You should treat your skin with extra nourishing skincare day and night at this stage. Fortunately, nowadays, there are powerful skincare ranges designed specifically for menopausal skin using key ingredients to try and reverse hormonal changes by restoring what the menopause takes away. Living M is a new skincare brand specifically created to target hormonal skin changes caused by perimenopause and menopause, allowing women to look the best version of themselves.
There are two products available, the Quench and Soothe Serum RRP £35, and the Collagen Boost Moisturiser RRP £45, both designed to nourish perimenopausal and menopausal skin.
60s, 70s and beyond
During your 60s and 70s, issues such as wrinkles, pigmentation, reduction of skin elasticity and thinning of skin will continue to happen but at an exponential rate. Dryness and sensitivity will also be major issues, along with skin feeling crepe-like and sometimes rough.
Use a good facial oil and ultra-rich moisturisers for both day and night to help maintain the skin’s barrier function.
The bottom line is, no matter what age you are you can have great skin, you just need to work with what your skin needs are at that particular time of your life. Here are three top tips that work for any age skin!
Most importantly, be gentle with your skin and don’t forget the SPF!
