Decade-by-Decade Guide to Skin Care

As you grow and your skin changes, it’s only natural that your skin care changes too. When you’re in your forties, your skin simply doesn’t have the same elasticity and look as it did ten or twenty years ago. So, if you want your skin to look its best, tailor its treatment to your age. Find out what skin care routine you should be doing based on how old you are and stick to it. To help you out with this, we compiled a decade-by-decade guide to skin care. Learn what your skin needs at each stage of life, from prevention in your twenties to age-defying treatment in your sixties.

Skin Care In Teenage Years

Puberty is the time most people first start noticing the changes in their skin. Due to the raging hormones, oily skin, acne, and blackheads are prevalent skin issues at this age. However, not all teenagers have all of these issues. That’s why the first step to building a skin care routine in your teenage years is understanding your skin type.

After you’ve figured out what skin type you have, you should start doing some basic treatments such as cleansing and moisturizing. Finally, it would be best to start putting on SPF while still in your teenage years. The sooner you incorporate sunscreen into your regular skincare routine, the more likely you are to maintain healthy collagen levels as you age. This also helps prevent cumulative photo-damage.  This is probably one of the most important steps of a skin care routine.  I am 63 and was basically a sun bather (sad to say) and now have spent the last 10 years improving my skin.  I have improved it, but it would have been so much easier if I just protected my skin from the harsh sun rays.  

Skin Care In Your Twenties

When they reach their twenties, most people experience a drastic change for the better when it comes to skin and skin issues they had as teens. Usually, by the time your 20s roll around, your teenage acne starts to calm down, but this is not the case with everyone. Some people still experience acne and will continue to get them due to hormonal changes, stress, or even make-up.

When you’re not battling acne, your twenties are your time to concentrate on creating a regular skin-care regimen that incorporates preventative measures. For example, SPF is absolutely essential in your 20s because it offers sun protection and helps maintain the skin’s youthfulness. Moreover, if you haven’t been doing this already, now’s the time to start moisturizing every day. And moisturizing isn’t just about your face – it’s about the whole body. If you have dry patches on your body, you can use coconut oils to treat those spots. Cleansing and exfoliating your face are also very important steps. To keep your pores clean and promote skin cell turnover, you should exfoliate once a week.

It’s Time You Set A Routine And Stick To It

If you haven’t developed a routine by now, the time between your twenties and thirties is your best last chance to do so. Moreover, this is the point where you should start taking your routine more seriously. Don’t skip cleanser just because you want to go to bed earlier. Don’t skip the SPF, so you’ll get to work faster. Make time for all the steps in your routine. When traveling or moving, bring your cosmetics, so you don’t have to step away from your routine. However, take extra time to pack all your skin care products and make-up correctly so that nothing gets broken or leaks into your bag. It’s essential to do what you can to keep all products safe. 

Skin Care In Your Thirties

If you’re in your 30s, it’s time to get serious about anti-aging and revamp your entire skincare regimen. This is when your skin’s system truly slows down, and the first traces of sun damage, previous poor behavior, and aging appear on your skin. That’s why skin care in your 30s is all about greater prevention and the beginning of damage control.

If you follow our decade-by-decade guide to skin care, your thirties are all about keeping the routine you had in your twenties with the addition of anti-aging treatments. So, it would be best to look for products containing Vitamin C and E to reduce the effects of environmental pollutants and the sun on your skin. Moreover, you should add retinol into your routine to prevent wrinkles and Hyaluronic acid from hydrating your skin and boosting its elasticity.

Skin Care In Your Forties

Your forties are the years when deeper wrinkles around the eyes and lips begin to appear. As you lose subcutaneous fat, you may experience an overall reduction of volume in your face. Furthermore, due to variations in estrogen and progesterone levels, acne appears to be more prevalent at this age. This can result in significant outbreaks, particularly massive cystic breakouts that occur along the jawline. Alternatively, you may experience the opposite problem, with skin dryness becoming your biggest issue.

When it comes to treatments in your 40s, it’s time to focus on issues specific to your and your skin. For example, you can continue using anti-aging products, but you also have to come to terms that some changes cannot be undone. More often than not, you can’t reverse the effects your lifestyle had on your skin in the past. Other options are neuromodulators (like botox) or laser treatments that boost collagen production. However, when it comes to the basics, you should never stop cleansing and moisturizing.

Skin Care In Your Fifties And Beyond

When it comes to skin care in your fifties and beyond, there’s one main answer: moisturize. These are the years when your main skin concern will most likely be dryness. You may also see and experience some sagging or drooping in your face as a result of bone resorption. Sagging will become very noticeable under your eyes and around the mouth and the jawline. Moreover, because you’ll be more susceptible to inflammation, you might experience puffiness under the eyes.

As we said, your primary skin care treatment at this point is moisturizer. You should apply moisturizing cream in the morning and before bed at night. Since your skin can become very sensitive at this age, you should take extra care when selecting products that won’t irritate your skin or cause allergies. Moreover, you should wear protective gear such as hats and gloves to protect the skin on your face and hands when you’re gardening or doing other outdoor activities.

Final Thoughts

Our decade-by-decade guide to skin care should help you tailor your routine to fit your skin’s needs and condition. The most important thing is to find out what products work for you and do them on a regular basis.  I found personally besides feeding your skin externally, it is equally important to feed your skin internally.  I noticed a remarkably difference when I started eating more fruits and veggies and drinking nutritional drinks.  My legs needed the moisturizer, but now it only needs it a little.  My go-to of course if the Crepey Skin Repair.  It is filled with nutrition, moisturizers and tighteners.  And the most anti-aging product I have for the face is the Mega Skin Boost.  This product is unique in that it only has active ingredients in it and you can add it to any skin care routine.  Finally is your skin needs extra moisturizer and is sensitive, the Ayurvedic Oil Blend is pretty awesome.  My skin is not dry or sensitive but I like applying it over the mega skin boost and my face looks dewy and glowy!  I’ll take it!