Happily turned 30 last month and want some feedback for skincare regimes in your thirties or any stage of life! I am a skincare lover in that I love trying new products to see what works for me but I don't have a set routine for myself... Any crucial steps you swear by? How about specifically combatting forehead lines, smile lines and the delicate eye area?! Please tell me what you are loving and have loved throughout your years as your holy grail products!! xo
Hi! I just turned 47 this summer and I combat the signs of aging through exfoliation (once a week), eye cream, retinol and sunscreen. I always am sure to not skip my nighttime routine too! Our skin repairs itself at night while we sleep and it is vital to maintain a nighttime routine!
here's what I recommend:
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Clinical Grade Resurfacing Liquid Peel 2 x 1 oz/ 30 mL
@BriannaZ92 The only crucial steps of any skincare routine (at any age) are gentle cleanser at least once a day (preferably at end of your day), daily moisturizer, and AM sunscreen used each day skin’s exposed to sunlight, regardless of weather or season.
Beyond that, well… since we don’t all have the same skin type/behavior, sensitivities, and skincare goals/issues, what works for one of us might not work for another of us. I’m in my 50s. My facial skin’s always been mostly-dry combo and it hates nearly all essential oils (damask rose oil, rosemary oil, geranium oil, bergamot oil, mint oils, grapefruit oil, etc.). My face’s nemesis is lavender in all forms: “extract,” water, and oil. My main skincare issues are hyperpigmentation, dryness/dehydration, and keeping my skin barrier healthy. All my wrinkles are under my eyes, but they don’t bother me much.
With all that in mind, here’s what works best for me:
Broad spectrum sunscreen - minimum SPF 30, any type (chemical, mineral, or hybrid), applied generously to ALL skin exposed to sunlight and reapplied every couple hours (more frequently if I’m sweaty or my skin gets wet), all year long, regardless of weather or season. Sunscreen is the best preventative anti-aging skincare product on the market, since many “signs of aging” are caused by UV damage—including some wrinkles. Do you already use a sunscreen?
Hyperpigmentation - vitamin A (also helps with wrinkles, acne, and collagen production), azelaic acid, alpha arbutin, and kojic acid daily; chemical exfoliation 1-3 times a week with an AHA or PHA.
Vitamin A is the retinoid family, including retinoic acid (aka Rx tretinoin), retinaldehyde (aka retinal), and retinol, among others. I used a few different retinols before moving on to retinaldehyde, which is gentler on my skin than retinol and tretinoin yet works faster than retinol (but not as fast as tretinoin). I’ve used Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream for 1.5 years; I don’t recommend starting with that product if you’re new to vitamin A. Some starters to consider are Avene RetrinAL 0.05 Cream, First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate 1 oz/ 30 mL , Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol 1.7 oz/ 50 mL , and maybe The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum . I still use that last one on my neck and undereyes 1-3 times a week, since those are 2 places I don’t apply retinal. (Note: I don’t recommend using that retinol serum under your eyes if you’re new to retinol. I can do it because I’ve used vitamin A derivatives for a few years and my skin’s adapted to them.)
You didn’t mention hyperpigmentation as a concern of yours, so I won’t go into azelaic acid and the other ingredients I mentioned.
Dryness/dehydration - humectants: hyaluronic acid, PCA, polyglutamic acid, carrageenan, trehalose, peptides, urea, etc. Most skincare products contain some form of hyaluronic acid, but I make sure many of my products also contain other humectants. My favorite hydrating serum is still The Ordinary Buffet Anti-Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL , and my skin’s liking Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Essence in the morning (though I’m also still using my last bottle of the discontinued e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence, which is a hydration powerhouse). I also use a good-for-me moisturizer, Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer, during most days to seal in all that hydration. At night, I use Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer 2 oz/ 60 mL because it plays nice with my nightly retinaldehyde cream that contains evening primrose oil.
Wrinkles - I’m not super bothered by mine, but 2 things that work well layered together under my eyes are FaceTheory OcuWake Eye Cream and The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% Serum for Facial Wrinkles 1 oz/ 30 mL . They won’t erase my undereye lines, of course; for that, I’d need an in-office/clinic procedure. But they do soften the look of my lines. The FaceTheory cream also reduces puffiness for me. Argireline is an ingredient you can use wherever you want to target facial wrinkles. It’s also in Buffet, but the standalone serum is good for targeted application.
Wow, thank you! I love your outlook on aging! Definitely going to give some of these products a try, also thanks for the reminder about sunscreen as I am trying to incorporate it everyday now. I'm sure your skin is as beautiful as your kind advice.
Aw, thanks @BriannaZ92 ! A good way to get into a daily sunscreen habit is to use it as a daytime moisturizer. This requires a sunscreen that contains at least one moisturizing ingredient (dimethicone, shea butter, argan oil, squalane, etc.), and you may find you still need a separate moisturizer underneath depending on your skin type/behavior and local climate. In warm weather, I often skip AM moisturizer because my sunscreens can do the job. But in cold weather, I need moisturizer beneath my sunscreen.
@BriannaZ92 For anti-aging, I consider the big three to be antioxidants, AHA and retinol. I like First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Hydrating Serum as an antioxidant serum, even though it isn't marketed as such. For AHA, I use Alpha Skin Care. If you are looking for a good one available on Sephora, then you can look into Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant 3.3 oz/ 100 mL . A good retinol for beginners is First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate 1 oz/ 30 mL .
I generally don’t recommend moisturizers because skin type and climate should be taken in to account, and in fact I sometimes skip it depending on how my skin is feeling/how humid it is. It’s important to wear an SPF everyday as well.