Skin Care for the Ages: The 20’s

By the time most of us reach our 20’s, our skin has calmed down from the tumultuous, and uncertain hormonal teen years. While acne may still make an unwelcome appearance from time to time, skin is typically healthy looking, even toned and, it may even glow. 

One of the best ways to maintain and support healthy skin in your 20’s and beyond is to adopt good skin care habits. Laying the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy skin starts with having a good basic skincare routine that focuses primarily on protecting your 20-something skin from future damage.  Some basics to look for:

Choose the right cleanser 

Choosing the right cleanser begins with knowing what type of skin you have.  Most people have one of four types of skin: normal, oily, a combination of normal and oily or dry. Generally speaking, gel cleansers are better for oilier skins, including combination skin while lotions and creamy cleansers can be used by normal and dry skins respectively. Besides washing the skin, the right cleanser can also address skin challenges with special ingredients like glycolic acid to gently exfoliate or natural botanicals to soothe sensitive skin. 

No matter what type of skin you have, make a habit of taking your makeup off every night. Leaving makeup on can clog pores which can lead to breakouts.  

Add a Toner 

Toners act as a double cleanse for the skin and help restore the skin’s pH balance. Since a toner is the first ‘leave-on’ step in your routine, look for alcohol-free toners with ingredients that support your skin. For example, olier skins may want a toner with salicylic acid to help fight acne.

Include a Serum

Serums are a quick and effective way to deliver a high concentration of active ingredients to the skin. Due to their thin viscosity, serums penetrate more deeply into the skin and deliver results more quickly.  Most people in their 20s should incorporate a serum that offers good antioxidant protection. Look for serums that contain helpful antioxidants like vitamin C, E or resveratrol to help prevent harmful oxidative damage.  Additionally, it’s not too early to address anti-aging with a serum that contains retinol or its natural alternative, bakuchiol. Both ingredients increase cell turnover to stimulate collagen production, minimize pores and improve skin brightness. Using a serum with bakuchiol provides the added bonus of soothing redness making it an excellent choice for sensitive skins. 

Find a good moisturizer

While you may have gotten away with not using a moisturizer in your teens, by your 20’s, it is important to find the right moisturizer for your skin. A moisturizer’s job is to help support the skin’s moisture barrier. The barrier works to protect the skin by keeping moisture in and irritants out of the skin. The idea is that if the barrier is strong, the skin stays healthy and strong. As with a cleanser, your skin type will dictate which moisturizer is right for you.  

While drier skins will respond to a concentrated or creamy moisturizer, normal skins will usually prefer a lotion or more lightweight moisturizer. Although people in their 20’s might still be a bit more oily, they still need to use a moisturizer. A little hydration is good, adding more oil is not. Many moisturizers formulated for oilier skins are gel-based, lightweight and oil-free. Bottomline, is that oilier skins should pick a moisturizer that absorbs quickly into the skin and provides hydration where needed.

Eye Products 

The 20’s is the perfect time to start protecting the delicate eye area. The skin around the eyes is thinner and therefore more prone to be damaged by exposure to the sun, pollution and allergens. Nourishing the eye area daily with an eye cream or serum will help prevent fine lines from forming prematurely. In particular, folks with dry skin are more prone to premature lines around the eyes and should definitely start using an eye product. If you are more oily, you may want to only apply an eye cream or gel before going to bed so it doesn’t interfere with eye makeup.  

Healthy Habits to Start in your 20’s

• Use a sunscreen daily – possibly the most important skin care product you should use for the rest of your life
• Wear sunglasses to protect the thinner, more delicate skin around the eyes
• Drink plenty of water keep skin hydrated and keep moisture levels up
• Resist temptation to pick at pimples – it will lead to scarring and discoloration. 
• Eat healthy, fresh foods to maintain a healthy glow – there is a connection between your stomach and your skin
• Don’t smoke cigarettes or visit tanning booths.  Both age the skin prematurely
• Clean makeup brushes regularly so bacteria does not spread and cause acne