Anti-Aging Skincare Secrets for your 30s, 40s and Beyond
Anti-Aging Skincare Secrets for your 30s, 40s and Beyond
Are you concerned about premature aging of your skin or are you in your 30s and 40s and looking for a great skincare routine? If so, you’ve found yourself in the right place. There’s never a wrong time to start a great anti-aging regimen or learn more about the anatomy of our skin and its processes. While aging is a natural part of life and our skin ages, it doesn’t happen at the same time for everybody. How you partake in self-care and care of your skin will impact how your skin appears. As I always say, skincare is like a plant-care and you have to learn how to take care of it and learn what your skin needs at any given time. Maintenance and protection are key to preserving a gorgeous complexion.
Signs Of Skin Aging
As we age our epidermis (our most outer layer of skin) thins. Skin lacks collagen and elastin (the tissues that gives our skin a nice plump “oomph” in our 20s and 30s) and elastin, a substance that helps our skin rebound. Also the adipose (fat) in our body decreases. Studies have shown by the time we are 35, we lose about 10% of the fat in our faces, and we continue to lose 5-10% every 5 years there on out. This can lead to obvious signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles and skin sag but as our skin ages it also looks paler, thinner and translucent. The most obvious reason for skin aging and the number one factor is sun damage from UV exposure. Other contributors are environmental factors, nutrition, and genetics.
Other signs of skin aging:
Age spots, Otherwise known as lentigo, which are a result of excessive sun exposure.
Blood Vessel damage. As we age the walls of our blood vessels become thinner and more fragile. They can present as broken capillaries (from telegentasia or autoimmune conditions like rosacea to signs of advanced aging like cherry angiomas.
Dry or itchy skin. As we get older our sebaceous glands produce less oil, this contributes to a compromised skin barrier and so our skin can get dry, irritated and we may see more signs of wrinkles.
Tips for maintaining youthful skin:
Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do right now to take better care of your skin to reduce signs of aging.
Wear sunscreen every single day. Start now! 90% of visible changes to your complexion are due to sun damage. So wearing sunscreen will have a HUGE impact on how your skin ages. You should also be wearing sunscreen on overcast days, with minimal sun exposure outside, and even inside, especially at a computer screen. Screens also emit UV light.
Stay Hydrated! Dehydration shows up in your face and shows up in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, dry or itchy skin. Dehydration will actually lead to transepidermal water loss and will change the chemistry of your skin barrier.
Change up your Skincare Routine. No longer are the days where you could crawl into bed after a rager with your friends in a full face of makeup. Take care of it! Add serums to your routine which introduce a high concentration of product into your skin for nourishment. Use Vitamin C to brighten your complexion or serums with ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid which is a humectant. Humectants draw moisture from the environment to your skin keeping it hydrated. You can also look for products with Beta Glucan which is a humectant that’s 20% more powerful than hyaluronic acid and increases collagen protection. Or Vitamin K which also increases collagen production and has the added benefit of decreasing under eye circles.
Exfoliate regularly. Exfoliation is probably one of the most important skincare steps and many people just don’t do it. When we age, cell turnover slows down and that often means that our skin has a harder time shedding dead skin cells. Exfoliation will help break down the bonds between dead skin cells, shedding them and allow products and makeup to penetrate and blend better.
Use Retinoids- Retinol helps to soften and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin texture, promotes collagen production, decreases hyperpigmentation, and helps increase cell turnover , increasing cell turnover, and improving skin texture. You can use a BHA or AHA exfoliant with retinol. They make each other more effective. The most important thing to do is start with small amounts and slow before increasing the frequency of your applications.
Neck Care- Apply Sunscreen to your neck and decollete. Also look into neck and chest creams to decrease lines and dryness.
Hydrating Facials- Regular facials on a monthly or seasonal basis can help to keep your skin hydrated, bright, and youthful. I also always take your individual skincare concerns into consideration to offer a professional, custom, and effective treatment. I really care!
Advanced Skincare Treatments- Other skincare treatments a skincare specialist can offer to help with aging, include chemical peels and microneedling. Chemical Peels are deeper exfoliation applications applied by a licensed esthetician or dermatologist to help resurface the skin. They help decrease fine lines and with pigmentation issues. Microneedling is also a great resurfacing method of the skin. A derm-roller or a microneedling pen is uses to needle into the dermis to promote collagen production. Unlike chemical peels which sometimes can be a one-and-done, Micro-needling can take anywhere from 3-6 sessions to see results you’re looking for.
Ihope you found this informative and learned a little bit more about taking better care of your skin! I am serious about bodywork and facials and we really want all of our clients to feel and look their best.