Your Skin Care Priorities by The Decade

Aging is like mountain climbing. The higher you go, the better the view. When you reach the summit, will you look the same as you did when you started out? Definitely not. But with the right steps along the way—consistent skin care, healthy lifestyle, good diet—you can keep your skin at peak radiance through every step of the journey.

Your focus: PREVENTION

Though you won’t see the effects for a while, you are already beginning to produce less collagen. Most of the long-term damage from UV exposure happens before age thirty. In these years, focus on protecting your skin from UV exposure and maintaining collagen levels. The more you can do now, the better your skin will be in the future. If you have acne, make controlling breakouts your first priority. Fortunately, many of the ingredients that are best for acne management also help push off the signs of aging. 

What your skin needs now: Vitamin C, Retinoids, Benzoyl Peroxide, Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sunscreen

Your must-haves:

Your Focus: RESILIENCE

As collagen and elastin start to break down, you may start to see the first signs of aging—fine lines and bags under the eyes. If you’re starting a family, you will be experiencing hormonal changes due to pregnancy that can bring on issues like melisma, breakouts, or rosacea. Maintaining a healthy skin barrier, reducing oxidative stress, and encouraging cell renewal to keep skin resilient and healthy are top priorities.

What Your Skin Needs Now: Retinoids, Antioxidants, Vitamin C, Acids (Especially Glycolic, Mandelic), Sunscreen

Your must-haves: 

Your Focus: REPAIR

Cellular metabolism is slowing down, some age spots are beginning to appear, and dryness is increasing. As life’s responsibilities increase, you may find stress increasing as well. The stress hormone cortisol creates inflammation that contributes to collagen breakdown. Defend with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and barrier supporting ingredients including mandelic acid, green tea extract, grape seed oil, niacinamide.

What Your Skin Needs Now: Retinoids, Antioxidants, Acids (Especially Mandelic, Kojic, Glycolic), Brighteners, Peptides, Hydration, Sunscreen

Your must-haves:

Your Focus: RENEWAL

You may not have been aware of all the benefits estrogen was providing your skin—sebum regulation, collagen synthesis, water-binding, healthy blood vessel dilation, reduced inflammation. With menopause comes a steep decline in estrogen and potentially, some dramatic changes in skin tone and texture including dryness, thinning, sagging, and redness. Your skin care priorities now are all about replacing and retaining moisture, firming and lifting, protecting against free radical damage, and keeping cell metabolism up through gentle exfoliation.

What Your Skin Needs Now: Retinoids, Antioxidants, Brighteners, Peptides, Acids (Especially Kojic, Lactic, Mandelic) Hydration, Sunscreen

Your must-haves:

Your Focus: MAINTENANCE 

Your concerns remain reducing discoloration, firming, lifting, and hydrating, but now you may also find your skin becoming more sensitive. Skin is drier, thinner, more delicate. Barrier function may not be quite as efficient as it once was. Be gentle with your skin. Eliminate physical exfoliators and increase hydration.

What Your Skin Needs Now: Antioxidants, Retinoids, Gentle Acids (Mandelic, Lactic, Kojic), Peptides, Nourishing Hydration, Sunscreen

Your must-haves: