Thinking about when to start anti aging skin care? Wondering how to prevent aging skin in your 20s? Our skincare guru, Liza, has got you covered.
Getting Started with an Anti Ageing Skincare Routine
When I turned twenty, how to prevent ageing skin was the last thing on my mind. More accurately, I think most of my thoughts were about gin, makeup, and how I was going to survive the next shift at work with a raging hangover (yep, I was one of those twenty-year-olds). I have had an interesting journey with my skincare and skin in general throughout my twenties, from not caring to caring too much, from practically flawless skin to big flare-ups of acne.
Back then, I really did not see myself in five years’ time doing an internet deep-dive on how to prevent ageing skin in your twenties, yet here I am. Now that I am entering my late twenties, I am growing ever more conscious of the fine lines appearing around my eyes and on my forehead. I often find myself wondering if the wrinkles would not be there had I started a strong skincare routine sooner (or drank a few less weeknight G&Ts). Now, my life revolves much more around my anti ageing skincare routine than it does my bar tab.
There is probably a different “right time” to start an anti-ageing skincare routine for everyone, but I would take a guess that it is always somewhere in your twenties. Although it is tempting to cover up blemishes short-term with a thick foundation, it is much better for your skin, in the long run, to take care of your skin. This way, you can make sure the blemishes do not appear in the first place.
How to use anti-ageing skincare in your twenties
Wondering when to start anti aging skin care? If you’ve not started yet, the time is now. This is the perfect time to start taking care of your skin to prevent the signs of ageing from appearing (rather than tackling signs of ageing once they are already there).
First, let me tell you the most important components of an anti ageing skincare routine. There are three main ways in which you can protect your skin from the signs of ageing:
Protect your skin from environmental stressors
Your skin is constantly exposed to environmental stressors that we do not even think about on a day-to-day basis. This includes:
UV rays
This is probably the most obvious, and it is one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of anti-ageing (or ageing-prevention). Did you know that it is important to protect yourself from UVA and UVB rays, but many sun creams only protect you from UVB rays?
This is why it is important to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, all over your body but especially on your face. (Take care of your skin where you are prone to the most wrinkles). The SPF of a cream only measures its protection against UVB rays, not UVA rays. “Broad spectrum sun cream” means that your sun lotion protects against UVA and UVB rays. Although it is not sure-fire, you can be quite confident that the SPF is a good indicator of how well a suncream protects against UVA and UVB rays, as long as it says “broad spectrum UV protection” on the bottle.
We recommend: The Inkey List SPF Daily Sunscreen (it’s reef safe!)
Pollution
This one is not mentioned enough. These days, pollution is everywhere, especially if you live in a city. There are several ways in which you can protect your skin from pollution.
Using antioxidants has risen in popularity in skincare a lot in the last few years, and this is one of the reasons. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C and green tea, neutralise free radicals which are the harmful molecules found in pollution.
Strengthening the skin barrier with products like glycerine and ceramides help your skin protect itself from harmful pollutants, by stopping them from penetrating your skin.
Cleansing your face might seem obvious, but doing it before you go to sleep removes any pollutants and free radicals that have come to rest on your skin during the day, so they do not sit there all night long causing damage.
Harsh weather conditions
Ever noticed how dry your skin gets in the winter? Although you may feel it the most on your hands and on your lips, dry weather is also drying out the rest of the skin on your body. Take care of your skin by using extra moisturising factors like hyaluronic acid on your skin during these days.
We recommend: Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask
Increase your skin’s cell turnover
Increasing your skin cell turnover encourages rejuvenation, making your skin look fresher, healthier, and of course younger (because it is). You can do this in many ways, including eating healthier, quitting smoking, and getting enough sleep. All of these lifestyle factors play into helping your skin cells to turnover quickly, keeping your skin glowy all year round.
Of course, there are some great skincare products that will do this too:
Retinoids for skin cell turnover
Retinoids, such as retinol, are derivatives of vitamin A that increase cell turnover to improve the texture and overall appearance of your skin.
Recommend: the perfect guide to retinol by Cheryl at Honesty for your Skin
Extra reading: The perfect guide to retinol by Cheryl at Honesty for your Skin (this link will take you away from our website)
Acids for skin cell turnover
Acids, like glycolic acid and lactic acid, help to remove dead skin cells which then improves cell turnover. If your skin is not too sensitive, I would recommend a combination of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHA). This will really get the most out of your exfoliant.
If your skin is not used to all of these products, consult a dermatologist or slowly build them up into your routine. Both acids and retinoids can be harsh on skin, especially sensitive skin.
Another thing to note is that it is extra important to use sun protection when you are using acids and retinoids. Therefore, it is usually better to use them at night.
Increase your skin’s collagen production
Collagen is a protein in our skin that keeps it looking firm (and keeps the wrinkles at bay.). As we age, our skin starts to produce less collagen, which in turn leads to signs of ageing, especially in the skin on your face.
It is important to note that the collagen found in many skincare products usually cannot penetrate the skin (because the molecules are too large). If you want to directly increase the collagen in your skin, it is better to do this in your diet. Eating foods that are a natural source of collagen, like berries, fish and leafy greens, will keep you healthy both inside and out.
Now, onto the heart of the matter…
Why You Should Use Anti-Ageing Skincare in Your Twenties
It Improves your Skin Texture
One of the main benefits of anti-ageing skincare is that it improves your skin texture, not only in the future but right now, too. These products are designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. They will also naturally even out any marks left behind from blemishes by exfoliating the top layer of your skin and encouraging new skin to grow in its place. Anti-ageing skincare will leave you glowing from just a few uses.
It Improves your Self Confidence
Knowing that you look radiant will naturally boost your self-confidence. When you look your best, you feel your best. Not only that, but self-care in general is a great way to make yourself feel important. Taking care of your skin signals to yourself that you are worth taking care of (which you absolutely are), which in turn will (hopefully) increase your self-esteem, not just in your skin but in general life, too.
It is an Investment in Your Future
Short-term thinking is a thing of the past. I am twenty-six, and when I was just twenty, twenty-six seemed completely ancient. I was not thinking of my future self, I was only thinking of the next six months. Well, now with some hindsight, I wish I had taken better care of myself because at twenty-six I still feel just as young as I did then, and more ready than ever to take on the world. If that is not a sign that we should be investing in our futures, what is?
What do you think? If you are in your twenties, are you using anti-ageing skincare? If you are older, do you wish you had?
