By Kelsie Matthews, L.E.
Skincare in Your 20’s
One of the most common misconceptions about skincare is that you don’t need to start an anti-aging routine until you are already showing signs of aging. But that could not be further from the truth. Although there are many things you can do to correct things like fine lines and wrinkles that come with getting older, oftentimes it is better to try what you can to prevent it from happening prematurely in the first place. When it comes to aging, a lot of the damage in the skin comes from sun exposure without proper protection and a lack of a consistent routine with the skin.
Here are some of my favorite things to incorporate into your skin care routine in your 20’s to help you age gracefully:
- Exfoliating 2-3 times per week: exfoliating is important to keep the dead skin from accumulating on the surface, as well as preventing congestion in your pores.
- Using Vitamin A: Retinoids and retinol products are probably the most common anti-aging product on the market. They are great for preventing fine lines and wrinkles from forming, as well as smoothing out texture in the skin.
- Microneedling: professional microneedling treatments help promote collagen and elastin production in the skin, which is great for patients of all ages to keep the skin looking young and plumped up. As we get older, our skin stops producing less collagen and elastin, so doing this treatment when you’re in your 20’s and 30’s helps prevent that from happening as much when you reach your 50’s and 60’s.
- Wearing SPF: a lot of the aging factors in the skin come from sun damage. Most of this damage occurs in the first 20-30 years of our lives, but doesn’t always show up in our skin until much later. It is important to wear sunscreen beginning as a child whether it is sunny outside or not. That way when you get older, you have fewer fine lines and wrinkles, and less sun spots.
- Hydration: Keeping the skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and using hydrating products in your routine will help keep the skin healthy and prevent more aging factors from happening too soon.
- Antioxidants: Using antioxidants in your skincare routine and including them in your diet will help with free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are one of the main contributors to aging in the skin, so protecting your skin from the environment with antioxidants is important in any stage of your life.
Coming from someone in their 20’s, I can attest to the fact that skincare is still important while you’re young. There are many preventative measures you can take to help you age gracefully and stay looking young as long as possible. Our skin is the largest organ in our body, so the least we can do is protect it.