From the moment we are born our skin starts its journey of constant change, we grow, we age, and no matter what we can't ever stop that ageing process. The two main factors that determine just when and how we age, are our genetics and our environment. Genetics we are stuck with and nothing can change that, but we can intervene when it comes to our environment which can be as simple as a good skin care regime.
We get lured into a false sense of security in our 20's. This is because it takes a mere 28 days for your skin to renew. This simply means old dead skin cells are replaced with fresh new cells every 28 days, your skin pretty much looks after itself. We can whip over our face with a face wipe, cake it in bronzer and off we go. Fast forward another 20 years and this cell renewal process now takes around 40 days! That's nearly another 2 weeks it takes for your skin to renew, meaning the cells are older and drier and this becomes reflected in our complexion. When our skin is dry and dull with an uneven texture the face wipes really won't cut it. The changes we see happening to our skin, means we have to make some changes to our skin care.
Some things you may start to notice as you leave your 20s and enter your 30s and 40s
In our 30s cellular regeneration is beginning to slow down and our skin can start to look dull and rough, the ability to retain moisture also declines so you might notice a few dry patches here and there. The collagen which keeps skin firm, and elastin fibres which gives the skin the ability to bounce back, start to decrease. So our skin becomes less firm, and lines and wrinkles may even start to appear as years of facial expressions start to catch up with us. Also those oh so innocent yet bad habits from our 20s may also start to be taking their toll.
In our 40s our skin may start to look thinner and dehydration is now becoming more of an issue. Hormone activity can now also be changing, and this could mean anything from uneven skin tone to adult acne. More significant signs of ageing can be seen now, such as dark spots and considerable dullness.
So we hit 30 and the 28 day renewal cycle is slowing down and this effects firmness, tautness and radiance, the skin also dehydrates quicker, this all leads to those visible signs of ageing.
It's suggested we lose about 1% of collagen volume each year from the age of 30
So all these changes mean a few tweaks to our skincare regime is needed, because what we do or don't do with our skin now will show in 10 years time.
The skin around the eyes is ten times thinner than the rest of the face and ages 33% faster. So making sure you use eye specific products is the first step to skin care in your 30's and 40's. Eye make up remover and eye cream are now a must.
Making sure you have a cleanser, toner, SPF, eye cream and separate day cream and night cream will also stand you in good stead. Day cream has a tough job, it has to protect our skin against lots of environmental factors, fight free radicals and protect against UV. Night cream however takes the night shift for when we are sleeping, its only job is to repair and restore, so these tend to be richer and have a more luxurious feel. If you don't already I'd seriously consider investing in a separate day and night cream as they have such different jobs.
We all have our favourites but unfortunately those staple products you used in your 20s might not cut it for your 30s and 40s, so consider going to the next level, that might mean switching to a more hydrating moisturiser or looking for those anti ageing products. Little tip there are certain words to look for in your products if you want results driven skin care. They are Hyaluronic acid for hydration and anti ageing peptides for wrinkle prevention.
Another key step which becomes more important is exfoliation, the turn over of cells is getting slower so skin will look dull. Exfoliating on a regular basis (twice a week) helps to remove the dead skin cells which are making the skin look dull.
These simple extra steps will help your skin deal with the natural processes that are happening as we go from our 20s into our 30s and 40s. If you are over 40 then check back next week for skin care advice in your 50s plus.
Thanks for reading now go exfoliate haha. Have a great week everyone.
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