Your Guide to Skin Aging & Prevention

Happy New Year glow getters! Whether you are a fresh-faced reader or a longtime skincare enthusiast, welcome 💖 Taking care of your skin is a lifelong commitment, so thank you for letting us tag along for the ride. As you navigate through the different stages of life, your arsenal of tools also needs to evolve. After all, skin is a living, breathing organ just like any other.

As we age, each decade brings its own set of challenges and priorities, particularly when it comes to maintaining healthy, radiant skin. In our comprehensive guide, we'll explore tailored skincare habits for each decade, making sure you're equipped with the knowledge to age gracefully and confidently.

The Roaring Twenties

Most conversations around skin health suggest your 20s as a prime starting point. In fact, most habits that you carry into your later years start in this decade (the good and the not so great). For our glow getters in their 20s, we encourage establishing a strong foundation to set yourself up for success. Some of the things you’ll need:

1. A cleanser and moisturizer If there are two foundational pillars to skincare, it’s a cleanser and moisturizer. You can even throw in a toner if you want to up the ante—we sure do! Start with our gentle cleanser I, to clear off the trials and tribulations from this stage of life. Experiencing some acne? Totally normal. In this case, go for cleanser II for an added breakout-crushing formulation. Follow up with our lightweight, hydrating light serum moisturizer during spring and summer, then swap for our moisture in the fall and winter. Get into the habit of swapping out your moisturizer depending on the season for a routine that adapts to you and your environment.
2. Sunscreen We cannot stress the importance of SPF. It’s good to develop a habit of wearing sunscreen daily to protect against harmful UV rays. We mention it now, but you’ll need it throughout your life. Our Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45 gets the job done!
3. Eye Cream Consider introducing an eye cream to address early signs of fatigue and prevent fine lines. Remember, the eyes are the windows to the soul, so give those peepers some love with eye treatment.
4. Body Care Start early and bring your skincare down to treat the neck and hands. Trust us, they need some love, too. Don't forget to apply your SPF on exposed areas!

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

This next phase in life is all about nourishment and adding in preventative measures. You’re maintaining the basis you created in the last decade, while bringing in some new heavy hitters:

1. Antioxidants Incorporate products with antioxidants like vitamin C to fight free radicals and promote collagen production. super C can be mixed into your moisturizer or AHA cream to give it a special boost. You can also consume antioxidants from food like blueberries and spinach.
2. Retinol Begin using retinol to address fine lines, wrinkles, and maintain skin elasticity. Retinol is a potent active (depending on the concentration), so start slow. Begin with a low concentration like 0.3%-0.6% and use once/twice a week. Increase frequency once you’re ready, then you can consider stronger percentages. 
3. Hydration This can be achieved with your usual moisturizer, but if you find that your skin type is changing (a normal occurrence as we age), consider a richer moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, peptides, and other plumping ingredients like firm. 
4. Facials Treating yourself to a monthly facial isn't just a great way to inject some self-care time into your busy schedule, but it's also an incredible habit to establish and follow all throughout your life. Coming in for a Miracle 10 Facial Peel will contribute greatly to the overall health of your skin. 

Forty and Fabulous

For our skincare enthusiasts in their forties, now is the time you'll want to intensify your arsenal. Bring on the actives and non-surgical treatments! You may want to think about introducing:

1. Peptides Look for products with peptides to stimulate collagen production and improve skin firmness. As we age, we tend to lose volume, Peptides can counteract that with their plumping effects.
2. Exfoliation Increase exfoliation to promote cell turnover and address dullness. Remember the toner we mentioned in the 20s section? If you haven’t incorporated that yet, now’s the time. If you’ve been using toners, you can graduate to stronger, chemical exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).
3. Targeted Treatments Address specific concerns such as hyperpigmentation, deep lines, and age spots with facials, laser treatments, and microneedling.

Cruisin’ on Fifty

As you enter your fifties, you'll want to turn things down a notch and begin your journey to deep hydration and repair. Skin types are often dryer in this stage of life. In addition to your monthly facials and retinoids, here are some things that can help:

1. Hyaluronic Acid Embrace products with hyaluronic acid to boost hydration and plump the skin. HA is our best friend and you can find it in most of our moisturizers as well as a dermal filler when visiting our friends at MD Beauty Clinic.
2. Intensive Moisturizers Similar to our last point, but you'll want to opt for richer, more nourishing moisturizers to combat dryness and restore suppleness. Night and Rich Moisture are two options that are high in HA, and really help to lock in the hydration.
3. Collagen Boosters Collagen is critical for skin health and appearance. MD Beauty Clinic have tons of collagen-boosting treatments like PRP, Microneedling with DP4, and Morpheus8 to name a few.

I’m Sixty and I Know It

Now it’s time to scale back to some gentler care. You don’t want to irritate your skin with too many actives and other strong chemicals. Stick to your tried-and-true favourites, keep up with your non-surgical treatments and consider the following:

1. Gentle Cleansing Switch to a gentle hydrating cleanser to avoid stripping the skin of essential oils. Skin is also less likely to be oily at this stage; a normal-dry skin type is common, so look for this label when exploring options. Our platinum cleanser is a beautiful option during this time.
2. Restorative Serums Use serums with peptides, growth factors, and ceramides to support skin repair. Our stem cell serum is a fan favourite since it includes plant extracts and vitamin C, and coming in hot is our new soothe neruobalm, both offering anti-aging benefits.
3. Body Care Now more than ever, continue your skincare routine to include body care, focusing on hydration and treating any dark spots with your retinoids.

Aging is a natural part of life, and with each passing decade, our skincare needs evolve. By adopting a proactive and personalized approach to skincare, you can embrace changes gracefully and maintain healthy, radiant skin throughout every stage of life. Remember, consistency is key, and investing time and effort in your routine is an investment in your long-term skin health.