Diane Keaton once related, “When I was young, I wanted my appearance to be more interesting than what surrounded me. Now the body part I like best is my eyes, because they bring beauty to me.” It’s quite a common experience. Women try to hold back aging as much as they can, and there are a number of women who have been successful doing so, both celebrity and not.

How To Love Your Skin At Any Age

It’s hard to say if there really is a thing as the best skincare regimen. We are more certain that there is a proper skincare, including an age-appropriate skin care routine. To be able to discern if you are following the regimen that’s right for you, you need to have a better understanding of what happens to your skin as it ages.

According to the findings of Harvard scientists, here’s how your skin behaves with every decade that you add to your age: 

• The moment you hit your 20s, your skin’s natural protection against the cell-damaging effects of free radicals drastically declines. Too much sun exposure at this age and prior to will likely cause your skin to suffer from premature aging.

• When you reach your 30s, various skin repair and maintenance processes begin to slow down. Fine lines normally appear around this time. Your first wrinkle will likely appear around the eyes, where skin is thinnest, or around the mouth which, like your eyes, is involved in countless expressions and mannerisms that you make everyday.

• By the time you celebrate your 40th birthday, senescence or, the body’s natural process of slowing down, may have already worsened. For your skin, that means lower and slower collagen and elastin production, the start of sagging skin, and longer healing periods for skin damages. When these damages pile up, you notice hyper pigmented skin, more dark marks and more wrinkles.

• At 50 and beyond, skin barrier weakens, making your skin even more prone to damages. Skin cells become unable to divide as telomeres in your cells become shorter. That means new skin cells are no longer being produced. Decreased energy levels in your skin cells also means even slower regeneration, repair and renewal processes are taking place.

The Regimen That Suits Your Aging Skin

Equipped with the knowledge of what happens to your skin down to the cellular level, this is the general routine for skin at any age:

• For the 20-year old skin: Protection from UV, free radicals and moisture loss must be the top priority. How well you can protect your skin at this decade will dictate how well you can delay aging later in life. Sunscreen, antioxidants and a basic moisturizer are all you need. Minimize time spent under the sun, be more selective with products that you use, and learn to live a healthier lifestyle at an early age.

• For the 30-year old skin: Continue protective care, making sure to fold in the three-step basics: cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Higher doses of antioxidant serums will be necessary, as well as thicker creams. If, by this time, age spots have manifested, it’s time to call in skin brightening products such as Active White Skin Whitening. Regular exfoliation and deep hydrating masks must be undertaken on a regular basis.

• For the 40-year old skin: An appropriate anti-aging cream will be necessary, one that contains a complex combination of antioxidants, cell-communicating peptides, collagen, skin brightening ingredients, and moisture attracting ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Take the time to really think about whether or not you need a retinol at this stage. That’s because retinol makes your skin more photosensitive, which means it becomes damaged more easily when exposed to the sun.

• For skin beyond 40: At this stage, retinol or, similar anti-wrinkle components are necessary. To help rebuild and reinforce the weakening protective layer of your skin, make sure you are deriving ceramides from your products too. Having aloe vera, which has been observed to facilitate faster skin healing, as an active anti-aging product ingredient will also be highly beneficial for your skin at this point.

Skincare Do's and Don'ts for Healthy Skin:

Conclusion:

Aging skin, along with the wrinkles, discoloration, crow’s feet and other signs of skin aging will definitely happen to your skin. The only question that remains is when. Being proactive by following an age-appropriate skin care regimen is your best defense against signs of skin aging.