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Skin Care Tips: Amazing Skin At Any Age

Written by Julie Fridlington, MD, Board Certified Dermatologist on June 29, 2017 11 Comments

skin care by decade

With each year, do you notice considerable differences in how your skin looks and feels?

As the human body naturally ages, so too does the skin. As you age, your skin will require new and different care in order to contend with declining collagen levels, diminishing elasticity, and the constant pull of gravity. Simply put: what your skin needs in your 20’s and 30’s is very different than what it needs in your 40’s or 50’s.

Here are some simple skin care tips to help keep your skin looking and feeling great at any age:

20’s

During your 20’s your main focus should revolve around prevention. The ideal skincare regimen should work to protect the skin, with secondary emphases on other issues like acne as needed.

  • Make a habit of properly washing your face every night to remove dirt and makeup.
  • Exfoliate your skin weekly to maintain a healthy cellular turnover rate.
  • Minimize skin harming actions like smoking cigarettes or binge drinking.
  • Make sleep a priority. Try to shoot for at least 8 hours each night.
  • Use a high quality broad-spectrum sunscreen every day with a minimum SPF of 30
  • Opt for a gentle foaming cleanser and a lightweight moisturizer.
  • Anti-aging products can be used as long as they are not too harsh.
  • Choose more mild acne products with lower concentrations of active ingredients (like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide).
  • Select high quality skincare products from trusted brands.

30’s

Challenges most people face throughout their 30’s include the development of fine lines and shallow wrinkles, sun damage, and pigmentation issues (red and brown skin discolorations).

  • Take your weekly exfoliation to a higher level by using AHA or BHA derived products.
  • Start using an anti-aging eye cream daily to hydrate the skin around the eyes.
  • Switch to an antioxidant-based moisturizer to shield the skin from further sun damage.
  • Continue the proper use of sunscreen daily.
  • Consider adding a retinol-based serum to your nightly routine to help maintain healthy skin tone and texture.
  • Stay away from harsh acne products and instead opt for a spot treatment.
  • Consider regular facials to keep your pores unclogged.
  • Start undergoing preventative in-office treatments like chemical peels, Botox, and dermal fillers, if desired.

Note: The skin care choices you make in your 20’s and 30’s can have a major impact on the appearance of your skin and overall skin health in your 40’s and 50’s.

40’s

Most people in their 40’s will begin to notice deepening of lines that started to develop in their 30’s, along with new lines forming around the eyes, mouth, and between the brows. Other common issues during this age period can include dryness, increasing pigmentation issues, and overall dulling of the skin.

  • Use the combination of a non-drying gentle cleanser and a soft face cleansing brush to exfoliate away dead skins while cleansing the skin.
  • Select a high SPF sunscreen with added antioxidants to protect the skin (minimum SPF 30).
  • Anti-aging serums can be used to help the skin look and feel plump and youthful.
  • Vitamin C-based products can help brighten skin and address pigmentation.
  • The décolletage area and hands begin to show signs of aging, make sure to address this area with your regimen.
  • Talk to your dermatologist about in-office anti-aging treatments like medical facials, laser resurfacing, and microdermabrasion.

50’s and beyond

Many people who are age 50 or older deal with more advanced forms of facial aging including volume loss, sagging skin, and skin tone irregularities.

  • Opt for a cream-based cleanser with added hydration.
  • Use an SPF-containing moisturizer twice daily.
  • Look for serums containing peptides and other growth factors.
  • Consider laser resurfacing, a non-surgical procedure to fully rejuvenate the skin.
  • Sagging skin and tissue loss can be addressed by using fillers or undergoing facial surgery.

 


Julie Fridlington, MD

Dr. Fridlington is Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Texas Medical Association, and Travis County Medical Society. She was selected as one of the “Texas Rising Stars” in Texas Monthly magazine in July 2013 in the category of Dermatology.


11 Responses to “Skin Care Tips: Amazing Skin At Any Age”

  1. Avatar Deb says:

    Thank you for all the skin care tips! I really like how you listed ways to take care of your skin for any age group. That is really helpful. I didn’t think about starting to use anti-aging cream around my eyes. I will have to start doing that to help my skin down the line. Thank you again for all the tips!

  2. Avatar Natali says:

    What eye cream does Dr. Fridlington recommend?
    I would like one for below the eye and for use on the eyelid area where wrinkles appear. Thanks!

    • WD Staff WD Staff says:

      Hi Natali,

      Thanks for reading our post and submitting your question! I spoke with Dr. Fridlington and here is her recommendation:

      I love the Neo Cutis Lumiere Riche product. For patients that want something a little less thick, the Skin Better Science “Eyes” is a nice option.

      Hope that helps!

      Thanks,
      WD Staff

  3. Avatar Ridley says:

    You have some great skin care tips. My wife and I are both in our 50’s, so those tips are something we really need. I’ll make sure we have some SPF lotion that we can use twice a day, like you said!

  4. Avatar Ashley says:

    Thanks for mentioning how the way you take care of your skin can vary depending on your age. I found it interesting that you said that creams are better than cleansers once you hit your 50s. My sister and I want to have smoother and healthier skin, so we are looking into chemical-free skin care.

  5. Avatar Earnest says:

    I appreciated the tips you gave in your article for me to take better care of my skin. I liked how you suggest proper face washing on a daily basis to help keep my skin clear and healthy. I’ll be sure to do this so that I don’t develop any skin conditions that could affect my skin’s health in the long-run.

  6. Avatar Casey says:

    Thanks for sharing this great post. As the skin changes at different stages, we have to take care of it to maintain our beauty. Thanks to you for this because you have specified the tips for different age groups. I would like to share your helpful tips with my mom and my friends. Keep sharing such useful posts.

  7. Avatar Gerty says:

    I appreciate what you had to say about using acne products with lower concentrations of active ingredients. I didn’t have acne as a teenager and came into it in my early twenties and have had a hard time getting it to go away, but I wonder if I’m hindering it by not using harsher soaps. I will be taking a closer look at my skincare regimen and making appropriate changes so that I don’t damage my skin.

  8. Avatar Gerry says:

    Hi Gerty,
    This was a wonderful information on this page about the skin care tips in summer season with the outstanding steps to eliminate the dryness from the Sensitive skin of body in a seven days by using the hemp seed oil with the best moisturizer cream daily according to the required period of a time after the recommendations of a doctor and also follow the instructions of a doctor which help you to remove this kind of skin dryness disease with the use of best skin moisturizer cream ,My suggestion is you must go to a doctor one time in a week for starting of proper treatment of eliminating dryness with skin moisturizer cream appeared on the Sensitive skin of body in a summer season due to the effect of sun rays,keep it in your mind don’t work in the light of sun because the heat of sun with the dust particles in sun rays increase the rough dryness and cracks with lines on the skin due to the demaged of upper skin layers cells after the working of some time you notice the color of skin become black and cracks with lines are increased on the Sensitive skin of a body this is also a effect of skin cancer . So take care of skin and avoid to work in a light of sun . you also use hibiscus face mask on the face if necessary to work in the light of sun and also use carrot in the food salad .
    Thanks.

  9. Avatar Art says:

    Whether we like it or not aging happen. We cannot stop it but at least we can prolong it. Thanks for the wonderful skincare idea. Highly appreciated. Kudos!

  10. Avatar Sam says:

    I love your tip about washing your face on a nightly basis. Applying a skin cream is a great idea in order to preserve the quality of your skin!

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