Not all skin care regimens are created equal, at least not when you’re 40 (as compared to 20). Here, a step-by-step guide for each stage of life.
STORY BY ANNA M. PARK
20s
You may not see any signs of aging, but they’re lurking beneath the surface, so prevention is key. “This is a decade where if we protect our skin from the sun and maintain good skin practices, much of aging can be delayed and prevented,” says board-certified dermatologist Kally Papantoniou. Start with broad-spectrum UV protection in an SPF 30 or higher every single day, and be sure to remove makeup, even after a late night out. Also, adult acne may hit now, so treat without drying out your skin.
- Our Regimen:
- Remove makeup and cleanse every day
- Vitamins and antioxidants to brighten and repair
- Treat blemishes with salicylic acid
- Moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30
- The cult classic French micellar water removes makeup and hydrates — and it’s finally available in the U.S. Bioderma Sensibio H20, $11.90, beautylish.com
- Prevent clogged pores with regular, gentle exfoliation. Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel, us.aritaum.com
- Get your vitamin C in this serum with ascorbic acid. La Roche-Posay Active C10, $53, laroche-posay.us
- It doesn’t get easier than a tinted moisturizer with SPF. Pur-lisse BB Tinted Moist Cream SPF 30, $32, purlisse.com
- An antioxidantrich night cream, especially made for the 20-something lifestyle of late nights and lack of sleep. Clarins Multi- Active Night, $56, clarinsusa.com
30s
With all that’s going on in your life — career, marriage, children — you can’t forget about your skin. Your cell turnover rate is slowing down, collagen production is starting to decrease, and you’re beginning to see deeper lines as well as notable laxity in the neck and cheek area, says Dr. Papantoniou. “Skin discoloration may start to present at this time, with new sunspots appearing overnight.”
- Add to your regimen
- Vitamin C and ferulic acid
- Retinol to reverse collagen breakdown and discoloration
- Lifting and firming treatments
- Chemical exfoliants like glycolic or salicylic acid
- Eye cream
- A powerful one-two punch of 30% stable vitamin C and 0.5% time-released retinol. Revision Skincare Power of 2, $199, revisionskincare.com
- This patented serum has been shown to exfoliate like a 20% glycolic acid treatment, while hydrating and reinforcing skin’s barrier. Skinceuticals Retexturizing Activator, $78, skinceuticals.com
- Natural phytoestrogens in this lifting serum address the loss of estrogen as women age, which affect collagen and elasticity. VENeffect Firming Phyto- Lift Serum, $195, veneffect.com
- An eye cream to de-puff and improve the elasticity of the under-eye area. Le Métier de Beauté Revive Eye Concentrate, $175, neimanmarcus.com
- Ellagic acid from white birch leaf is the powerhouse brightener in this mask. Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment, $69, glamglow.com
40s+
You’re noticing things you’ve never seen before — sagging, fine lines that are on their way to bona fide wrinkles, a serious loss of volume. “It’s often not what we do during our 40s that manifest as the cause of aging but rather what we did in our formative years,” says Dr. Papantoniou. “This is a time of repair and prevention all at once. We have to work harder to reverse damage, all while trying to prevent the pileup of more damage.” Skin also becomes noticeably drier, so keeping skin hydrated is more important than ever.
- Add to your regimen
- Eye serum
- Prescription retinoid like tretinoin
- Hyaluronic acid serums
- Peptides and growth factors
- Formulated with a pH for maximum absorption, this eye serum features caffeine and a patent-pending super antioxidant. Nerium Age-Defying Eye Serum, $80, nerium.com
- Clinical studies showed a significant lifting effect with this idebenone-powered serum. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging + Intensive Repair Daily Serum, $230, elizabetharden.com
- Add a serum with 12 forms of the water magnet hyaluronic acid. Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, $35, niod.com
- A firming serum with four peptides, marine algae extracts, and the super antioxidant superoxide dismutase. Le Mieux Collagen Peptide Serum, $85, myskincarebox.com
- Give your regimen a seasonal re-balance with a concentrated treatment of red ginseng, licorice root, and mugwort. Sulwhasoo Herblinic Restorative Ampoules, $200, sulwhasoo.com
