As we “level up” each year in life, we celebrate the knowledge, peace, and grace that comes with age and experience. However, that doesn’t mean that we need to take every change lying down. When it comes to skin aging, you will find us trying our best to age gracefully. That means doing everything we can to care for what we already have and learning to love and accept the beautifully imperfect version of ourselves. With age comes the ability to filter out the nonsense and strip life down to only the essentials. Below we will help you do just that by breaking down the best products to preserve and enhance your natural beauty in each decade of life.

 Teens & 20s:

It’s all about prevention and acne treatment. In your teens, you are struggling with hormonal changes that can cause acne and increase oil production. You will want to use a simple Salicylic Acid cleanser and possibly a nightly acne treatment serum with Niacinamide. Your twenties are the time to form routine sun protection habits! The younger you start protecting your skin from UV damage, the better your skin will be later in life (not to mention the decreased risk of skin cancer).

• Daily SPF!
• Salicylic Acid Cleanser
• Topical acne treatment (if necessary)

Don’t downplay the importance of healthy eating and sleep habits. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping stress levels to a minimum can significantly impact skin health. This is true for every stage of life.

30s

Now is the time to schedule a visit with a dermatologist if you haven’t already done so. At this stage in life, there is a slightly diminished production of sweat and oil glands, so your skin will start to dry out a bit…the upside is that this usually clears up acne. Your thirties are typically when things like hyperpigmentation, sun spots, fine lines, dark circles, and larger pores start showing up. (sigh). Collagen production starts slowing down, and your skin becomes thinner, so crows feet and frown lines become more pronounced, and skin starts to lose that healthy bounce it had in your twenties. It is a good time to reach for over-the-counter retinol to help boost the production of elastin and collagen. Hyaluronic Acid serums are also a help in replenishing lost hydration and smoothing the look of fine lines. Cellular renewal starts to slow down in your thirties as well, increasing discoloration and dullness. To help minimize these changes, you will want to add AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) to your routine. AHAs help reduce the buildup of dead skin cells, improving the look of pores and even out texture and skin tone. Check out Flash Forward Exfoliation Treatment with 10% Lactic Acid (AHA) and Fruit Enzymes for an intense at-home resurfacing treatment. 

Until your mid-thirties, most skin damage is caused by external factors such as UV exposure and pollution. Once you hit your mid-thirties, the quality of our connective tissues in the skin starts to deteriorate, causing deeper lines and sagging. Topical antioxidants like Vitamin C can help turn back the clock on external free radical damage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and beginning skin supportive supplements can help slow this internal process. We also recommend talking with your Dermatologist about in-office preventative treatments.  

• Gentle Cleanser
• Exfoliating Treatment 3x Week
• Hyaluronic Acid Serum
• Antioxidants (Vitamin C)
• Over-the-counter Retinol Treatment
• Moisturizer
• SPF

40s

Now is the time to buckle down and bring out the heavy artillery. As collagen and elastin levels continue to drop, you will start to notice more pronounced jowls, larger pores, increased pigmentation, and deeper wrinkles and expression lines. A peptide serum can significantly help diminish the look of wrinkles and expression lines over time. Peptides are the building blocks of skin and send messages to cells telling them to do a specific job, like increasing collagen. You will likely notice the decrease in elastin predominantly in the delicate eye area, where the skin will start to develop under-eye bags and increased sensitivity due to a diminished protective oil barrier. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to add an eye cream – look for one that is rich in emollients (learn about emollients here), antioxidants, and retinol for best results.

At this stage, you will notice the dryness that results from decreased production of sebaceous oils. Your skin loses its ability to retain moisture, which is why we highly recommend topical face oils to help replenish the lost oils and help seal in moisture. You can even find facial oils that contain other beneficial ingredients like our Lightspeed Hydra Glow C Serum – it is a lightweight Vitamin C facial oil that deeply moisturizes without leaving skin feeling greasy. We also recommend regular at-home microcurrent facials to help strengthen muscle tone in the face (which can aid in preventing jowls) and red light therapy to stimulate collagen production.   

Some women experience menopause in their late forties, which can mean even more dryness and potentially a specific type of acne called perioral dermatitis. We highly recommend talking with your Dermatologist about prescription treatment options as well.

• Gentle Cleanser
• Exfoliating Treatment 3x Week
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Peptides
• Antioxidants (Vitamin C)
• Upgraded Retinol Treatment (speak with your derm about Rx strength)
• Eye Cream
• Moisturizer
• Facial Oils
• SPF
• At-home Microcurrent / Red Light Facials

50s

Just as you’re hitting your stride in terms of confidence, self-acceptance, and grace, gravity and menopause try to knock you back. The drop in hormones further diminishes skin elasticity and collagen production, resulting in jowls, loose skin, “turkey neck,” static wrinkles (the kind that are permanently visible), and severe hyperpigmentation or “age spots.” Depending on whether or not you were diligent with daily SPF, skin laxity and hyperpigmentation may be less advanced.

In your fifties, the epidermis struggles to maintain optimum levels of lipids, including ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. These fatty lipids are vital in retaining moisture and hydration and giving the skin that “youthful bounce.” It is imperative to replenish these lipids as the body no longer produces enough of them. To do this, you will want to invest in a moisturizer rich in ceramides that contains a nice balance of humectants and emollients (learn more here.) With the diminishing protective lipid barrier, you may want to slowly start to back off some more aggressive treatments like prescription retinol/retinoids and focus on replenishing moisture loss and protecting your thinning skin. We recommend visiting your Dermatologist to schedule in-office laser treatments to help address deeper lines, wrinkles, and discoloration.

• Gentle Cleanser
• AHA Exfoliating Treatment 3x Week
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Peptides
• Antioxidants (Vitamin C)
• Retinol (depending on your level of dryness, you may want to back off the retinol)
• Eye Cream with Peptides, Caffeine, and Low Percentage Retinol
• Moisturizer Rich in Ceramides, Fatty Acids, and/or Glycerin or other Humectants
• Facial Oils
• SPF
• In-office Laser Treatments

60 +

As you enter your 60’s, your skin’s ability to produce sebum and fatty lipids further diminish, making moisture and hydration the number one concern. To keep the skin barrier functioning, you need to supplement the fatty acids and ceramides that the body no longer produces. This is where a rich moisturizer will come in handy. Reach for an oil-rich moisturizer with ceramides and fatty acids and a mix of other emollients and humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. You may want to try applying a thin layer of an occlusive cream like Aquaphor on top of your moisturizer at night to help lock in the hydration and moisture. You may also want to invest in a humidifier for your bedroom.  

It’s also time to rethink how you exfoliate, as the wrong ingredients can quickly dehydrate your skin even more. You will want to switch to an Alpha Hydroxy Acid exfoliator that will be less aggressive. We love Lactic Acid, as it is gentle enough for all skin types (including extremely dry skin), and it is well known for its ability to boost glow and luminosity, which is why we used it in our Flash Forward Exfoliation Treatment. Continue with lower percent retinol if your skin can tolerate it without irritation or redness. If you can no longer tolerate retinol products, then an alternative would be an EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) serum. We also recommend talking with your Dermatologist about in-office laser treatments or peels that may be right for your skin needs.

Your skin and skincare won’t drastically change from your 60’s through the later decades.

• Gentle Cleanser
• AHA Exfoliating Treatment 3x Week
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Peptides
• Antioxidants (Vitamin C)
• Retinol (low dose retinol or switch to an EGF serum if you can no longer tolerate retinol)
• Eye Cream with Peptides, Caffeine, and Low Percentage Retinol
• Moisturizer Rich in Ceramides, Fatty Acids, and/or Glycerin or other Humectants
• Facial Oils
• SPF
• In-office Laser Treatments / Peels

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