10 Skincare Commandments For Your 30s

Since my teen years, my skin has went through some trial and error on finding my favorite combinations of skincare products. However the products and routines, I’ve had in my 20’s are quite different from the products I use now in my 30’s and I’ll more than likely tweak my routine again when I hit my 40’s.

For those who wants to age slowly (who doesn’t?), here are 10 skincare commandments to combat aging and keep a youthful look much longer.

1. Make SPF Your Best Friend

The need to protect yourself from the harmful UV rays becomes more critical as you get older. Sun protection starts with applying sunscreen daily with SPF 30. For the best skincare, specialists advise that you apply the SPF every time you are exposed to the sun.

You should reapply every 4-5 hours for adequate protection. This might not be so easy when wearing makeup. That’s why several makeup brands are adding SPF to their products. Supergoop! Invisible Setting Powder is one of my favorites because it does other amazing things to my skin aside from sun protection such as giving my makeup a soft, matte finish without caking or drying.

READ: 15 Sun-Kissed Sunless Tanning Tips

2. Learn to Love Collagen

Collagen is one of the critical components when it comes to maintaining youthful and wrinkle-free skin. Collagen keeps the skin thick and youthful looking. However, as we continue to age, our body’s production of collagen continues to decline. Collagen production can decrease even further if you smoke, eat a lot of sugar and exposure to UV rays from the sun.

We can get back what was lost by learning to love collagen-promoting habits. You can start by exercising often and eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Collagen-building supplements are great too! Vital Proteins Collagen Water is great because it’s light, refreshing and I can add collagen to any moment of my day. Topical treatments like Olay Regenerist are another option but if you want to take collagen-building to the next level, an in-office procedure is more effective and results are quicker.

3. Boost Moisture

Keeping your skin hydrated is essential for any age but it’s extra important once you hit your thirties. Use moisturizers that hydrate and locks in the moisture with skin-replenishing ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Natural oils and moisturizers with plant-based ingredients (Herbivore Botanicals Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist is one of my faves!) will help too so check out products that contain rose seed oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil and the like.

As most people take great efforts to take care of their skin and boost skin moisture, using daily moisturizers and oils is the first step to keeping unwarranted dryness at bay.

4. Visit an Esthetician

An esthetician can help you learn more about your skin type, and the best products for supporting your skin’s needs. While using gentle, acid-based, topical agents at home is a great way to support skin renewal, monthly facials will help expedite this process by providing advanced exfoliation and pore cleansing.

Facials are a soothing and relaxing way to pamper yourself and another self care ritual to indulge in once in a while. When performed by a professional, they can also promote higher levels of skin hydration, and eliminate more damaged skin cells at the surface layer. The result is a brighter and more youthful complexion overall, as well as skin that is far healthier and and far more resilient all-around.

5. Eat More Vitamin-Packed Foods

No list of skincare commandments is complete without a recommendation for better nutritional support. That’s because truly healthy and youthful-looking skin always starts from the inside. Eating lots of fresh, colorful produce will expose you to a diverse range of phytonutrients that support the renewal, resilience, and overall well-being of your dermis.

Foods that are high in Vitamin A can even help you preserve more of the smooth collagen layer that both defines and supports your skin. Not only will this slow the development of superficial facial wrinkling, but it can also stave off the volume loss that’s associated with far more advanced facial aging.

6. Incorporate Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acid, and lactic acid are agents that are frequently used in chemical peel procedures but there are plenty of acid-based skincare products that you can use for home use. My favorite is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA because it’s inexpensive (under $10) but still gets the job done. Honestly, the brand itself has so many incredible yet affordable products. Anyway, these acids gently break down old and damaged skin cells, so that the new and healthier cells beneath them can be revealed. This manner of acid-based exfoliation brightens the skin, and minimizes the appearance of many superficial blemishes.

Using them as part of your normal skincare routine at home is a great way erase sun spots, age spots, melasma, and other dark-colored blemishes. If you develop problems with hyperpigmentation or other forms of discoloration in your 30s, you’ll also want to start using a high-quality Vitamin C serum. I use two Vitamin C products at home interchangeably that I highly recommend: Neogen Dermatology Real Vitamin C powder (which you can add to any moisturizer) and Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum. This potent, skin-renewing agent will balance out the tone of your skin, even as it fosters noticeable improvements in your skin’s texture.

7. Stay Hydrated

Drinking lots of water periodically will have a direct impact on your skin in both the short and long term. Doctors recommend you take at least three liters of water each day.

Besides drinking water, you can increase your hydration levels by taking daily supplements. These will help promote hydrated and healthy cells. Supplements such as Vitamin E and Collagen are great places to start.

Hydration is critical, regardless of whether your skin is dry or oily. Every skin type requires extra moisture. Once you hit your 30s, it’s even harder to retain moisture as your collagen and elastin levels start to drop. Adding a hyaluronic acid serum to your skincare routine will help keep your skin adequately hydrated.

8. Switch From Makeup Powder to Cream

While powders offer comfortable, lightweight coverage, it’s not the best option once you hit your 30’s. The older we get, our skin produces less oil and with dryer skin, powder makeup can start sipping into fine less.

Trade in your powder makeup to creamier textures instead. The next time you’re at a makeup counter, reach for cream foundations, blushes and eyeshadows. Makeup products with creamier textures will enhance and brighten your facial features and leave you with a youthful dewy finish.

9. Practice Self Care

Your self care habits will definitely show on your face. Take time to unwind and do stress-reducing rituals such as taking a nice bubble bath at home or make it an at-home spa day by lighting some candles around the tub (Boy Smells Gardener Candle is love) and playing some music while enjoying your bath soak. If you smoke, maintain an unhealthy diet, allow yourself to be chronically dehydrated, and live a sedentary lifestyle, your skin will start looking dull, aged, and creased long before it’s time. Routine exercise will provide the blood flow, nutrient and oxygen delivery, that your skin needs for maintaining a bright, vibrant appearance.

Drinking plenty of water will keep the dermis supple and soft. Along with a healthy diet, this will promote skin health at every layer. If you smoke, starting a cessation plan will not only reverse some of the more superficial signs of facial aging, but it will also prevent cracking in your smooth collagen layer that might ultimately create problems such as smoker’s lines (peri-oral wrinkles), and deep, static creases that remain visible on the face even when your expressive facial muscles are completely at rest.

10. Visit Your Dermatologist

Your 30s is the time for you to have a sit-down with a skincare professional and conduct a detailed examination of your skin. Like I mentioned earlier, the production of collagen and elastin dwindle as you get older.

Consequently, conditions such as inflammation and dryness can set in as well, especially in areas where they hadn’t occurred previously. It’s the reason why many women experience adult acne as they approach their 30s.

A dermatologist will examine you and prescribe what’s best for your skin needs. One of most effective products for treating common acne and skin aging issues is Tretinoin aka Retin A which you can only get prescribed from a doctor.

Am I missing anything skincare commandments on this list? How do you take care of your skin? Share your thoughts by commenting below!