The Skin Concerns To Treat In Your 20’s

Skincare is something that tends to fall on the back burner when you're in your 20's—between balancing careers and relationships, there's little attention given to skin. The whole idea that youth will keep skin healthy couldn't be further from the truth. This decade is all about prevention and establishing effective skin care hygiene. Considering all the factors to consider, where does one begin in tackling each concern? We've removed the guess work for and have broken down major skin concerns and how to begin becoming proactive! Practice these tips to keep skin: supple, glowing and healthy well into your mature years.

Stay Hydrated

As simple as it sounds, staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to keep skin feeling and looking supple. During this decade, many people are quick to reach for a highly caffeinated drink to burn the midnight oil rather than a restorative night of sleep. Caffeine is one of the largest culprits of dehydration and later leads to more prominent fine lines. Consider the fact that our bodies are largely composed of over 70% of water and that skin cells depend on water to carry out vital functions.

Aside from drinking more water which is benefical to hair, skin and nails to create a stronger foundation; one should also avoid foods that zap out moisture. Things such as swapping out coffee for a power boosting smoothie can make a  true difference.

In regards to topical treatments, reach for “soap-free” cleansers that remove dirt without stripping skin of essentials. Cleansers that have sulfates as a base create plenty of lather; but, in the process they strip the oils that maintain a normative ph level.

Less is More

The common mistake we make is: product overload. Given the hundreds of products to choose from in your typical drugstore, it's tempting to swipe up as many products possible. The problem with this practice is that certain ingredients can counteract others, thus making it ineffective. For example, Vitamin C can be made less effective with certain forms of Vitamin A (common ingredient in anti-aging products).

Another con to piling on products is that it can lead to irritation to the surface of skin and cause breakouts. The easy solution to this common problem is to find multi purpose products and to lean toward more naturally based products. For example, oil based cleansers act as makeup removers as they hydrate skin without the heaviness of a cream. So instead of using a dozen plus products, opt to keeping it simple in steps and ingredients.

Exfoliate

The importance of this step often gets overlooked because it turns people off. For some reason, exfoliating is steered away from due to fears of damaging skin. The truth is that exfoliation (when done properly) provides plenty of benefits like: increased skin turnover, increased blood flow and glowing skin. The key to this step is to exfoliate 1-3 times per week and to use gentle granuals like brown sugar or sea salt as a base.

Turn Up The SPF

Turn up how often you use an SPF fused moisturizer or a mineral based sunscreen. The optimal level of protection needed hovers around 30 SPF, any higher really makes little to no difference. SPF should be as routine as brushing one's teeth. It is important to use an SPF daily and to reapply for optimum benefits.

Chow On Greens

Uncommon to most leafy greens like kale and spinach are packed with higher amounts of Vitamin C than citruses. Aside from the minerals offered and low amount of calories, this food group should be eaten daily to see benefits more quickly.

Hold The Oil

During this decade, most are open to experimenting with makeup than those of mature age groups. Due to more usage of makeup, it is easy to pack on comedogenic oils that lead to breakouts. Many makeup brands sell themselves as “oil-free” or “fragrance free” but these phrases are not all inclusive. Acne causing oils can still slip their way into most foundations and liquid based cosmetic products.

Now for most, going au natural is not a realistic option; however, substituting liquid based products for powder based cosmetics can be one the biggest game changers. Powder cosmetics are packed with oil absorbing ingredients like talc. This option is the most benefical for those that suffer from dreaded oily skin or combination.

Fresh Face

Going to bed with a full face of makeup is inevitable some nights; but, this habit is one the quickest ways to age skin. Whenever you fall asleep with a full face with makeup, your pores are physically blocked for an extended period of time causing oil to become trapped deep underneath the surface of skin. As odd as it sounds, your skin really does time to “breathe”. It is so important to follow through with a cleanser (wipes don't count in this situation) toner and moisturizer.

Failing to have a regime to remove makeup can lead to molecules in makeup to “eat” away at skin and rob skin skins of much needed oxygen. It may add an addition 15-20 minutes to your bedtime routine; but, your skin will thank you years down the road.

Bust Out The Anti-Aging

This decade is all about: prevention. This is the time to practice good habits that will prevent future issues like hyper pigmentation, uneven tone, fine lines and dark circles that will give your age away! For instance, daily SPF wear should be taking place as early as 18 years old. While busting out the intensive retinols should be saved for your late 20's that target crow's feet and early fine line formation; your next weapon should be Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is known for its brightening properties which are key to eliminating the look of circles that tend to form during this stage in life. A good bet would be a Vitamin C based serum to be applied nightly with fingertips to gently fill in and give a supple like appearance. Aside from using Vitamin C regularly, treat yourself to serum fused sheet masks that are packed with antioxidants that have time to penetrate skin in a convenient gentle mask.