How To Have The Skin You Dreams No Matter How Old You Are
“To Age” is defined on Dictionary.com as “growing old or apparently old”. The same principle can be applied to our skin. Fact: We age…Every. Single. Day. Guess what? So does our skin. We are all born with beautiful baby soft skin. My perfect seven-week-old niece Katherine has the most amazingly soft-as-silk skin and as a person in the “industry” I can’t help but look at her and wish I could have her skin. I am also overwhelmingly overcome with the desire to shield her from the skin problems that she will encounter as she ages. Skin problems such as acne breakouts that will encounter once she reaches her teen years (and may linger into adulthood), to dullness, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation she will experience throughout the different decades of her life. Katherine’s lucky because she’s been born into a skin obsessed family. Her mama and favorite aunt happen to be skin experts and will be able to guide her in her journey by creating the perfect skin care routines to help her overcome both physiological and environmental issues as she ages.
Like Katherine, you too are lucky. You know that your skin also needs a skin care routine to help you navigate these tricky skin situations (“skinuations”), you have the expert team at Beautique Medical Spa to create your skin routines based upon what is going on in your life and your surrounding environment. Wait, did I just coin a new phrase- Skinuations. See what I did there? Clever huh? LOL. Back to what’s important. The products that saved your skin in your high school and college years won’t cut it once you hit 30. Remember Clearasil and St. Ives Apricot Scrub? Certain ingredients are more important than others, especially when your skin experiences changes as you age and you move from wrinkle prevention to wrinkle correction, you’re going to be needing a whole new approach to skin care.
This is why we’ve created Beautique Medical Spa’s Beauty thru the Ages: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Skin You Dreams. Having beautiful skin is completely obtainable regardless of your age as long as you understand that the Season of Life, we are living in dictates the care of our skin. Our Guide helps you build your skin care routine based on your decade. It’s no secret that our skin changes and in addition to our environment and lifestyle, hormones play a big part on how our skin ages.
Tumultuous Twenties. So many amazing milestones happen during our twenties. We graduate college, maybe meet our soulmate, eat whatever we want and still burn off the calories, reach drinking age, spend lazy days on the sun-drenched beach. Instagram was made for the twenty-something year old. Just look at their pictures. But these are also tumultuous for a reason, stress is introduced into our lives as we start “adulting”, and those great milestones such as being able to drink and spend lazy days on the beach can have serious repercussions on our skin. Environmental skin aging is mainly responsible for aging issues during this time and the skin habits created during this decade lay the foundation for your skin’s future. Take it from us. Establish a skin routine now because your 20s can be a difficult and challenging time. Right now, your skin looks bright, bouncy and plump, but in a few decades all of that will change. The earlier you start, the better. And establishing a 4-Step skincare routine focused on cleansing, exfoliating, toning, and moisturizing now will be better for you in the long run to help you prevent wrinkles. Since you probably don’t have a lot of wrinkles right now, the focus of your skincare routine should be SPF & protection- this will be a key ingredient.
- Cleanse: Wash your face before bed to get the day’s grime of oil, makeup, pollution and dirt off to decrease the risk of clogged pores and acne.
- Acne Treatment: When it comes to your 20s, pimples will occur, and regardless of whether they happen all the time, or every once in a while, it’s always good to have a spot acne treatment on hand. Many toners and/or exfoliators treat acne. Important Tip: Don’t over treat, it can make matters worse!
- Moisturizer: Whether you have acne-prone skin in your 20s or not, everyone needs a moisturizer in their skin care regimen. If you have oily skin and are worried, pick a product that is oil-free. If you have acne or redness, pick one with niacinamide (Vitamin B3) which will help combat redness and help prevent early signs of aging.
- Sunscreen: All skin care regimen must include broad spectrum sunscreen and should be worn all year round-no matter the season! Protecting yourself from the sun decreases your risk of getting skin cancer and slows the signs of aging. Studies show that the sun’s UV radiation causes 90% of skin aging, so it’s never too early to start protecting your skin. We absolutely love Bio Organic Mineral Sunscreen by Nelly du Vuyst. It is the first translucent mineral anti-aging sun protection that provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection to prevent sunburns and offer daily protection against urban and digital pollution. Bet you didn’t think you had to use SPF to protect your face from your computer, did you?
Flirty Thirties. Who remembers the movie Thirteen Going on Thirty? Wasn’t that just the most amazing movie. I doubt there is a woman alive that couldn’t relate to the thirteen-year-old just dying to be 30. I find myself thinking of my daughter when I watch that movie and just want to tell her “Slow down honey. Your time will come waaay too soon.” As a woman who turns 45 years old tomorrow, may I give you a little advice? Enjoy your thirties. This is your time to Thrive. If you choose to have children, this is your time to be that awesome mom you were born to be, enjoy your husband, climb that corporate ladder, travel, and establish a militant self-care routine. You will find yourself pulled in so many directions, but I promise you, the BEST thing you can do for yourself is carve out Self Care time on your calendar and do NOT break those appointments. Some of the best Self Care you can do is prioritize your Skin Routine. We have tricks to help hide the effect the sleepless nights you will spend pacing back and forth as you soothe your babies to sleep will have on your skin.
30s Skin Care Routine: Now it’s time to up the anti-aging ante. For the most part you should’ve already started a basic skin care routine. (Especially the sunscreen part- seriously wear it every day!) But because you may be noticing deeper crow’s feet, more prominent frown lines, and a little less bounce as collagen production starts to slow down, it might be a good idea to add some stronger anti-aging formulations into the mix.
- Retinol: Darling, meet your skin’s BFF…Ms. Retinol. Seriously, you two will be lifelong friends. To help maintain a strong skin foundation and stimulate collagen production, add on topical retinol. Also known as vitamin A, retinol is an anti-aging powerhouse that can reduce blemishes, boost cell regeneration and target premature signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and more. Not all Retinols are made equally. Certain formulations can be harsh and as a result we find that many clients will stop using retinol because they didn’t like the adjustment period. Well, you know we don’t take any excuses, we hunted and tracked down one of the best retinols’ hands down. Meet the Bio Complete Serum by Sentè Labs. This serum is a lightweight nighttime formula that combines the benefits of patented HAS (Heparan Sulfate Analog) technology with sustained release retinoids and other key ingredients for the appearance of firmer and smoother skin with minimal irritation. In fact, 88% of patients show improved skin smoothness and fine lines and wrinkles in 8 weeks and 100% of patients show improved skin texture in 8 weeks. The more powerful younger sister to this product is called Intensive Bio Complete and is just a stronger percentage of retinoids. Tip: You should only use retinols and night and do NOT, I repeat do NOT use retinols if Pregnant or lactating.
- Hyaluronic Acid: As collagen production starts to diminish, fine lines may start to become more noticeable. Keep your complexion plump and hydrated with hyaluronic acid, a humectant that helps attract moisture to skin.
- Eye Cream: Since the first signs of age appear around the eye, now is the time to use a nourishing eye cream to ensure this thin skin gets the hydration it needs. In addition to nourishing the eye contour, eye cream can also help reduce the look of premature signs of eye aging, like fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s-feet.
Forever Fabulous. so this is my decade, and there are still days that I can’t believe “I’m in my 40s.” I won’t lie, the adjustment period was hard, but I turn 45 tomorrow and I can finally say, that I am embracing this new stage in my life happily. My daughter is now seven, and I see the amazing human she is becoming and feel so privileged to help shape her. In our forties we know who we are, and don’t have to change to fit in any longer. And, I even get asked by younger women to share my wisdom with them, and that can be fun at times. Like the good habits that we have established regarding our careers, parenting, and being a partner to our spouses, the good skin care habits we established earlier are being rewarded. Now, if you didn’t treat your skin very kindly during your youth, don’t stress, there is still time to reverse some of the damage that has been caused and help you look Forever Fabulous going forward.
40s Skin Care Routine: By this point you should be maintaining the good habits you’ve already set—a solid skincare routine, SPF every day, and healthy lifestyle choices like not smoking and drinking plenty of water—now is the time to pay closer attention to the quality of your sleep. By your 40s, your skin turnover rate has slowed to more than double that of your early 20s (45 days vs. 20 days on average).
Your healing from scrapes and hormonal acne takes much longer, and you’ve had plenty of time in the sun and pollution to damage your skin’s DNA, increasing our risk of cancer and breaking down of our skin’s collagen faster than you can replace it. Wrinkles appear in areas of the face with the most movement, such as the forehead, between the eyebrows, and around the eyes and mouth. Now it’s time to take your skincare level up a whole few notches. We also suggest investing in a few products that will make catching those Zz’s a little more blissful, such as cooling bed sheets, a good white noise machine, lavender essential oil sprinkled on your sheets, and silk pillowcases (the gentle fabric won’t tug and pull while you snooze, contributing to fewer wrinkles).
- Antioxidant Serum: As you start to age, you’ll notice that your body takes a bit longer to recuperate. As your skin’s natural antioxidant defenses start to slow down, the skin cannot protect itself as well as it once could from the environment. It can start to take longer for the skin cells to replace themselves and correct the daily damage done to it, which is why in addition to protecting your skin with sunscreen and moisturizer, it’s time to add in the power of antioxidants as another layer of protection. Two antioxidants to keep on your radar. Vitamins C and E. Multiple studies show that antioxidant serums with vitamins C and E can protect your skin against photo-aging and lighten pigment. These vitamins function as antioxidants, neutralizing the damaging free radicals created by the sun and pollution before they activate the breakdown of collagen
- Anti-aging Face Cream: No matter your age, face cream is always a must. However, for your 40s you should use a more focused moisturizer that helps target signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and more. One of our favorites is Cellular-Matrix Cream by Nelly du Vuyst. This cream is specifically formulated to restore youthful and revitalized look to your skin. Made with salmon DNA and borage seed oil which is known for their repairing, nourishing and regenerating properties, this ultra-light and velvety formula helps prevent and minimize the appearance of aging signs such as wrinkles and fine lines.
Phenomenal 50s AND BEYOND. With each decade you start to experience a significant change in your skin and beauty—and for women over 50 and 60, and beyond these changes can become more challenging. Lines and wrinkles become more noticeable as your skin becomes drier, thinner and more sensitive. Resulting in thinner, looser skin as it begins to lose collagen and elastin. At this point in your skin care journey, the focus should be in maintaining your skin health, and making sure your skin has everything it needs to protect and defend itself against further damage.
- Peptides: In your 50s, and beyond you want to boost skin selectivity as much as you can. You should look for specialized ingredients like growth factors and peptides, which act like messengers to stimulate activity of your skin cells. When you apply topical peptides, they minimize wrinkles and give your skin a more youthful appearance. Peptides can be more effective in stimulating corrective pathways in the skin that have slowed with age.
- Rich Face Cream: Women in their 50s should use products that hydrate the skin. As you age, the skin continues to thin, making it dry, more sensitive and easily damaged. Look for products made with oils like jojoba or castor seed in their protective and emollient qualities, and humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid that can pull water back to your skin. The thicker, the better.
- Eyelash & Brow Conditioner: Another must-try product for your 50s? Eyelash and brow conditioner. As we age, “hair growth—including, eyelashes and eyebrows—begins to slow down. So, adding a specific product that can help with this repercussion can promote longer, fuller, more youthful-looking eyelashes and brows. We love Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner & Serum to help grow longer lashes. This original one-of-a-kind, Ophthalmologist developed eyelash conditioner enhances the look of lashes and protects against breakage while improving health, flexibility and strength for lashes that thrive naturally. And for brows we highly recommend Revitalash Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner & Serum. This conditioner addresses the visible signs of eyebrow aging due to chemical and environmental stressors, over-plucking and styling products, which lead to healthier looking, more luxurious brows.
Taking care of your skin is important- no matter what the age. It’s a simple and easy way to help you maintain youth and prevent wrinkles and loss of elasticity from developing so quickly. Of course, other factors take place as well such as: stress, lack of sleep, not enough water and unhealthy eating habits are factors as well. All of the products mentioned above are available at Beautique Medical Spa and our team of experts is always ready to help you customize your skincare routine specific for your age and needs, let us #RevealYourBelleza today!