Any dermatologist or skincare expert will tell you it’s never too late to start caring for your skin—yet the earlier you develop a regimen, the better.
Generally, prevention is more effective than correction. That means embracing certain habits and ingredients into your daytime and nighttime routines during the twenties & thirties so that by the time you reach the forties, you’re more likely to have tighter, brighter, healthier skin.
It is essential to use brightening and anti-wrinkle products even before any deep-set fine lines or sunspots show up as microscopic changes like excess pigmentation or loss of collagen start in our twenties and progress so slowly that you don’t usually see them until your thirties or forties. By then, they’re much harder to assess and treat.
At the same time, there is so much skincare advice in the world that filtering the most important habits to implement on before forty can be complicated and tricky.
When developing a skincare routine, it is important that you adjust to what feels doable and fun to you personally. Otherwise, you won’t be able to stick with it, and eventually, it won’t work. Here we provide you with 10 smart skincare things dermatologists think you should do in 2022.
1. Think About, and Write Down Your Concerns or Symptoms Beforehand
Take some time to jot down your top concerns and any details you can recollect about them. For instance, if your skin is exposed to the sun and got tanned, mention to your doctor how long before this happened, or what was the duration of your sun exposure. If you used sunscreen, kindly enlist the product as well. If you’re seeing the dermatologist about a particular spot or rash, list how long you’ve had it, what the first symptoms were like, and how it’s changed over time.
Oftentimes, the history you give to the doctors can help them rule out certain causes and provide a more accurate diagnosis, which in turn might be helpful to treat the concern more precisely.
2. Start Getting Head-To-Toe Skin Checks
Looking younger is amazing and all but making sure your skin is protected against any stubborn pigmentation, autoimmune disorders, or skin cancer is way more amazing. That is why it is smart to make an early habit of getting full-body exams by a dermatologist at least once a year.
Always make time to get a baseline skin evaluation from your dermatologist to make sure there are no early signs of any bothering skin concerns or diseases.
3. Embrace Smoothening Moisturizing Agents
Skin gets drier, flakier, and duller as we age. As a result, it becomes mandatory to develop a habit of safeguarding skin’s moisture barrier early on.
There are a few truly effective moisturizing ingredients dermatologists always recommend, including moisture-trapping lipids, that mimic the natural lipids in the skin responsible for making babies’ skin so soft and silky. However, those deteriorate over time.
Hyaluronic acid or Sodium hyaluronate, a derivative of hyaluronic acid, is the other moisturizing ingredient all dermatologists recommend using as it promises to re-create the hydration of the hyaluronic acid that our skin produces naturally. It’s great for moisturizing and hydrating dry, aging skin and reducing wrinkles, and it especially does wonders for the aging eye area. Consult your doctor before thoroughly starting a suitable moisturizer.
4. Exfoliate Two or Three Times a Week
As if the empirical stress of getting older wasn’t enough, there is still more to it than meets the eye. With aging and maturing, the skin thickens, becomes dull, drab, and lifeless, and pores become highlighted. Why does this happen?
Generally, as we start to age our dead skin cells don’t shed that as fast as they used to before. That makes the skin start to look dull and the texture rough. Exfoliating two to three times a week can help solve or at least stave off some of these concerns. Regular exfoliation can also help your other skincare products penetrate way better.
5. Get Acquainted with Vitamin C
Dermatologists concur that the antioxidant vitamin C is one of the most vital ingredients to start using in your 20s and 30s. The reason is its antioxidant properties that prevent dark spots even before they start appearing and support collagen before you lose it.
Vitamin C is a terrific skin brightener with firming benefits since it boosts collagen and has antioxidant & UV protection benefits as well. Apply your vitamin C in the morning before moisturizer and sunscreen for extra protection.
6. Make Sunscreen the Center of Attention to Your Routine
Dermatologists have said it before, and they will never stop saying this, ”If you incorporate one anti-aging skincare product into your everyday routine, let it be sunscreen.”
Consistency is the key with sunscreen. You really do have to apply at least SPF 30 every day to keep your skin glowy, youthful, and most importantly, safe. Apply on all exposed skin surfaces every day every 2 to 3 hours with a commitment to consistency.
7. Incorporate Retinol Into Your Routine
Just as vitamin C should have a place in your morning routine, retinol should have a routine place at night. Retinol, a derivative of Vitamin A, works by prompting surface skin cells to turn over and die rapidly, making way for new cell growth underneath. They prevent the breakdown of collagen and tighten the deeper layer of skin where wrinkles get their start.
Retinol is a bit of a finicky ingredient, so make sure to choose a product that comes in an opaque, well-sealed container. Make sure to keep it away from direct sunlight as it’s not photo/sunlight-stable. Also, because retinol can be irritating on the skin, use it one or two nights a week to start, and then work your way up to nightly use.
8. Don’t Overdo It With Your Skincare
Too much washing, scrubbing, exfoliating, or product use can destroy your skin’s natural protection against damage. Over drying, over-exfoliating, and over scrubbing start to create a cycle of inflammation, redness, dryness, flaking, rashes, and breakouts. Eventually, it so happens that we then use more products to try to fix those issues instead. Sometimes, with the skin, less can be a lot more.
9. Stay Hydrated
Do you know how people with perpetually glowing, radiant skin always say their top tip is to “drink enough water”? For those of us who deal with skin conditions, that advice tends to elicit an eye roll. Glorious skin is typically the result of many factors, not just adequate hydration.
However, there is something to the idea that drinking enough water does result in better skin. Studies have shown time and again that proper hydration can increase your dermal thickness. When you have thick skin, it’s more proficient at dealing with inflammation and appears smoother.
10. If Nothing Else, Wash Your Damn Face Conventionally
Just like brushing your teeth, it’s not enough to care for your skin only once a day. Because skincare during the daytime is all about protecting your face, and skincare at night is all about repairing it and enhancing it. Establishing a routine and incorporating the ingredients and the advice above before you go to bed and when you wake up is the key.
And whatever you do, be sure to cleanse your skin, morning and night religiously. If you only have the energy to do one thing before bed, let it be to remove the excess dirt and makeup from the face. Unwashed skin means clogged pores and a dull, uneven complexion. So start here, and work your way uphill.
Conclusion
The first step towards achieving healthier skin is making skincare a general habit in your lifestyle. Consistency is key to accomplishing your skincare goals effectively and swiftly. In addition to the aforementioned tips, monthly skin treatments and procedures can really bring out the best of your skin.
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