Hey Beauty Lovers!
Now that I'm 31, I have had to adjust my skincare routine to accommodate aging skin. I have really taken my skin for granted in my early 20s, and I didn't start a daily skincare routine until I turned 26. My biggest regret of my 20s would have to be destroying my skin barrier with harsh acne treatments.
In my late 20s, I became obsessed with healing my skin barrier and pushing myself to wear sunscreen daily. I would definitely say that I successfully repaired my skin, and now I focus on maintenance and aging prevention.
I will be posting the essential skincare products for 20s skin sometime next week, and I will try to remember to link it here.
Below I will go through the basic skincare steps needed to build a fantastic routine. I will include options for products for 30s skin, but these products can be used at any age.
1. Enzyme Cleanser
The first step to any skincare routine would be cleansing the skin. Most days I double cleanse, once with an oil-based cleanser and once with a water-based cleanser. Other days I triple cleanse by adding micellar water into my routine. The most important thing to remember when cleansing your skin in your 30s is to include a gentle exfoliating cleanser a few times a week. In my experience, enzyme powder washes are the best exfoliating cleansers for mature skin. If you are in the US, it will be hard to find the pictured Oseque Silky Bright Enzyme Powder Facial Wash*, but it is a great affordable option. If you simply can't find the Oseque option, I highly recommend The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder from Tatcha. The Tatcha option is pretty expensive, but it is definitely worth the money.
2. Exfoliating Toner
After cleansing the skin, is it very important to use a toner. When I was younger, toner meant an alcohol-based product that burned off half my skin. Thankfully, now there are toners on the market that will actually help your skin. Toners are actually supposed to adjust the skin's pH after cleansing and prep the skin for the rest of your skincare routine. There are hydrating toners and exfoliating toners, both with important roles in skincare. In your 30s, an exfoliating toner is a must. Gentle exfoliation will help remove dead skin and promote cellular turnover. If you are looking for an all-natural, exfoliating toner, I highly recommend the Thank You Farmer True Water Light Toner*. Alternatively, the Son & Park Beauty Water is also a fantastic option. Hydrating toners can be layered on top of exfoliating toners, but if you only have the budget for one toner, I would recommend one of the exfoliating products I mentioned.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for aging skin! If you haven't been using a Vitamin C serum in your 20s, now is the time to start. In addition to evening skin tone and dark spots, Vitamin C can also help promote collagen production. Collagen is essential for skin to look firm and youthful, but natural collagen production starts to decline in the late 20s. Using Vitamin C daily can help boost the presence of collagen and keep skin looking plump. If that doesn't convince you to pick up a Vitamin C serum, the multipurpose ingredient is also a powerful antioxidant! That means that Vitamin C will help soak up free-radicals produced by UV damage on a cellular level. As you can tell, I really think that you need a Vitamin C serum in your routine! I have tried many serums, and I am very impressed with the Fleur & Bee Nectar of the C Rejuvenating Vitamin C Serum*. If you are new to Vitamin C, the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop Serum has a very low percentage of Vitamin C which makes it very gentle. I recommend starting with a low dose of this powerful antioxidant and slowly working up to a more potent product. If you use a strong Vitamin C serum right away, you may experience redness and sensitivity.
4. Centella Asiatica
Centella Asiatica was officially my favorite discovery since turning 30. This star ingredient is amazing for aging skin! In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, Centella Asiatica strengthens the skin barrier, which is perfect for combatting aging, sun damage, acne scars, and skin sensitivity. These days you can find Centella Asiatica in a variety of skincare products, but my favorite products are serums and ampoules. I am currently using the Be Plain Cicaful Ampoule* and I am in love. It is extremely calming and doesn't feel heavy at all. It is the perfect skin booster for every season. I also really enjoyed the Meebak Cica Face Serum* which is a little thicker and more hydrating than the ampoule. Both are great options for aging skin, and I would recommend them for all skin types.
5. Snail Mucin
If you have been reading my skincare routine posts, you already know how much I love snail mucin. I started using products with snail mucin in 2018, and it was love at first use. There are many skin benefits of using this amazing ingredient, and most of them are great for aging skin! Snail slime is an anti-oxidant, anti-wrinkle, and anti-acne all in one product. With regular use, snail mucin will help soften fine lines, reverse UV damage, help heal wounds (such as acne), hydrate the skin, and help increase cellular turnover (an important function for aging skin). I use many different snail mucin products, including essences, serums, ampoules, sheet masks, and face washes. My two favorite snail mucin products are the iUNIK Black Snail Restore Serum* and the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. I am currently using both of these products, but I use them at different times of the day. If you are nervous about the slimy feeling of snail mucin, I suggest using the iUNIK serum. The COSRX essence has a slimy texture, so keep that in mind!
6. Eye Patches
As a mother of two young children, I know how important eye care can be! All those sleepless nights can really take a toll on your complexion and make your skin look stressed. In addition to eye cream (I actually use two), I use eye patches every AM. Not only do eye patches help depuff the under-eye area, but they are also great for wrinkle prevention. In your 30s fine lines around the eyes really give away your age, so this step is very important. With so many eye patches on the market these days, it is really easy to find ones that fit your needs. If you are looking for inexpensive, every day eye patches, I recommend the EveryDaze Gold Charcoal Hydrogel Eye Patches and Diamond Drop Hydrogel Eye Patches. They are often on sale for $10-16 and they are fantastic! Another favorite of mine are the JayJun Roselle Tea Gel Eye Patches. If you have a special event, or you can afford expensive skincare, I highly recommend the Soon Skincare Pomegranate Hydrogel Collagen Eye Patches*. They take eye care to the next level with their unique formulation.
7. Collagen
Collagen in skincare is pretty controversial. There is no concrete evidence that layering collagen on your face will provide any skin benefits, but I can tell you about my experience with the ingredient. I started using products with collagen last year and I feel that it helps my skin retain hydration. The large collagen molecule might be sitting on top of the skin providing a seal for all the amazing ingredients applied underneath. For that reason, I like to use products with collagen towards the end of my skincare routine. I am currently using the Coxir Black Snail Collagen Eye Cream and the Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream layered on top. My husband is using the Etude House Moistfull Collagen Sleeping Pack in the AM and PM on top of a regular moisturizer. I highly recommend checking out the Etude House Moistfull Collagen line. It is super affordable and keeps moisture locked in for hours!
8. Propolis
Like snail mucin, propolis is another fantastic natural skincare ingredient. Propolis has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and healing properties that help protect the skin against environmental stress. I absolutely love using propolis sheet masks. The Papa Recipe Bombee Black Honey Mask and the Leaders Mediu Amino Propolis Mask are two of my favorite propolis sheet masks. However, if you really want to protect your skin all day from pollution, I highly recommend checking out the Elensilia-CPP French Propolis 80 Resistem Cream. It is a pretty sticky moisturizer, so I suggest using only a little at a time. I also like to layer some Argan Oil on top to help my sunscreen apply easier. I love this moisturizer so much that I already lost count on how may I've purchased.
9. Sleeping Packs
As we sleep, our skin loses moisture from a decrease in oil production. Without proper hydration, skin ages even faster. If you haven't tried a sleeping pack yet, you are in for a fantastic treat. Adding a sleeping pack to the end of your PM routine will give you the smoothest skin of your life every morning! You can go for the now-famous Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, but you can get the same results with less expensive products. The Huxley Secret of Sahara Sleep Mask* is formulated with prickly pear instead of watermelon, but you will love the way you look after the first use. Another great option is the SNP Bird's Nest Water Sleeping Pack*. Both of these more affordable masks have the same texture as the Glow Recipe sleeping pack, and they are fantastic alternatives.
10. Sunscreen
If you aren't using sunscreen daily, stop what you are doing right now. Not only do UV rays cause skin cancer, but they also age the skin! While you should have been applying SPF daily in your 20s, it's never too late to prevent more skin damage. Right now there is a lot of controversy over chemical sunscreens in the US, so I like to stick to physical sunscreens. Unfortunately, physical sunscreens can leave your skin looking white as a ghost. To prevent that annoying white cast, I like to use a tinted mineral/physical sunscreen. My absolute holy grail sunscreen is the Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50. I don't even bother using other sunscreens on my face any more, so I honestly can't suggest alternatives to this amazing product. You need this product in your life ASAP!
This post ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated! I really stand behind all the products mentioned in this post, so I hope you give them a chance. If you have any product suggestions for the categories listed, please leave me a comment.
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you want to read more content like this, check out the Skincare Chat Series tab at the top of this page.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section down below. I would also love to hear about your experiences with any of the products mentioned!
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XO
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