There seem to be two groups of women in this world; those who found a skin care routine that worked for them as a teen and followed that same routine through to their 30s or even 40s, and those who change things up every few years as their skin changes. The reality is that what works in your 20s won’t necessarily work in your 30s and beyond. Just as you need to make changes to your physical health as you get older, so too you need to adjust your skin care as you age. In order to maintain healthy-looking skin into your golden years, you need to tailor your skin care routine to the stage of life you’re at. Here we take a look at what you should consider your skin care routine to look like through the decades.

In Your 20s

woman with beautiful skin in her 20s

Your 20s are a time of carefree living with fewer responsibilities. Partying with friends and late night study sessions, eating fast-food for most meals and endless amounts of time spent lying in the sun; any skin issues at this stage are usually the result of this kind of lifestyle. Therefore, the goal of your skin care routine in your 20s is to protect and prevent – protect from the toll of late nights and inadequate nutrition that may wreak havoc on your skin, and prevent skin issues that you might face later in life.

You’ve probably heard that when it comes to skin care, it is best to start young. But at this stage, there is no need to go overboard with skin care products. You want to balance your skin and protect it, not overwhelm it. Keep things simple. Use a gentle cleanser to wash your face and remove any dirt and makeup in both the morning and the evening. Follow this with a moisturizer to keep your skin soft and hydrated. If you are dealing with acne, then you can also include a spot treatment in your routine.

Your best friend at this stage will be sunscreen. Sunscreen protects your skin from aging prematurely and slows down the host of skin care issues we face as we get older. Make sure you apply sunscreen over your moisturizer every single day, even in the cooler months. Your skin will thank you later. You may also want to incorporate an antioxidant-rich night serum into your evening routine to counteract bad lifestyle habits which can start to show up as fine lines and pigment changes in your late 20s.

In Your 30s

woman with beautiful skin in her 30s

The two biggest issues in your 30s are fine lines and discoloration. The good news is that any acne issues will usually disappear at this stage; the bad news is that this is because the skin becomes drier. Drier skin leads to fine lines and wrinkles developing, while hormonal changes due to pregnancy and birth control can result in melasma (brown spots). What you eat now will also have a bigger influence on the health of your skin, more so than when you were in your 20s and could almost get away with it. You may also notice your skin seems less smooth than it was and your pores appear larger.

Besides for the basic cleansing and moisturizing that every skin care routine follows, you should exfoliate at least 3 times a week. This will get rid of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface and help newer, healthier skin cells regenerate, giving you a more youthful glow and helping your skin care products to work more efficiently.

Wash your face in the morning and evening. Apply a serum or moisturizer in the morning before you apply sunscreen, and then again in the evening. Also, apply an eye cream in the morning and evening to help protect the delicate skin around your eyes. Incorporating a brightening serum into your routine can also help with any discoloration. Look out for peptides in your skin care products as these will help to boost moisture.

In Your 40s

woman with beautiful skin in her 40s

This is the stage women seem to really up their game when it comes to their skin care routine. The skin loses a lot of its elasticity, especially around the eyes, and pigmentation often gets worse so aging spots become more obvious. There will be a deepening of fine lines and wrinkles, and expression lines become more pronounced. Hormonal changes and a dip in estrogen levels also cause dry and flaky skin, and possibly acne too. As your skin loses its ability to hold onto moisture, look for ingredients including peptides, antioxidants, and ingredients that stimulate the skin’s production of collagen such as retinol. Avoid ingredients that dry out the skin such as harmful chemicals.

This is the stage you want to get the most out of your ingredients. What you apply in the morning you want to last you until the evening when you do your nighttime skin care routine. Cleanse your face using a hydrating cleanser to keep in moisture. Creamy or milky cleansers work best. Then use a serum both day and night before applying your moisturizer and eye cream. Brightening serums will help with discoloration, and as always, sunscreen should still be an important element of your skin care routine.

In Your 50s

woman with beautiful skin in her 50s

When you hit your 50s, lack of moisture and sagging skin are probably your biggest concerns. As your skin dries out further, any lines and wrinkles will become deeper and more obvious. The elasticity of your skin diminishes and collagen production decreases even more which is what leads to sagging skin.

When you reach this stage, you should wash your face with a gentle moisturizing cleanser and apply a hydrating, antioxidant-rich moisturizer in both the morning and the evening. Applying a serum before your moisturizer will give added benefits as it is concentrated with beneficial ingredients that deeply penetrate your skin while also allowing the moisturizer to be better absorbed and the ingredients to work their magic. Look out for powerful ingredients such as peptides, amino acids, and antioxidants like vitamin C and retinol. Try a brightening serum to reduce the appearance of age spots and always apply a sunscreen after your moisturizer in the morning. When applying your skin care products, don’t forget your neck!

In Your 60s+

woman with beautiful skin in her 60s

At this stage, any skin issues you experience will just manifest at a quicker rate. Dryness will become an even bigger concern and signs of photoaging will become more apparent. Your skin will also start to become thinner and rougher and more crepe-y in appearance. Washing your face gently is important as your skin is more sensitive at this stage and more susceptible to damage. After cleansing your skin, apply a collagen-building serum which also contains antioxidants to fight free radical damage. Serums are better absorbed by the skin so their powerful ingredients provide a much-needed boost. Then apply an ultra-hydrating moisturizer to lock in moisture and keep your skin supple and feeling soft and smooth. A brightening serum is also useful to reduce sun and liver spots.

You may also notice that your lips are becoming thinner and the vertical lines around them more pronounced. You may benefit from a moisturizing lip plumper which will help increase lip volume and also keep your lips feeling soft and help reduce lip lines.

So there we have it, following the same skin care routine as you did in high school won’t do much for your skin when you’re in your 30s. Change is necessary, so follow the above tips for beautiful skin no matter how old you are.