Skincare for Your 20s: How to Keep Skin Fresh, Clear & Wrinkle-Free

If you’re in your twenties, you may have started thinking about how to best take care of your skin - which can be a very different process than when you were a teenager!

New skin concerns may start to appear, and the added responsibilities of life, and being an independent adult, may make it hard to develop a consistent skincare routine. Here are some tips to keep your skin glowing, fresh, and clear in your twenties.

SKINCARE IN YOUR TWENTIES: THE BEST ROUTINE

Skin loves consistency. Whether you’re part-way through college, starting a new job, or getting your own place for the first time, the twenties can be a challenge when it comes to developing (and sticking to) a skincare routine each day.

However, keeping your skin happy and healthy doesn’t have to take extraordinary amounts of time or money! Here is a helpful guide:

REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP

After an especially late-running party or an exhausting day at work or school, it may be tempting to just fall into bed without cleansing your face, but don’t give in to the temptation! Makeup particles can settle into pores and creases while skin is trying to renew itself at night, leading to wrinkles and clogged skin.

• Use a gentle sulfate-free facewash to remove makeup, especially important before bed. 
• If you can’t bring yourself to do a full face wash, use a cotton round and a micellar water cleanser to quickly dissolve the makeup, oil, and grime from the day and once those are removed, rinsing isn't mandatory! 
• After cleansing, toning is excellent for rebalancing skin and ensuring all traces of the cleanser and daily dirt are gone. 

WEAR SUNSCREEN

This is most likely an obvious one, but skin does not respond well to constant UVA and UVB radiation. The aging process can accelerate dramatically in sun-damaged skin, leaving you with sunspots, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkling.

• Get in the habit of wearing a face-specific, non-comedogenic sunscreen of at least SPF 30 each morning, whether under makeup or by itself.
• When you are out in the sun, be sure to apply sunscreen to the body as well to prevent aging in areas that will show age first, like the hands and the décolletage. 

Consider exfoliation only for a specific goal

Your age does not establish a need to exfoliate. For comfortable skin with surface roughness, one suitable formula may be an optional step. For acne-related comedones, use evidence-based acne care. Do not scrub flakes or treat an acid percentage as a complete safety score.

The exfoliation guide covers methods and application, and the frequency guide accounts for other active products. Follow product directions instead of a fixed weekly schedule.

USE A SERUM AND A MOISTURIZER

Moisturized skin is happy skin, and this is one area where you don’t want to cut corners. Think of serums as a healthy beverage for skin, full of essential nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins - elements that will help your skin produce collagen and look younger longer, while moisturizers are a creamy coating to lock in those benefits and simultaneously provide a firming boost.

• Serums, especially those containing hyaluronic acid help keep the skin hydrated without a heavy or greasy feel. Oilier skin types may be suitable for a serum alone, but drier skin types will need a moisturizer. Serums should be applied after cleansing and toning, but before applying a heavier cream. 
• Get in the habit of using a moisturizer in the morning before makeup, and a night cream before bed after you cleanse. This is true for oily skin as well, more on that soon.

LOOK FOR PRODUCTS THAT ARE pH BALANCED

The term “pH” stands for “potential hydrogen,” and is a method of describing the scale of a solution from acid to alkaline. Skin requires a certain level of acidity in order to kill bad bacteria that may be present, but if skin is too acidic, it can start to become irritated and inflamed.

On the other hand, if skin’s balance is too alkaline, it may become excessively dehydrated and prone to infections. The skin’s moisture barrier, also called the “acid mantle,” protects skin from pathogens, germs, irritants, and environmental factors while simultaneously keeping moisture locked in.

• Since skin’s natural/ideal pH is around 5.5, skincare products should be pH balanced to help skin maintain that ratio. Make sure you look for products that are “pH balanced,” meaning they won’t throw off your skin’s natural ratio of acid to base.
• Using a super acidic cleanser, for example, will strip your skin of its moisture and leave you dehydrated and inflamed. Harsh surfactants, like sulfates, are a common culprit to be avoided. 
• Following cleansers with a gentle toner such as witch hazel or rose water can further help protect the pH balance of your skin. 

Choosing an exfoliating acid

Glycolic, lactic and mandelic acids are AHAs; salicylic acid has a distinct role in labeled acne products. Neither molecular size nor a botanical source proves that a formula is gentle. Read AHA vs. BHA vs. PHA and glycolic versus lactic acid.

Acids do not replace sunscreen or guarantee treatment of melasma. FDA AHA guidance emphasizes formulation and sun sensitivity. Do not transfer professional-peel findings to an ordinary home serum.

TREATING ACNE IN YOUR TWENTIES: THE GENTLE WAY

As a teenager with acne, you may have used a variety of acne-fighting scrubs, cleansers, and creams - most with fairly high concentrations of salicylic acid, and a low moisturizing content.

Then, as you enter your twenties, remember that maintaining moisture is a major concern. A strong moisture barrier allows your skin to slow the aging process, which will keep your skin looking young for as long as possible. When treating acne in your twenties:

• MOISTURIZE, NO MATTER WHAT. While it may be tempting to skip this step, if you’re using acne-fighting products with salicylic acid or another drying acid, your skin will get dehydrated very quickly. As teenagers, our skin typically has an overabundance of oil production which prevents skin dehydration. That changes in the twenties, and your skin will thank you (now and later!) if you give it daily, consistent moisture.

• DON’T STRIP YOUR SKIN. Harsh cleansers that aren’t properly pH balanced will take away all of your skin’s natural oil and leave you vulnerable to inflammation. Acne-prone skin needs to be treated even more gently - it’s sensitive, after all - so use a gentle cleanser!

• USE A LOW CONCENTRATION OF ACID. Salicylic acid is the most commonly used product to fight acne, but products often contain much more acid than you should really use on a daily basis, leaving your skin dry, unhappy, and vulnerable to further breakouts. Look for acid concentrations of less than 1.5% and be consistent with your daily use. Consistency is the key.

SKINCARE IN YOUR TWENTIES: THE ROUNDUP

The twenties can be a challenging decade filled with life changes and new experiences, but don’t forget that with a little self-care, your skin can stay healthy, glowing and radiant. If you create a simple skincare routine and make time for it every day, you’ll find that your skin reflects your effort, and you’ll enter your thirties with a youthful, bright complexion!

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