The Best Skin Care Routine for Your 30s
We love any excuse for a party, so we were cool with turning 30. Then we decided to keep turning 30 for another five years—any excuse for champagne—and these are our secrets to looking just as young each and every time.
By Elizabeth Siegel
(Photos: Thompson Michael)
BRIGHTEN UP
It’s not all in your head: Skin really does get duller around your thirtieth, when skin cells get as sluggish as you are after a night of tequila shots. “Dead cells sit around longer and rob skin of luminosity,” says Howard Sobel, a dermatologist in New York City. To get rid of them, use a glycolic acid peel once or twice a week before bed, and then moisturize to prevent irritation. “Glycolic acid is one of the most effective exfoliators because it penetrates more deeply than other acids,” says Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in New York City and Miami. Try Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel or Garnier Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Overnight Peel.
MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME
So maybe you forgot to use that peel last night, but you can sneakily fake a glow with facial oil. Rub a drop or two between your fingertips and gently press them over clean skin in the morning, starting with your cheeks, where women typically want to look most radiant. And voilà, you’re dewy, not greasy. Synthetic and natural oils absorb quickly since “they have a similar composition to your skin’s own moisture barrier,” says Jeannette Graf, a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York. We like Colbert M.D. Illumino Face Oil (it’s so lightweight, we forget it’s even on our skin) and Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Oil (it smells delicious).
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(Photo: David Cook)
DON’T GET SPOTTED
Before you can see sun spots—often caused by beach vacations and long runs (or extended happy hours) outside—they’ve already formed under your skin. But that’s not all bad news. “Treating spots before you see them can keep them from surfacing,” says Zoe Draelos, a consulting professor of dermatology at Duke University. Each morning, put on a serum with skin brighteners, like soy (we like Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30) or vitamin C (try SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Combination Antioxidant Treatment)—and start now. “By 30, many people have pigmentation that’s visible with UV photography, if not the naked eye,” says Draelos.
AND SPEAKING OF SUNSCREEN…
If you don’t already wear it every day, start. The sun causes 90 percent of wrinkles, and preventing them (by wearing sunscreen, duh) is easier than smoothing lines later on. We like Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 and Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Lotion SPF 20 because both are lightweight and won’t pill, turn chalky, or otherwise mess up your makeup. And don’t forget the rest of your body, beginning with the thin skin on your chest and hands, which shows signs of aging sooner than other body parts. We like Sun Bum Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 and Supergoop SPF 40 Forever Young Hand Cream, which belongs on your bathroom counter so you remember to use it after washing your hands.
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(Photo: David Cook)
AMP UP YOUR EYE CREAM
You could wear sunglasses every day of your life and still get fine lines under your eyes by the time you turn 30 because the skin there is so thin and delicate. The best way to smooth under-eyes is “by wearing an anti-aging eye cream with retinol nightly,” says Brandt. We like RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream and Glow by Dr. Brandt Revitalizing Retinol Eye Cream (the peachy tint is so good at neutralizing dark circles, we wear it in the morning, too). Bonus: Because retinol works by thickening skin, it’ll also make dark circles less prominent over time.
ACT PREEMPTIVELY
Not to harp on the whole “this is the time to prevent wrinkles” thing, but indulge us. Because if you start building up collagen now, you really can prevent lines later on. That’s why dermatologists suggest wearing a night cream with retinol once or twice a week (we like Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer and RoC Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Restoring Night Cream). Use it on your chest, too.
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