Many of us mistakenly only start getting serious about skincare in our 40’s when signs of aging such as wrinkles, dryness, redness and pigmentation start to become more noticeable.
But according to consultant dermatologist Dr Eva Melegh, there are five crucial skincare habits we should all adopt before we turn 30 in order to prevent premature aging and reduce the risk of developing common age-related skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, adult acne and skin sensitivity in our 40’s and 50’s.
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Wear an SPF Everyday
Everyone should be wearing a daily SPF on their skin by the time they are 30, come rain or shine, winter or summer.
Preferably opt for a mineral SPF with a high percentage of zinc oxide in as zinc is the most stable of mineral SPF’s and is great for sensitive skin and has the added benefit of reducing inflammation.
Kalme Day Defence SPF25 is a day cream that contains a pure zinc mineral SPF with the additional benefits of anti-redness, super antioxidant and 24-hour moisturising ingredients, so an all-inclusive buffet for preserving and protecting skin from UV damage.
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Boost Good Skin Bacteria
Like the gut, the skin has both good and bad bacteria populating it. Bad skin bacteria is caused by external dirt and pollution as well as oxidisation of skin sebum as it reaches the skin’s surface and mixes with air.
Bad skin bacteria can cause inflammation and infection of skin pore which leads to acne as well as get into cracks and weak spots on the skin and cause itching, swelling and slow down healing. Bad skin bacteria can also damage skin barrier function which leads to skin dryness and cracking.
Good skin bacteria is bacteria that’s beneficial to skin growth and helps maintain and protect skin barrier function, makes skin more flexible and robust against external pollutants and chemicals from other skin care and cosmetic products and reduces infection of the skin pore from sebum oxidisation as well as keeping the skin pore more flexible.
The key is to keep levels of good skin bacteria up and levels of bad skin bacteria down, in doing so this will prevent a number of skin issues that can easily arise if the balance is reversed. As skin ages and becomes thinner and drier, its easier for the balance to be reversed.
So daily skincare that helps keep the balance right is crucial for maintaining more robust and flexible skin.
Clarol Silver Serum is a light skin serum that contains a specific ‘smart’ silver ingredient that feeds good skin bacteria while starving bad skin bacteria. Wear this daily straight after cleansing under cosmetics and overnight under any overnight skincare products to maintain and boost levels of good skin bacteria while reducing levels of bad skin bacteria.
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Use Retinol to Regenerate Skin
Retinol helps stimulate collagen growth and increases skin cell turnover. A medium strength retinol product used 2-3 times a week should be something we are all practicing by the time we enter our 30’s.
The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane (boots.co.uk) is a simple medium strength retinol formula suspended in a highly hydrating natural oil, worn overnight it will help speed up the regenerate skin during the most efficient period for skin growth.
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Don’t Wash Your Face
Sebum is an oily, waxy substance produced by your body's sebaceous glands. It coats, moisturises, and protects skin. We need sebum for healthy skin yet too often we strip the skin of this vital substance in the name of cleanliness.
Scrubbing your face with cleansing washes with water in order to clean out pores and wash away dirt, cosmetics and general ‘grease’ also results in removing the majority of the skin’s natural oils, leaving it drier and more fragile.
You can clean away all the dirt and make up from your face while protecting and preserving the skin’s natural oils by using a non-comedogenic water-free cream cleanser daily coupled with exfoliation every 2-3 days to gently clean out any sebum build-up in pores either with a physical exfoliating product (make sure it’s a gentle one) or with an AHA peeling product. This method is far more beneficial for preserving your skin and promoting skin cell renewal than washing daily with facial washes or foaming cleansers and water, especially as you enter your 30’s when skin naturally starts to become drier.
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Wear Sunglasses Whenever its Daytime
Most sunscreens are too heavy for use close to the eye area and yet this area of skin is not only the most fragile due to its thinness but also the first place to show signs of ageing.
The most effective way to protect this highly delicate and vulnerable area is to wear UV blocking shades whenever its light enough outside to warrant it.
Getting into the habit of wearing sunglasses in daylight hours even when it’s not sunny (unless it’s very dull indeed) is one of the single best things you can do to preserve the skin around your eyes from ageing.
A helpful tip is to own two pairs of sunglasses, one darker pair for when its really bright and sunny and one pair with a lighter and more illuminating lens for when it’s a bit gloomy. But come gloom or sun, wearing shades during daylight hours protects eyes form UVA, UVB and HEVL (daylight) rays which can all damage and prematurely age skin around the eyes and the eyes themselves.
