Proactive vs. Reactive: Start Early Kids
After the age of 20, people produce about 1% less collagen in their skin a year. This is what causes skin to appear aged, as the skin starts to thin and become more fragile. Starting a skincare regimen early in life can help you maintain healthy skin into your adult years. Using a daily SPF is the most highly recommended thing you can do to help protect your skin from environmental damage.
Teens:
Starting a skincare routine as a teenage years can help lay the foundation for years to come. It’s common for active teens to spend a lot of time outdoors so applying a daily SPF is the best possible thing you can do to help protect against sun-damaged skin that will inevitably come into play in the future. Although no one is advocating for a regimen with retinoids and slightly more potent creams for a teen, it’s important to introduce your teen to skincare and help build a routine and habits that they can use into their adult years. Encouraging teens to cleanse both morning and night will help reduce breakouts caused by oil build up and start establishing good habits. A gentle cleanser is a great place to start, followed by a lightweight moisturizer. Keeping skin hydrated throughout the day will help prevent signs of early fine lines or wrinkles, in addition to helping build their confidence.
Early 20’s:
With the rise of the young adult skincare industry, it’s become more popular for people in their twenties to actively start caring for their skin. As you reach twenty and beyond, your skin begins to produce less collagen & elastin, why is why it’s helpful to establish a solid skincare routine that works for your unique skin type. Cleansing daily, moisturizing and using an SPF are the simplest ways to keep your skin hydrated and youthful, but this is also a safe age to start using serums and more potent anti aging creams if needed. Products that contain retinoids, vitamin-c, and glycolic acid can be good compliments to your current regimen as they help stimulate collagen production.
Stay Proactive
Small tweaks we can introduce early when we’re young can benefit us greatly as we age. There’s more information and products readily available specifically formulated for every age group, we just have to work them into our daily routines. As we get older it’s easy to find the joys in taking better care of ourselves and the things that bring us joy, and hopefully with this proactive skincare approach, we’ll be thanking our younger selves and the skin we’re in as we grow into maturity.