Inside: The best anti-ageing tips for skin in your 30s.
I have always moisturised, it’s something my mum told me to do from a young age. But it was only when I reached my 30’s that I fully appreciated why a good skincare routine is crucial. I’ve started noticing changes in my skin and so have done a lot of research into what I need to be doing moving forwards.
Using moisturisers with glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, aloe and glycerin as active ingredients and also using products with Factor 30 built-in are a great place to start! Keeping hydrated, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy diet will also help keep your skin healthy.
For dry or sensitive skin types, the Best Anti-Aging Moisturizers can help replenish hydration while supporting the skin barrier. They’re especially helpful when you’re trying to balance anti-aging benefits with gentle care.
There are lots of other things you can do to help your skin look healthier and to reduce the signs of ageing and this article will take you through them all.
What are the early signs of ageing?
The most well-known sign of ageing is the appearance of fine lines and many people will focus their efforts on trying to minimise them with various creams. However, there are other signs that might be overlooked that are equally important when trying to look after your skin.
- Fine lines and wrinkles. As elasticity is lost and skin becomes thinner you will see more fine lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles appearing.
- Dullness of skin. The skin takes longer to renew itself and so dead skin will remain and give skin a dull appearance.
- Uneven skin tone. Hormonal changes can cause some parts of the skin to hold onto melanin, causing some patches to be darker than others.
- Dry skin. Less oils are produced and as a result skin is left looking and feeling drier.
- Blotchiness and age spots. As the skin becomes thinner, blood vessels are more visible and sun damage can cause age spots.
- Rough skin texture. With dead skin cells taking time to slough off, the skin can feel rough to touch.
- Visible pores. Less elasticity means gravity pulls at skin, enlarging pores in the process.
If you want youthful skin for longer then you need to know what the signs are, why skin changes happen and how to slow down the process to maintain healthy skin.
What causes the skin to age?
As we age, skin loses its elasticity as connective tissues (collagen and elastin) break down and it also loses moistures as the sweat glands under the skin produce less oils. This results in thinner, drier skin that looks a tired and dull due to the formation of wrinkles and the sagging of skin.
Of course all of this would happen anyway eventually but the rate at which it happens can increase due to environmental damage. Factors such as sun damage from UV rays, temperature changes drying out the skin and the effect of pollution, as well as whether you smoke or not, your diet, overall health and how much water you drink, all need to be considered.
When you are younger, your skin is able to renew itself easily and recover from anything thrown at it but as we age it becomes harder to do so. And if you’ve not looked after your skin then all of those external forces may well result in your skin ageing sooner than it perhaps should do.
One of the biggest things to affect your skin in your 30’s is stress – not at all surprising with the mental load we have to deal with when managing a household. The stresses and worries of life has a negative impact on skin cell turnover which means our skin holds onto dead skin cells for longer – making us look more tired!
Anti-ageing tips
When you are in your teenage years or early 20’s the only thing you may be concerned with is acne breakouts and making sure your skin glows. But starting early with a good cleanse, tone and moisturising routine will hold you in good stead for your future. If you can also wear sun screen every day then you will be ahead of the game!
By your late 20s and early 30’s you might start to notice the appearance of wrinkles and other effects of any sun damage, lack of moisturiser and other good habits that you’ll wish you’d adopted sooner. But the good news is that it’s never too late to start and there are some easy lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the signs of ageing – starting today.
- Cleanse, tone and moisturise every morning and night (using specific day and night creams)
- Drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.
- Use Retinol drops to help prevent and treat clogged pores and build new collagen and elastin.
- Use SPF daily for UV protection.
- Exfoliate regularly according to your skin type (twice a week if you have dry to oily skin and once a week if you have a sensitive skin type).
- Use moisturisers with active ingredients such as glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, aloe and glycerin to help skin absorb moisture to stay hydrated.
- Add an eye cream to your moisturising routine – choosing one that increases elastin and collagen production.
- Add an antioxidant serum to your morning regime to help combat free radicals and sun damage.
- Get enough beauty sleep so your body has time to repair and renew skin cells.
- Use red light therapy at home for skin cells energizing. It will help to boost collagen production and reduce signs of aging.
- Consider incorporating polynucleotide treatment into your skincare routine. This innovative therapy can further enhance cellular repair processes, promoting healthier and more youthful-looking skin alongside your red light therapy sessions.
- Froya Organics – The Complete System for Mature Women’s Skin
Rather than building a routine from multiple products, this all-in-one system offers a comprehensive approach for women seeking mature skincare products that address several age-related concerns at once. The set includes a facial scrub, day balm, night balm, and eye balm, working together to support hydration, skin barrier function, firmness, and overall skin vitality. Formulated with ingredients such as rosehip, pomegranate, sea buckthorn, arnica, and vitamin E, it provides a streamlined solution for maintaining healthy, nourished mature skin.
And beyond your 30’s, the theme remains the same; use skincare products that repair the elasticity and hydrate the skin to keep it looking and feeling its best at any age.
Anti ageing products to try
As you age, products that you have used for years can suddenly be ineffective. This is because ingredients that work well in your 20’s may not suit skin that is drier or more delicate in your 30’s. It is a good idea to research products suitable for your age bracket so that you know the ingredients will work hard for your skin.
Here are a few products to get you started:
Cleanser
This La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser is a gentle wash and contains ingredients that will help to repair the skin and keep it hydrated and soothed, including ceramides, panthenol, thermal water and niacinamide.
Retinol serum
This Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Facial Serum is formulated with 2 powerful ingredients: retinoid complex and Vitamin B3. These combine to hydrate your skin and help improve fine lines & wrinkles, skin smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, and pores.
Note: Do not use the serum in the same session as any other retinol products.
Moisturiser
This Olay Regenerist Day & Night Set is the perfect duo to help your skin looks its best. The day cream contains Peptides and Niacinamide to hydrate and renew your skin ahead of the day and the night cream contains Retinol complex and Niacinamide to help your skin renew itself through the night for smooth and glowing skin by morning.
Note: Do not use the night cream in the same session as any other retinol products.
Suncream
If you don’t particularly want to invest in moisturisers or foundations with built-in UV protection then this Over Makeup Mist is brilliant. Spray it over the top of your makeup in the morning to give you sun protection for 24 hours.
Eye cream
This CeraVe Eye Repair Cream reduces the look of dark circles and puffiness for brighter, healthier looking eyes. Containing 3 essential ceramides Hyaluronic Acid it maintains the skin’s protective barrier and helps it to retain moisture.
Anti oxidant serum
This Garnier Vitamin C Serum for Face contains a mix of 3.5% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, & Salicylic Acid to visibly reduce the appearance of dark spots and enhance your skin’s natural glow.
Exfoliator
This Nip + Fab Face Scrub cleanses and exfoliates the skin, containing glycolic acid to promote the renewal of skin cells. Use 1-2 times a week to leave skin feeling smoother and brighter.
Using these products will help you to look younger, purely due to the fact that you’ll increase the moisture levels and get rid of any residual dead skin. But you will also reduce any further damage with the use of anti oxidants and UV protection.
Ageing is inevitable, in fact it is a privilege, but that does not mean we resign ourselves to wrinkly, dry skin. Anti-ageing isn’t about reversing the ageing process but making sure that you take care of your skin, whatever stage it is at, so that it looks its absolute best.
We may not be able to stop wrinkles, dark spots or sagging skin from ever appearing but we can at least prevent premature skin ageing with a secure skin care routine and healthy lifestyle.