Beauty Maintenance In Your 30’s

For most people, entering into your 30s is the time you really start to see changes in your skin. That’s because hormone levels begin to decrease, and collagen and elastin production slows down. This means the skin isn’t repairing itself as fast as it used to, and the first signs of aging are beginning to show. Some of these signs include fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation from years of sun exposure.

Your early 30s is usually when most people start families, and with babies comes a lack of sleep. Then there are high-pressure jobs, plus the stresses of everyday life, that really start to pile on.

The best way to combat this is to develop a skincare routine and healthy lifestyle habits. Doing so can help slow down the aging process as well as reverse some of the damage already done. Let’s dive into beauty maintenance in your 30’s!

Beauty Maintenance Tips To Follow In Your 30s

Aging is unavoidable and something that we’ll all have to go through. And even though I believe in aging gracefully, I’m also not opposed to occasional Botox. Whichever route a person chooses, I think that taking care of your health and well-being is an attractive trait.

So today, I’m going over my top beauty maintenance tips to follow and habits to adopt in your 30s. As I only have a year and a half left before I leave my 30s behind, I think it’s fair to say I’ve learned a thing or two.

Have A Different Morning And Nighttime Routine

Your morning and nighttime skincare routine shouldn’t be the same. The morning is all about protecting your skin from UV exposure and environmental stresses. The main focus should be a good antioxidant serum like Vitamin C and sunscreen.

The nighttime routine should include products that will help rejuvenate your skin. Key ingredients are retinol, chemical exfoliators, peptides, good eye cream, and a hydrating facial moisturizer.

Ditch The Makeup Wipes For Proper Cleanser

In your 20s, you were proud of yourself if you could drag a makeup wipe across your face before passing out. But those days are over! Washing your face before going to bed with a gentle cleanser is non-negotiable. And micellar waters don’t count either! Like makeup wipes, micellar should be reserved for emergency use only. Oil, makeup, dirt, and grime all accumulate in your pores throughout the day. It’s important for the health of your skin to remove all that build-up, and it’s also necessary if you want skincare products to work effectively at night.

Treat Your Under Eye Area With Extra Care

The delicate skin around your eye area is the most sensitive part of your face. And because there are no oil glands in this area, it is the first to show signs of aging, especially if you smile or squint a lot. This is why a good quality eye cream is a must-have essential. The TIME RESPONSE Eye Reserve Crème is my number 1 beauty splurge, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use another eye cream. There’s never a need to overdo it with any eye cream either, whichever you choose. Use it morning and night by lightly dabbing a small amount around the orbital bone.

Start Using Retinol

Retin-A (or tretinoin) is the only anti-aging product on the market that is proven to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, skin texture, and hyperpigmentation. This vitamin A derivative improves the appearance of the skin by reducing inflammation in the skin, speeding up cell turnover rate, and increasing collagen production.

Retin-a is a prescription-grade retinoid and is much stronger than over-the-counter retinol. Even though over-the-counter products don’t yield results as quickly, the beginning side effects are less harsh. When first adding Retin A into your regiment, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Start by using it twice a week at night. Slowly as your skin adjusts, move to every other night.
• Avoid using other products containing benzoyl peroxide, lactic and salicylic acids.
• Use a hydrating face cream.
• Use sunscreen and avoid sun exposure, as retinoids will make your skin more susceptible to sun damage.

Don’t Forget Your Neck And Chest

Your daily skincare routine shouldn’t stop at your neck. Unfortunately, most people neglect their décolletage even though it’s often on display. And because this area is so often exposed from low necklines, it often gets as much sun as your face but less effort to protect it. As we get older, the damage from UV rays starts to appear in the form of wrinkles, brown hyperpigmentation spots, and visible blood vessels. Now is definitely a good time to start giving this area the attention it deserves.

Before heading outside, apply sunscreen just like you would on your face. Before bed, use a gentle cleanser to remove body oils, sunscreen, and dirt. Avoid harsh scrubbing, which will do more harm than good, as the skin in this area is delicate. Start using a product containing retinol to help increase collagen in this area as well as fade spots and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Lastly, always use a moisturizer to enhance your skin’s hydration.

Always Apply Sunscreen

Did you know that damage from UV rays is the number one cause of premature aging? The good thing is that you can greatly minimize this with proper precautions. Apply sunscreen every single day, and put on more than you think you actually need; most people don’t use enough. And don’t think that using the leftover sunscreen on your hands is enough to pat onto your neck and chest. Use another full application to cover this area and anywhere else that will be exposed to the sun. If you spend long hours outdoors, reapply sunscreen every few hours and further protect your skin with a large-brim hat.

Get 8 Hours of Sleep Everynight

Beauty sleep is a real thing. During the night, while our body sleeps, is when the skin gets busy repairing itself. The longer you sleep, the more time it has to do its work. So getting 8 hours of sleep every night should be a priority. I recently started sleeping with the Hatch Restore sound machine, and it’s made a huge difference in the quality of my sleep. I’ve always been a very light sleeper, and small noises from outside constantly wake me up. Now that the extra noise is blocked out, I’m sleeping through the night and waking up feeling way more rested. Click here for 10 Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep.

The other game changer in the beauty sleep department is the Slip Silk Pillowcases. Is it expensive for a pillowcase? Yes, it is. But you’ll thank yourself when you wake up without deep creases on your face from a cotton pillowcase. They get extra bonus points for being more gentle on your hair as well.

Don’t Forget Your Hands

You can do everything else right, but if you neglect your hands, they will make you look older. As part of the natural aging process, hands lose fat, and the skin becomes less elastic. This reduction in volume makes the skin become more translucent. Veins become more noticeable, skin is more crepey, and wrinkled and brown age spots start to appear. Luckily there are things that you can do to slow this down and protect your hands.

• Moisturize. Never let your hands dry out. Keep a few bottles of thick hand cream around and make a habit of applying it regularly. I keep a bottle in my car, at my desk, by the kitchen sink, and in the bathroom. This way, every time I wash my hands, I can reapply.
• Wear Gloves. Whether it’s for doing yard work or using harsh cleaning chemicals, protect your hands with some gloves.
• Exfoliate. Just like anywhere else on your body, dry skin often needs some assistance to be removed. Use a gentle loofah or washcloth to remove dead skin cells from your palms, fingers, and knuckles. Follow immediately with moisturizer.
• Sunscreen. It’s those UV rays again that are responsible for brown spots and a faster breakdown of collagen. Before heading out, slather some SPF across your hands to protect them. Especially if you’re driving for long periods of time!

Skincare Is A Worthy Investment

Everyone loves a good deal, and there are plenty of budget-friendly drugstore brands that work just as well as their more expensive counterparts. But when it comes to quality skin care, you often get what you pay for. And this is one area of self-care that you may want to invest in. And the major reason for that is that it’s much easier and cheaper to prevent skin damage than it is to try and fix it later on.

Xx Monti