The Best Skincare Habits and Routine For Your 30’s

Congratulations on surviving your 20s, and welcome to the amazing next decade of your 30s. If you were lucky, you outgrew your acne and oily skin years ago, and it never returned. For people like myself, the daily battle for clear skin has stuck with us through the years, And for others, entering into their 30s brought some unexpected hormonal acne problems with it.

But skin concerns in your 30s are far more than just worrying about some blemishes. Cell turnover begins to slow down, and the effects of years of sun exposure and bad skincare habits start to show. Now, when we look in the mirror, we notice the pimples plus fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and other signs of premature aging. Here are The First Signs of Skin Aging To Look Out For. Yay!

The good news is that for pretty much every skin-related issue, there is a serum or remedy to address it. And although aging is a natural and inevitable part of life, there are steps we can take to slow that process down. So read on as we go over the best skincare habits and routine for your 30’s

The Best Skincare Habits and Routine For Your 30’s

Makeup Remover

First things first. If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch the wipes. At one point in time, remembering to rub a wipe over your face before falling into bed was something to be happy about. But that was in your 20’s. Now that you’re in your 30’s it’s time to take your skincare more seriously. Although makeup-removing wipes are super convenient, they’re abrasive and really not good for your skin. Most contain alcohol that strips your face of moisture. And without actually rinsing your face clean, you’re really just spreading makeup, grime, and dirt around your face.

What to do instead- The first step in your skincare routine needs to be thoroughly removing your makeup. Use micellar water or even better- an oil cleanser before washing with a gentle face wash. An oil cleanser will break up and dissolve all the dirt, oil, and makeup (even waterproof mascara) that’s accumulated throughout the day.

Switch Up Your Morning And Evening Routines

Your morning and evening skincare routine shouldn’t be the same. Some products like Vitamin C are better suited to daytime use. Other products are best used at night. Another benefit of having two different routines is the effectiveness of addressing multiple concerns. You can use products that treat one problem in the morning, and different products in the evening.

Start Using Retinol

Retinoids and their over-the-counter version retinol are one of the top skincare ingredients on the market. Retinols work both on the surface level of your skin and by penetrating into deeper layers. In the deeper layers of your skin, it helps boost the production of elastin and collagen, producing a plumping effect. This, in turn, reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores. On the surface of the skin, it has an exfoliating effect that helps improve uneven texture and tone. The faster exfoliating process also helps treat acne by keeping pores unclogged.

The downside to retinol is that it can take several weeks for your skin to adjust to its use. Just start at a low percentage and space out your application every few nights until your skin adjusts. If you start incorporating retinol into your routine in your 20s that’s great! But it should definitely be part of your skincare habits and routine in your 30’s.

Use An Eye Cream

There are no oil glands around the eye area, and they are, therefore, the first part of the face to show signs of aging. Using a quality eye cream and keeping this delicate area moisturized is essential in preventing fine lines and wrinkles from starting. Don’t just slather on your regular face cream and call it a day, either. Eye creams are formulated with ingredients that smooth fine lines, reduce puffiness, and correct dark undereye circles.

Take a little extra time to gently dab in the eye cream around your orbital bone, the area right under your eye, and above the cheekbone.

SPF Daily

Using a high SPF daily is important at every age. But it becomes imperative if you’re trying to correct existing signs of premature aging. As well as prevent or delay further damage and aging from taking place. Sun exposure is another thing that slows down cell turnover, making it easy for lines and wrinkles to form. Also, something very important to keep in mind is that topicals like Retinol will make your skin extra sensitive to the sun. You will burn if you’re spending time outdoors. So always keep up with the sunscreen and even a hat to be safe.

Don’t Forget Your Neck

The neck and décolletage are two areas that are oftentimes overlooked in most skin care routines. The skin in this area is more delicate and will be the first to show signs of aging. Over time, sun damage, gravity, and the natural aging process cause changes in skin texture. Rubbing leftover face cream down your neck won’t be enough to prevent this. When you think about it, the neck area gets almost the same amount of sun exposure as your face but way less care. So, taking an extra minute to properly treat your neck will go a long way to preventing aging. Apply a full application of moisturizing cream and then SPF to ensure your neck and decolletage area are fully hydrated and protected from the sun.

Be Gentle

It’s easy to get carried away with corrective skin care products. But if the products you’re using have strong, active ingredients in them, less is more; being gentle also applies to washing and cleansing your face. Limit the frequency of abrasive scrubs, and use soft washcloths. My favorite ones to use are these ORGANIC MUSLIN COTTON BABY WASHCLOTHS. They’re ultra-soft and gentle enough to use on your face.

Get Your Beauty Sleep

It’s called beauty sleep for a reason. Your skin uses this time to repair itself. So, skimping on the proper amount of sleep will take its toll on your face. If sleep is something you struggle with, here are my tips for a good night’s sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours, and sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase. It might sound bougie AF, but trust me when I say it makes a difference. When you sleep on a cotton pillowcase, it tugs on your face through the night while sleeping. Waking up with those sleep lines all over your face will eventually form new wrinkles. Several years ago, I switched to these SLIP SILK PILLOWCASE and will never go back.

Morning Routine

Light Cleanse

You should be doing a meticulous job of removing any SPF and makeup at night before bed. And if you are, there’s no need for a strong face scrubbing in the morning. Overwashing your face with harsh soaps will end up stripping your skin’s protective barrier, leading to dry, red, irritated skin.

All you really need in the morning is a light face cleanser to remove any creams from the night before. Now you have a clean surface that your new serums can easily penetrate.

Toner

Toners are often overlooked. But they do offer skin benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked. Face toners help prep your skin for the rest of your beauty routine. In the past, toners were harsh astringent liquids that stripped and irritated your skin. But now, they’re made with versatile ingredients that can address many skin concerns. Some have the ability to tighten pores, add hydration or reduce oil production. They can even reset the ph of your skin to optimal levels after cleansing.

Serum

Serums are what we use to deliver powerful active ingredients deep within your dermal layers to really make a difference. There are many different actives that fall under the term serum.

• L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): This is an antioxidant the neutralizes free radicals and helps brighten skin tone. It’s also helpful in reducing inflammation in hormonal acne.
• PHA / BHA / AHA: These are different exfoliating acids that help with skin texture and correcting hyperpigmentation.
• Ferulic Acid (Contains Vitamin C + E): This is another antioxidant that helps even out skin tone and builds collagen.

Moisturise

After applying your serum, use a face cream appropriate for your skin type. If you have dry skin, use a heavier face cream. Oily skin types can use an oil-free moisturizer or lightweight water cream.

SPF

The Last step in your morning routine should be a protective layer of sunscreen. When applying products, always go in order from the lightest to the thickest formula.

Evening Routine

Remove Makeup

Massage a cleansing balm or cleansing oil into your face to remove all the product and makeup on your face. Use gentle circular motions to break down makeup, being careful not to tug on your sensitive eye area. Then rinse your face clean with warm water.

Cleanse

After removing your makeup, use a stronger cleanser to remove any oil residue. Remember, when purchasing your face wash, to buy one suited for your specific skin type.

Serum

Stronger topicals like Retinol should be used at night. Follow the instructions for use on their package. If time allows for it, I like to wait a few minutes to let the serum fully absorb into my skin before moving on to my next step.

Eye Cream

Gently dab your eye cream around your orbital bone using your ring fingers until it’s fully absorbed. Remember to always keep this area hydrated.

Night Cream

The last step in the nighttime skin routine is a hydrating facial cream. However, if my skin is feeling extra dry for any reason, I will pat a small amount of oil like this SEABERRY MOISTURIZING FACE OIL on top of the cream.

Let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed reading the best Skincare Habits and Routine for your 30s and if there are any extra steps you include.

Xx Monti