As you grow older you need to make sure you are treating your skin with the respect it deserves...
It’s one of the first things you notice about a person – their skin. Smooth, glowing cheeks and ageless eyes garner envious looks like nothing else. But, unfortunately, ageing happens to us all. Even A-list celebs are not immune to it.
As you age, your skin changes, along with the rest of your organs, causing your skincare needs to change as well. Even as young as 25, your eyebrows begin to sag slightly. In your 30s, the lines from nose to mouth become more obvious. At 40, forehead wrinkles start to appear. Come 50, the sides of the face begin to sag and wrinkles around the eyes and neck deepen. By 60, wrinkles are more pronounced and the features are pulled downwards. The ageing process can’t be stopped but it can be stalled. Read on to find out how…
In your 20s
Wrinkles are the last thing on your mind in your 20s. However, establishing a good skincare routine early on will pay dividends later. It’s likely your skin is settling down after the spots and hormonal outbreaks of your teen years. At 25, cell turnover begins to slow slightly and you may notice a slight loss of firmness and elasticity in your skin.
Your skincare routine from 20-30
Protection is the key at this age, as the type of lifestyle you lead now will be reflected in your skin later. Avoid too much alcohol, don’t smoke and keep your junk food intake to a minimum. These measures will serve you well later on. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking eight glasses of water a day. If you do one thing for your skin, make sure youalways wear protection while in the sun. Sun damage is responsible for most of the signs of skin ageing, so wearing a moisturiser with a sun protection factor (SPF) of eight to 15 every day is a good idea.
Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, making sure to include your neck area (once you get into the habit you won’t want to miss it). And always take off your make-up before you go to bed or you’ll end up with blocked pores, which can lead to spots and blackheads.
Skin fact
The ageing process begins to affect the skin from the age of 17. However, as much as 80% of all signs of ageing
– such as wrinkles, sun spots and spider veins – are down to the environment, exposure to sunlight and UV (ultra violet) rays, smoking and our general lifestyle.
Bright young things
Leighton Meester: The Gossip Girl actress has spent many years playing 16- and 17-year-olds, which is testimony to this 25-year-old’s fresh-faced look. A natural beauty.
Scarlett Johansson: ‘I never sleep with make-up on – even if it’s 4am!’ says the gorgeous New Yorker, 26. The results are plain to see.
In your 30s
During this decade your first wrinkles will start to appear, probably around your eyes and across your forehead. Your skin will become looser as the production of elastin and collagen proteins that keep your skin firm starts to slow down. If you have a late, boozy night your skin will give you away much more than it did a few years ago and stress will also make your skin look grey or sallow. Smoking is particularly bad for the skin’s appearance, and a long-term habit will really start to show at this age, so think seriously about quitting now.
Your skincare routine from 30-40
Look for anti-oxidants in your products now to protect you from the early signs of ageing and to ward off free-radical damage from pollution, heating and air-conditioning. A good eye cream is a must if you want to prevent the lines around your eyes deepening. Use a facial scrub or peel once or twice a week to revitalise your skin and treat yourself to a face mask at the same time to give your skin a real boost and to keep it toned and fresh.
Diet is also a big factor in the maintenance of a youthful-looking complexion. Fresh fruit, vegetables, grains and fish are all high in antioxidants such as vitamins A, B, C and E. These vitamins help produce enzymes that stabilise collagen levels, keeping the skin moist and healthy.
By the age of 18, around half of all the UV damage your skin will suffer (from the sun’s rays and sunbeds) will already have been done. By the age of 30, the figure rises to 75%.
The prime of your life
Eva Mendes: The actress and supermodel, 37, has her lovely Latin looks to thank for her fortune. And, as the face of Revlon for many years, she’ll know all about skincare.
Kelly Brook: Sexy Kelly, 31, swears by splashes of cold water on the face and sesame oil to keep the skin firm and maintain that youthful glow.
In your 40s
Towards the end of your 40s and into your 50s, your body will go through huge changes as the menopause kicks in. Your levels of oestrogen will decrease during this time, affecting the suppleness and thickness of the skin, which may become thinner and, while the surface may still be soft, it can start to look dull and feel dry. There can be a marked reduction in the body’s collagen and elastin fibre, resulting in a lack of tone, a sagging jaw line and deepening wrinkles.
Your skincare routine from 40-50
A balancing cleanser is essential, but pick one that won’t dehydrate your skin. An enzyme-based facial scrub used
once a week will lift dead cells and improve the texture and radiance of your skin. And, of course, sun protection remains important whatever your age, so use a good level of protection whenever you’re outside.
Choose a hydrating moisturiser that targets the signs of ageing as well as suiting your skin type. A nourishing night cream should also be used. It’s a good idea to use an anti-wrinkle eye cream that can also be applied around the lips, as these are the two areas on your face most vulnerable to fine lines and deeper wrinkles.
There are many active serums on the market. They can be used under your moisturiser to help encourage the production of collagen and elastin which, in turn, increases cell turnover.
Skin fact
Skin cell renewal is most active while we sleep which is why night creams are designed to maximise this active period.
Forty and fabulous
Jennifer Aniston: Our favourite Friend oozes vitality, with skin and hair in tip-top condition. And at 42, Jen’s done well to keep those eye lines at bay.
Liz Hurley: The English actress seems to get more beautiful with age. Amazingly, the 45-year-old Austin Powers star claims to have suffered chronic acne in her youth.
In your 50s
At this stage of your life, it’s vital you take extra care of your skin’s health. Mature skin is more delicate and prone to everyday injury such as bruising, and cuts or damage to the skin take longer to heal. It is likely you will notice the development of uneven colouration in your skin, broken capillaries and patches of redness and other blemishes associated with ageing.
Proper skincare will not only give it a cosmetic boost, it will also ensure better protection against injury and infection. If you’ve looked after your skin over the past 30 years, it’s now that you’ll notice how good it looks. But if you’ve been a bit slack in this department, don’t worry, it’s not too late to start taking time out to nourish your skin and give it radiance.
We love: Superskin Bust Treatment, £26.55, Liz Earle.Your skincare routine from 50 and beyond
Earlier advice goes doubly for skin health in your 50s, and you might be best staying out of the hot sun altogether, with or without sunscreen. At this age, regular cleansing and moisturising aren’t enough. Anti-ageing products become necessary, and treatments can really help when targeted at specific areas. These can be aimed at a particular wrinkle or group of wrinkles, discolouration patches or areas that are sagging and have lost firmness. It’s not too late with good skincare you can dramatically improve the texture of your skin.
Your skin loses about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells from the surface nearly every minute, even though you are completely unaware of it! That’s almost 9Ib a year!
Ageing gracefully...
Kim Basinger: Money can’t buy great bone structure like Kim’s. Now 58, her skin is positively radiant; a lesson
to all of us to keep up that thorough skincare regimen!
Kim Cattrall: The 54-year-old SATC heroine has fronted many a beauty lotion, but we think sheer comedy brilliance has kept her looking so good!
The above feature was
published in at home's
'Ask the Doctor with
Dr Chris Steele' in
April 2011.
Click here for more
Dr Chris Steele.
