With each passing birthday, we lose collagen, elastin and facial fat. Add decades of sun worship, which ages skin faster, and you’ll easily look older than your years.
“The changes that happen to your skin each decade – wrinkles, fine lines, sagging and brown spots – are cumulative and they accelerate as you get older,” says Mary Lupo, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University in New Orleans.
“However, the benefits of caring for your skin are also cumulative,” she says. “The earlier you start, the better you look.”
The bottom line? Baby your complexion now and you won’t need a face lift later. Here's our doctor-recommended guide to skin care in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.
In Your 20s1. Get in the skin-care habit.Start good lifetime habits now to keep that glowing complexion well into your "golden years."
Most important: Remove all makeup before you hit the sack each night. Going to bed with a face full of cosmetics – and a days’ worth of dirt and oil – can clog pores and cause acne. (Keep facial wipes by your bed for those nights you reallycan’t make it to a sink.)
Second: Use a product with antioxidants, such as vitamin C, E, green tea and coffeeberry (the fruit of the coffee).
“Antioxidants improve skin tone and texture while protecting your complexion by fighting off free-radicals that break down collagen,” Lupo says.
2. Battle blemishes.“In your 20s, adult acne is one of the biggest issues,” says Jeannine Downie, M.D., director of Image Dermatology in Montclair, N.J., and co-author of Beautiful Skin of Color(Diane Publishing).
Fight pimples by using a cleanser and spot treatment with salicylic acidor benzoyl peroxide. If over-the-counter options don’t work, see a dermatologist.
“Whatever you do, don’t pick your zits,” Downie adds. “This causes scarring or dark spots of pigmentation that can take months to fade.”
