Whether you’re seeking preventative measures or you already have visible signs of aging, it’s never too late to adopt a skin care routine that supports graceful aging. With an overwhelming amount of anti-aging tips and products out there, starting a skincare routine can be daunting! So we’ve put together a step-by-step guide for proactive skin care that will support you in aging radiantly.
1) Cleanse
Start your skincare routine off with a cleanser. Regardless of your age or skin type, cleansing should be part of your morning and nighttime skincare routine. It’s important to cleanse your skin in order to remove remnants of make-up, as well as any build-up of dead skin cells, natural oils, bacteria, dirt, and pollutants from the environment. This layer of buildup can not only clog pore and keep your skin looking dull, but it also prevents any anti-aging products from penetrating the skin and working effectively.
Look for gentle cleansers with low pH levels and moisturizing components.
2) Exfoliate
About once or twice a week you should exfoliate your skin.
As we age, the rate in which our skin cells rejuvenate slows down, meaning there becomes a buildup of old and dead skin cells that forms a layer on our skin, which makes our skin look tired, dry, and dull. Exfoliating removes that layer of build up and helps your skin look clear and radiant.
Look for gentle physical exfoliants or chemical exfoliants with ingredients like glycolic acid and lactic acid.
3) Apply a Serum
Serums deliver high concentration of active ingredients that target a variety of specific skincare concerns and are designed to penetrate skin deeply. You should apply it directly on cleansed skin, morning and night.
Look for anti-aging serums with active ingredients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Hyaluronic Acid.
4) Moisturize
As we age, our skin’s ability to hydrate weakens which leads to the development of fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizing should be part of your morning and nightime routines, and be sure to share the love with your neck, chest, and hands.
Look for products that provide a lot of hydration with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerine.
5) Use an eye cream
The skin around our eyes tends to be quite thin and delicate, which is why this area is often prone to wrinkles, bags, hollowness, dark-circles, and other signs of aging. Be sure to choose an anti-aging product that hydrates and targets under eye problems. Look for products with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, haloxyl, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A.
6) Sunblock, sunblock, sunblock!
We can’t say it enough: always where sunblock. Sun damage is one of the primary causes for visibly aging skin, in fact studies show that up to 90% of signs of aging are linked to sun exposure. The culprit is the UV rays, which cause wrinkles, sun spots, a decrease in collagen and elasticity, pigmentations and uneven skin tones, and other signs of aging.
For those who think their skin is too far gone with sun damage, recent studies have shown that consistent use of sunblock can actually reverse signs of aging, giving damaged skin a break from UV rays and the opportunity to repair and rejuvenate.
Be sure to wear a coverage of at least 30 SPF daily, and reapply it every 2 hours or so. For those of us wearing makeup, there are mineral powder sunblocks that can be applied over makeup. Don’t reserve sunblock for days when you think you’ll be exposed to it more (like a beach day), instead make it part of your daily skincare routine.