You’ve decided that you want to start taking care of your skin and familiarising yourself with a skincare routine. You probably want to be proactive and learn how to maintain healthy and glowing skin, even if it means starting in your 20s.
But the questions are piling up at a rapid pace: what do you do first, what’s the difference between chemical and natural ingredients, how much moisture does your skin need, how often should you cleanse, and how often should you use a moisturizer? That’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re just starting. I’ve been there and I completely understand!
To help you, let’s try to break down the steps of your skincare routine into something a little more manageable. We will start with the most basic ones that you should not skip.
This will take the pressure off of you to buy a bunch of products by getting you used to knowing the basics and learning how to manage them.
I’d like to start by briefly introducing you to how I started taking care of my skin in my twenties. I will also provide some points I want you to know so that you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
I understand how frustrating and confusing it can be, particularly if there is no one to help and guide you.
My personal experience:
Before the age of 23, I barely understood what skincare was and I am not ashamed to say or admit it guys. Before that, I used to wash my face with soap (which I now know is not good for your face) and moisturize my skin with any body cream I would find around the house and would not use sunscreen at all.
Since I am a dark-skinned woman, I have always assumed that sunscreen was unnecessary. Oh, boy was I wrong! However, I do not blame myself since there are a lot of controversies surrounding this topic, particularly for people of colour, but that is a whole other story. The bottom line here is that it took me until my early/mid-twenties to start caring for my skin.
How did I get started? And why?
One day I looked at my skin closely in front of the mirror and knew something was off (weirdly enough, it was fine); however I knew that I needed to start caring for it, but I didn’t know how and what to do at that time. I made a quick decision and told myself that I needed to begin taking action immediately.
I was then introduced to an organic skincare shop by my sister called Holland & Barrett (you might be familiar with it). After realizing what a coincidence this was, I went there immediately the next day!
At the shop, I told them that I wanted to take better care of my skin but was having a hard time figuring out where to begin. I was advised to use the organic Tea Tree Fce wash, honey scrub and its cream twice a day. Check the image below.
I started using those products as instructed and my skin was showing amazing results at the beginning. But only after two weeks my skin started to break out so badly that I could not even recognize my face.
I then mistakenly tried other products to try to fix the problem, but it only got worse (I was mixing too many products at once without even realising what their main purposes were)! Oh boy!
My initial thought was that skincare was a bad idea for me. However, I didn’t realize I was quite ignorant about it and trusted the first person who recommended the products to me without doing any research or consulting anyone.
The bottom line here is that the main mistakes that I identified when getting started were:
How did I learn from it?
It took me nearly two years to repair the damage caused by my initial mistakes. I am still working on it, but my skin is certainly doing much better now. I, therefore, urge you to keep these points in mind and try to avoid them as much as possible.
Writing my posts is my way of making sure that what happened to me does not happen to you, so I hope you learn something from them.
There are times when I ponder if even starting this blog page was a calling, but I do know one thing for sure: I love researching and writing about skincare. I’m obsessed with it! Life has a way of surprising you in a variety of ways.
Jokes aside, let’s take a look at the main points you need to consider. I was introduced to these steps when I had no choice but to consult a skin expert, and I have followed them ever since.
But first, let’s briefly discuss the importance of developing your skincare in your 20s.
Why is it important to develop a skincare routine in your 20s? Why should you consider it?
Developing a consistent skincare routine in your 20s will make it easier to maintain throughout your life. Your skin will eventually become healthier and more glowing as a result of that.
The skin can be dehydrated, dry and even sensitive and you might not even be aware of it.
For instance, when you suffer from persistent acne, you may develop hyperpigmentation and scarring, which often worsens in your 30s. According to Dr Loretta Ciraldo, MD, dermatologist and founder of Dr Loretta Skincare, acne marks can become more exaggerated with age.
Many experts suggest that women tend to need to address large concerns like hyperpigmentation and hyperpigmentation when they hit their 20s.
Also, Dr Marnie Nussbaum, a dermatologist based in NYC, notes that hormone levels peak during your third decade, which leads to lower jawline acne and dehydration.
Is it too late to start skincare in your 20s?
Of course, it is never too late to start your skincare routine even if it means that you start to take care of your skin in your 20s.
Believe it or not but starting your skincare routine in your 20s is really common, especially in western countries. Many start their journey into skincare to address certain skin concerns that they did not have prior.
This is why dermatologists (including my skin expert consultant) recommend the following skincare practices for people in their 20s. 😉
Key steps for a basic skincare routine
1. Keep your face clean by washing it twice a day
Many people wash their faces only once (just like I used to as well)- after all, how dirty could their skin be overnight? Overnight, your skin accumulates a lot of debris, including dead skin cells and dust mites, according to experts.
Thus, cleansing your face in the morning is just as important as cleansing it at night. Another reason to wash your face regularly upon waking is sweating and perspiring during the night.
Check the most recommended cleansers for dry sensitive skin.
2. Make sure your skin is hydrated
Even if your skin isn’t dry, you should moisturize twice daily—once after you cleanse. So imagine you have dry skin what does that mean for you?!
Keeping your skin hydrated is the first step toward healthy skin, says Nussbaum. Moisturized skin improves the skin barrier, preventing inflammation, irritation, and dryness, as well as plumping the epidermis so it looks supple and smooth instead of wrinkled and dehydrated.”
You should choose a moisturizer that is formulated for your skin type. Check the most recommended facial moisturizer for dry sensitive skin.
3. Make sure you wear sunscreen every day, no matter what time of year it is
You probably realize the importance of wearing sunscreen, but you may not be aware that you need it on cloudy days as well. According to Simone McKitty, MD, a dermatologist in Torrance, California, ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) from sunlight is the number one cause of the ageing of the skin.
Many dermatologists recommend wearing broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen (rather than chemical sunscreen) every day, even on cloudy days. For people with dry and sensitive skin check the most recommended sunscreen for dry sensitive skin.
You should also reapply every few hours at least and immediately after you exit the water.
For more insights check: Basic skincare routine for beginners
*As a bonus you can also consider:
-Vitamin C is an excellent addition
According to Dr Nussbaum, you should include a vitamin C serum in your morning routine. In addition to neutralizing free radicals to prevent skin cancer, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant.
The use of serums containing vitamin C promotes collagen production [source], which results in brighter, tighter, and healthier skin.
Additional products/steps to consider in your skincare regime:
- -Toners: A toner can be beneficial for people with dry sensitive skin as it will prevent acne, add more hydration to the skin (really important for skin dryness) and prepare the skin for moisturiser application. It also removes extra dirt and impurities from the skin.
- –Face Masks: down the line. you may start to notice skin concerns and want to look for a quick fix that delivers temporary results. Then you may start to consider using a face mask from time to time at least 2 to 3 times a week. A few of its benefits include hydrating, moisturizing, cleaning impurities and reducing signs of ageing.
- –Exfoliation: once or twice a week you can gently exfoliate the skin to treat certain skin concerns
- –Eye Cream: a treatment that focuses primarily on the dark spots that can be found under your eyes
- –Spot Treatment: which most of the time involves acne treatment
As you progress and become more familiar with your skincare journey and routine, you might want to consider them. However, at first, don’t think too much about these additional steps.
Of course guys, the following is a key point to consider:
* Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Having a healthy diet, exercising, sleeping well, and being less stressed will allow your skin to perform at its peak. You should avoid smoking, which causes wrinkles and dry skin second only to sun exposure.
Manage your stress by taking long baths in the tub and diffusing essential oils. Stress causes your adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol, a stress hormone. Cortisol increases oil production in the sebaceous glands, leading to inflammation that causes premature ageing.
Related:
*The importance of good nutrition for the skin
In summary, if you’re in your 20s and want to begin taking better care of your skin, you’re not alone. As you take notes on the most basic things that you can start with, I hope that you have taken some crucial lessons from my own experience! Remember that when in doubt, you can always reach out to an expert for guidance! This is only for entertainment purposes, and everything I have said is based on my own experience, as well as research I have done. In any case, feel free to ask any questions below! I will be happy to help you out!
You can also browse my blog in the meantime! You might find interesting articles and learn from them!
