Skincare regimes for each decade of life
DEPENDING on your age, the needs of your skin will vary, and your care regime should be adjusted accordingly. Here, we look at the challenges to skin in every decade of a life, and recommend suitable products.
Acne, most associated with adolescence, has become a problem for women in their 20s, due to stress and hormones. Many women over-compensate by using overly harsh, astringent products, something that Daniel Kern, of Acne.org, says is a rookie mistake. His three-step programme is incredibly effective at treating acne gently, and can be used on mild to severe cases.
It is also important in your 20s to prevent skin damage, rather than try and cure it. Dr David Colbert, founder of Colbert MD Skincare, says that expensive anti-aging creams in your 20s are just “icing on the cake. Focus on wearing sunscreen, hydrating, and not destroying your skin with sun, alcohol and bad diet choices.” Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen, with UVA and UVB protection, and apply liberally, including your neck and décolletage.
* Acne.org three-step regime of cleanser, treatment gel and moisturiser.
* La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ — Tinted Melt-in cream.
* Boots Essential Cucumber Eye gel.
This is the decade in which most women need to commit to a more consistent skincare regime. Susan Taylor, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University, says that “even if you’ve taken good care of your skin, you’ll probably start noticing fine lines and wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth”. There is loss of collagen, causing skin to become thinner, but all dermatologists say that exfoliation is key. Dermatologist Ranella Hirsch recommends Retin-A cream (only available on prescription) at night, maybe three times a week. Stick to a gentle cleanser to offset any irritation and keep using a high-SPF sunscreen during the day, and invest in a quality eye cream to treat those fine lines. Don’t overload product onto the delicate eye area, as this may cause milia (those tiny white cysts) to form. Investing in a Clarisonic is also recommended, unless you have very sensitive skin.
* Retin-A cream.
* Indeed Labs Eyesilix Instant Eye Rescue.
* Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
Dr Colbert says that this is the decade that women “really go on the defensive about aging. Jowls, wrinkles, large pores: everything appears in your 40s”. If you were a sun worshipper in your younger years, that damage will start to show, with red patches and blotchiness appearing. There will be a further loss of collagen, causing your skin to become less elastic, and pre-menopausal hormonal changes may cause the skin to become extra-dry. Continue using the prescription retinoid cream every other night, and use a creamy cleanser, rather than a gel-based one. Supplement your broad spectrum SPF with a moisturiser and serum that contain two types of antioxidants, such as green tea or lycopene. Products containing alpha-hydroxy acids will stimulate collagen production.
* Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye.
* Neostrata Skin Active Line Lift 2 Step System.
* Dermalogica Super Rich Repair Moisturiser.
This is the decade that gravity begins to catch up with us, and sagging of the skin may begin, as skin elasticity and collagen levels decrease. Cell turnover will slow down, and skin becomes drier, with expression lines remaining after you have stopped smiling or frowning, and pores becoming more visible, especially on the T-zone. Cleanse twice daily with a very hydrating face-wash, and introduce a serum that contains peptides and a facial oil, to replace lost moisture, into your regime.
Continue using your prescription retinoid cream and an SPF. Using a richer night cream might also be beneficial in retaining moisture in the skin.
* Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective cream.
* Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Radiance Renewer serum.
* No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream.
Any issues that arose in your 50s will become more pronounced as you approach your 60s, 70s, and beyond. You might notice a significant loss of volume in your lips, with vertical lip lines also beginning to appear.
The skin will continue to lose elasticity, collagen and moisture, causing more sagging. Again, if you were prone to excessive sunbathing in your youth, age spots might appear. This is also the time when cancerous lesions of the skin are most likely to manifest, so be careful to monitor any skin changes or unusual looking moles. Cleanse your face daily with a gentle cleanser, and then apply an antioxidant serum, facial oil and an SPF.
At night, continue to use your Retin-A cream, followed by a facial oil and a heavy-duty night cream.
* Trilogy Rosehip Oil.
* Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump.
* Perfect Ultra All-Night cream.
* Creme de la Mer Ultra Rich Cream.
When Lesley Barrett tells you she can take 10, sometimes 15 years, off your age, it’s natural to raise a very sceptical eyebrow.
Then she tells you how old she is. And you start to believe it just might be true. Lesley is 46 — and doesn’t look a day over 35.
Lesley is a facialist. She takes the New York approach to skincare. In the States, there’s no such thing as a one-stop beau-tician for nails, brows and facials. Instead, you visit your specialist brow bar, manicurist — and facialist.
Lesley has brought this mindset to Cork with The Skin Clinic. From microdermabrasion to laser treatment, she focuses only on the face. And at €100 for a consultation and treatment, it’s affordable too. You don’t need to age, says Lesley. And all you can do is stare at her line-free, luminous skin.
Where other salons will sell an upfront course of laser treatments or peels or microdermabrasion, Lesley will give your skin what it needs.
“Sometimes people don’t need six sessions of one particular treatment,” says Lesley, “but might benefit from a combination of treatments.” And it all comes under the €100 session price.
Lesley’s Rule 1 of skincare? Baz Luhrmann was right. Wear sunscreen. If you’re reading this in your 20s, it’s all you really need to do. Cover up at a young age and you may never need the services of experts like Lesley.
If the sun has already taken its toll on the skin, Lesley recommends people start treatments in their late 30s (unless, of course they have problem skin — she also specialises in acne treatment). Once a month, or even every two months, and you’ll take that decade off your age, she insists.
“People spend it on pricey creams — if the money was spent on sunscreen and microdermabrasion instead they wouldn’t believe their skin,” she says.
In your 20s you can wash off that layer of dead skin in the shower with your facecloth. By the time you hit your late 30s, it’s harder to clear. By your 40s and 50s it’s near impossible.
Enter microdermabrasion. This treat-ment removes the outer layer of dead skin, targets no-nos like blackheads and pigmentation and softens fine lines.
Helpfully, it also works on the underlying epidermis — stimulating collagen, creating a natural, sought-after plumping effect.
The follow-on peel brightens and tightens and you are left with a glow you haven’t quite seen in your reflection since your early 20s.
Lesley also provides botox and fillers. A doctor attends the clinic to administer the treatments. But no client leaves with an expressionless, Hollywood face. Lesley simply won’t allow it (she’s refused a few, she admits). No-one should know you’ve had botox if it’s done right, says Lesley. You just look younger.
¦ The Skin Clinic, Liberty St, Cork. 021-4851649
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