But according to a dermatologist, this decade in your life could bring many new and wonderful skin features, from dullness and loss of volume to acne and rosacea.
“That’s right — there are a lot of things that happen in your 30s that start showing up on your face,” cautioned dermatologist and skincare enthusiast Andrea Suarez — known as Dr Dray —.
According to Andrea, you can just about get away with using three cheap products in your twenties — you still don’t have to break the bank when you’re older, but new concerns may crop up.
In a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, she describes “all the things to watch out for in your 30s” regarding your skin and how to care for it.
1. Use exfoliating acid
One of the first things you may notice as you leave your twenties is that you lose some glow in your complexion.
Your skin starts to look a bit duller because the rate of our skin cell turnover slows, Andrea said.
“When you’re a kid, your skin changes in 14 days and by the time you hit 30, it takes about 28 days,” she explained — so the skin cells build up on the surface of your face, making it look duller. is becoming.
You can combat this by incorporating an exfoliating acid into your routine, the dermatologist suggested.
If you have dry skin, try using an alpha hydroxy acid moisturizer a few nights a week – Andrea recommended the DERMA E Overnight Peel, which costs £20 on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, pick up The Ordinary’s AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution at Boots for £8.40.
You may want to choose a polyhydroxy acid if you have sensitive skin – these are gentle enough to use daily.
For oily skin, choose a salicylic acid in leave-on or face wash form, Andrea advised. Use this as often as you need, but “back off” if your skin looks a little dry.
You can buy the CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser for rough and bumpy cream for £9.50 on Amazon, or the Smoothing Cream for £15 from Boots.
The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% Masque is another option at Boots for £11.80. The salicylic acid 2% solution from the same brand will set you back just £5.80.
2. Consistently use a moisturizer
You may also notice that your skin is a lot drier in your 30s. Andrea explained that the delay in skin cell turnover is partly to blame, leaving the skin unable to retain hydration properly.
But as we age, we stop making as much hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for holding water in the skin and keeping it looking plump and youthful.
Andrea noted that overuse of the exfoliating acids she mentioned earlier can make dryness worse.
While you may get away with not using moisturizer in your 20s, Andrea recommended doing so in your 30s to deal with age-related changes.
“It can really change the look of your skin,” she stressed.
“Anytime you cleanse your skin, when the skin is still damp, you want to apply a moisturizer,” Andrea continued.
She recommended the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, which retails for £7.99 on Amazon.
3. Make lifestyle a priority
In your 30s, you may notice some loss of volume in your skin, as it loses collagen and elastin much more easily, says Andrea.
You could also be juggling multiple demands during this period of your life, which might lead you to neglect yourself.
“Maybe we gravitate towards more convenience foods, less hours of sleep to get more stuff in a day, we’re super stressed and hot-tempered. All those things can show up on your skin and speed up the rate of not just skin aging but of overall body aging.”
To counter that, now is the time to exercise regularly, quit smoking, and get a good night’s sleep so your skin can heal.
Andrea said, “The lifestyle factors go so far and when you’re in your 30s they really make it a priority.”
Sun protection also helps with age-related volume loss and sagging, as does topical vitamin A – which are retinoids and retinols.
4. Clean up your diet to fight acne
Acne and cystic acne are becoming more common in women in their 30s, Andrea said.
Hormones and lifestyle factors can play a big part in this – stopping and starting certain oral contraceptive pills, pregnancy, breastfeeding, stress and diet.
She recommended staying away from processed and sugary foods that spike your blood sugar to keep acne at bay. Instead, choose fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and foods rich in antioxidants.
Andrea said many people could freak out if they get cystic acne, buy lots of different products and cycle through them without giving them time to work.
She encouraged viewers to see a dermatologist to treat it.
5. Wash your face at night
Your skin may feel more irritated as you age.
While cleansing a few times a day might have worked for you before, Andrea suggested dialing that back to once a day if you find your skin isn’t responding well to it.
Ideally this is in the evening: “During the day we are exposed to environmental factors such as pollution that can cause a lot of free radical damage, so a good cleanse at night is important to remove all that, along with any cosmetics.”
Also consider switching to a gentle cleanser, the dermatologist added.
CeraVe is a dermatologist-approved favorite in the skincare world and you can get their Hydrating Cleanser for £11.50.
6. Wear sunscreen
“The next cool thing that can happen to your face in your 30s is that you’re more prone to redness and flushing,” Andrea continued.
You could find yourself developing rosacea, a common inflammatory skin condition characterized by hypersensitivity, which flares up with spicy foods, hot liquids, irritating skin care products, and the sun.
You should see a dermatologist to treat rosacea and stick to products with minimal ingredients.
But protecting your skin from the sun is a must with rosacea, Andrea stressed. “UV — including UV coming through window glass — will flare up the rosacea.”
Hyperpigmentation can also become a source of frustration in your 30s, especially if you have medium to deep skin tones.
This could take the form of sun spots on your face from sun exposure, or you could find that any acne you have heals with a dark spot that takes longer to disappear than it did when you were younger.
Again, sunscreen is very important for improving hyperpigmentation – look for mineral sunscreens with zinc and/or iron oxides in particular.
You can try the Holland & Barrett Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 150ml for £4.49.
A retinoid also helps to reduce these dark spots – and it counteracts acne and collagen loss.
Nab The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane 30ml for £7.90 at Boots.