Anti-Aging for Beginners – AKA – Welcome to your Thirties

Your early thirties. They can be fun years. For most, they are a chaotic cluster, full of career moves, weddings, babies, travel or, if you’re lucky – and exhausted – all of the above. Those life changingly awesome events also bring with them an onset of stress, hormone fluctuations, laughter, and, have we mentioned exhaustion?

It may be the first time in your adult life you forget what sleep is. It also happens to be a time you need sleep as those beautiful cells that make up your body start slowing down causing lackluster skin tone and texture, discoloration and melasma and newfound dryness or sensitivity.

Like most pretty, young things up until this point, your skincare was pretty much “just for fun”. You may have snagged your Mom’s eye cream, Grandmother’s Oil of Olay or picked up some cheap, cucumber peel off face masks for Ladies Night In.

I am here to tell you ladies, your early thirties is when it gets real. Wait. What? I don’t have wrinkles? Girl, you will. And soon if you don’t make some moves.

Let’s keep this simple. There are two main categories I like to refer to regarding skincare:

Prevention & Correction

Prevention is just that. Preventing wrinkles. Preventing acne. Preventing sun damage. What you put on your skin before this happens to best avoid these annoying yet correctable skin issues.

Correction is fixing an already present skin concern. Correcting wrinkles. Correcting Acne. Correcting sun damage. What you do when, unfortunately, these have already occurred and need some fixing.

In your thirties it’s mostly about prevention. Luckily for the modern day thirty something, there are skincare brands aimed directly at them.

Here are a few of my non-negotiables for the thirty-something in prevention mode:

Moisturizer

There is nothing that feels better than a really great moisturizer. Many brands have introduced a gel-type moisturizer, which is fab during the summer and not too heavy for younger skin. My fave is the Oasis H2OPlus Hydrating Treatment.  It creates an emollient barrier which helps increase skin’s ability to retain moisture for 24 hours after use. I can vouch for this. It’s lightweight, non-greasy, smells clean and is refreshing when applied after a shower. Skincare 101: always continue that moisturizer to your neck and décolleté.

Speaking of décolletage…

This is one place women tend to show age early and easily. Yes. I’m talking cleavage creases and sun spots. The skin on your chest is delicate and thin and, unless you’re wearing turtlenecks, is exposed to sun daily. Give it some love. There are a few newer to market products made exclusively for this. The Sio Skinpad is one I have yet to try but it is next up on my list. It’s custom designed using pure, medical grade silicone and is a self adhering pad that you apply to clean skin before bed. While you sleep it restores your skin by creating a “micro-climate” that draws moisture to the skin’s surface. Interesting. H2OPlus has the Infinity+ Chin and Neck Firmer – a topical treatment that promises to lift and contour the jawline. I ordered some of this and have just started using it. So far, so good.

Serums

Here is where it gets fun. There are SO many serums out there with SO many uses. Unless you have a strong grasp of your skin’s needs and ingredient benefits, try chatting with the customer support team of your favorite brands. I was very eager to try the H2OPlus brand but was unsure of what was best for my skin, called their customer support line and was connected with the coolest and most knowledgeable woman, Carlen (more on her next week). She guided me towards their Infinity+ Youth Renewing Serum. Based in hyaluronic acid, which stimulates collagen production and elasticity, this, as well as most of their products, also contain Camellia Japonica Oil. Which is basically magic.

Many of my friends lean towards a Vitamin C based serum, although the ones I’ve tried have irritated my skin. I am hoping to find one to add to my skin care regimen that works for me soon and am open to any and all recommendations.

Eyes

The eyes may be the window to the soul but they’re also the window to the year you were born. They show age when neglected. The crepey type crow’s feet you notice in your thirties can be the beginning of deeper, more permanent lines in your fifties..

I have tried so very many eye creams, balms, gels and I always come back to the ultimate. La Mer Eye Balm Intense. I know it costs more than all the wine I drink in a month but it’s worth it. It’s worth more than all the wine I drink in a year. While I admittedly adore my forehead and glabella Botox treatments, this Eye Balm has prevented me from touching my crow’s feet with a needle.

Retinol

“Everyone should be using a retinol”.

• every cosmetic doctor on the planet

Aside from fading dark spots and blemish scars, retinols stimulate new cell production. Prescription strength retinols are as much as 100 times stronger than the newer, over the counter formulas which is one of the reasons I prefer prescription strength Obagi Tretinoin as it is more capable of preventing collagen breakdown. The good thing is it is relatively affordable and there are some very good drugstore and online retail based retinols available these days. Everyone from RoC to L’Oréal has a retinol based product. You MUST wear sun protection while using a retinol.

warning: pregnant and nursing women are advised against using retinols. 

Exfoliants

These are what we use to buff away the makeup, sweat and dead skin cells that cause dull, lackluster skin.

Dr. Brandt was a genius. Although he is no longer with us, his product line remains flawless. My favorite facial exfoliant is the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion. It is the closest you will get to professional treatment at home. Bi-weekly use should be okay if you’re accustomed to a stronger exfoliant.

Masks

And I mean the clarifying, moisture surging masks. My current favorite is the Palmetto Derma Rejuvenating and Antioxidant Mask. Containing Peptides, Kaolin Clay, Glycolic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid, it exfoliates as well as purifies. Its smell is clean and it does not turn dry and crunchy. I use a warm washcloth to soak it off and my skin feels incredible. Weekly use is perfect.

SPF

The most important of them all…sun protection. You can slather yourself with moisturizer, bathe in retinol and use eye cream as face cream and none of it will matter unless you protect your skin from the sun. And not just on the beach – overcast days are the sneakiest as you are still subject to UVA and UVB rays even when you can’t see the sun. You need sunscreen everyday. I was a long time Obagi NuDerm SPF 50 to the face addict but have recently fallen in love with the H2OPlus Wrinkle Delay Cream, an SPF full of Peptides and Antioxidants. This product does double duty without leaving a white film on your face. SPF is essential. If you listen to one thing on this list, make this be that thing. Your 40 year old self will thank you.

To be clear, I am a firm believer in establishing a relationship with a Board Certified Dermatologist that you trust as well as an Esthetician that is highly experienced. While I believe this routine can be excellent for maintenance, we all need a little professional love once in a while.

And – obvi – drink water, workout and, if you smoke, quit.