Skin is the largest organ in the body. It stands to reason then, that it should also be given the most care and nourishment. The reality is the opposite since, for most of our lives, we ignore our skin until we start seeing wrinkles and age spots. However, it is never too late to start a skincare routine. Read on to find out more.
Skin Requirements Throughout Life
Read below about skin requirements throughout life:
1. Teenage and Puberty
2. 20s
3. 30s and 40s
4. 50s and Onwards
- Teenage and Puberty – At this age, you are in the prime of health. Your skin is youthful-looking due to the abundance of collagen in the skin. So at this time, it is enough to just maintain this quality of the skin. In your teenage years, use a mild and gentle cleanser. Choose a moisturizer that suits your skin type and use it consistently and regularly. Also, do not forget to slather your skin with sunscreen every day. Moreover, if you are facing acne due to puberty, opt for oil regulating cleansers and light moisturizers. Also, make sure your sunscreen product is noncomedogenic.
- 20s – In your twenties, your skin still does not require a lot of support. However, you may start to notice all the late nights and everyday stresses catching up with your skin. To make a long story short, this is basically due to the decreased levels of collagen in the skin. After the age of 25, your skin loses the capacity to produce collagen by at least 1% every year. So in your twenties, your skincare should focus on protection and prevention. You want to protect your skin from damage, whether it’s from free radicals, sun exposure, bad diet, and lifestyle, or any other reason. At this point, you should start incorporating exfoliating products in your routine, along with a cleanser. Moisturizer and sunscreen go without saying. Take your skincare a level further and add serums such as Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide, etc., and keep it going throughout your late twenties as well.
- 30s and 40s – Your 30s are when you may actually start seeing wrinkles and fine lines on your face. This is the time to incorporate Retinol (Vitamin A) into your skincare routine. However, it is important to mention that you should start with a low concentration of retinol and slowly build up the tolerance in your skin over time. Consistently and regularly use cleansers and exfoliators, and keep up with the moisturizer, sunscreen, as well as other serums you use. Be sure to layer your skincare products properly and keep your routine as simple and straightforward as possible. This is the time where your skin starts to lose to slowly lose the capacity of regeneration and healing and requires thorough support to maintain its good quality.
- 50s and Onwards – At this age, your skin comes under the umbrella of mature skin type. Mature skin is characterized by wrinkles, fine lines, dryness, and sagging. This is because of decreased collage, and a decreased water content in the skin. Therefore, in your 50s, as well as onwards, your skin requires hydration and moisturize. Switch to a hydrating and gentle cleanser, as well as chemical-based exfoliators. Incorporate antioxidant-rich serums in your routine, like Vitamin C, A, B, as well as Hydroxy and Hyaluronic Acids. You can also include any essential oils that suit your skin type. For your moisturizer, opt for anti-aging products for both the face and eye skin.
Different Skin Types
Below are the different types of skin we have:
1. Oily
2. Dry
3. Combination
4. Normal
5. Sensitive
Before buying any skincare products and developing a skincare routine for yourself, the first step is to know what type of skin you have. Different skin types have different needs. For example, oily skin may require oil regulating and drying products, whereas, dry skin would be better suited to gentle, soothing, and moisturizing products. Humectants may be better for oily skin, whereas, occlusives are preferable for dry skin type. Therefore, you must know your skin type if you want your skincare products to work efficiently and effectively.
- Oily – One of the most common types, oily skin comes with a naturally oily T-zone, while the rest of the skin is normal. This T-zone area includes the nose, forehead, and chin. Oily skin looks and feels oily even without applying any skincare products such as moisturizer, lotions, serums, etc. Moreover, oily skin is often characterized by the appearance of large pores, shiny complexion, and is often accompanied by acne, breakouts, and blemishes.
- Dry – Dry skin is characterized by natural dryness on the whole face. This type of skin feels dry and parched without the use of any lotions, serums, or other facial products. Dry skin is often accompanied by dry patches, skin flaking, irritation, etc., and is also noticeable when making an expression since the skin is much less elastic than normal.
- Combination – As the name suggests, combination skin type is a combination of normal and oily, or even dry and oily or dry and normal skin types. Although, the most common combination skins are oily and dry. This type of skin is oily in the forehead and nose area, while the rest of the face is dry or normal. It may often also include dry patches.
- Normal – This type of skin is normal and balanced, throughout the face. Normal skin is characterized by small pores, balanced production of sebum, as well as an even skin tone. This is the most common skin type. However, even normal skin can have acne breakouts or dry patches due to certain internal and external factors.
- Sensitive – Sensitive skin comes with a myriad of skin issues, mainly stemming from the fact that the protective barrier of the skin is weak. This skin type becomes easily inflamed and irritated, often showing redness, bumps, rashes, and breakouts. Skin suffering from conditions such as Eczema, Rosacea, Dermatitis, etc., are often characterized as sensitive skin types. Moreover, dry skin is also sensitive skin more often than any other skin type.
More often than not, you already have an idea about the type of skin you have. However, if you are not sure, there are easy ways to determine it by yourself, at home.
