Everything You Need To Know About Skincare In Your 30s

Founder of Elethea Luxury Beauty Nausheen Qureshi  combines her wealth of scientific knowledge (she’s a biochemist in her spare time, casual) and passion for effective skincare to deliver well-informed advice, helping us to distinguish the goodies from the nasties.

Last week, Nausheen  explained everything we need to know about skincare in our 20s . In the second installment of her decade series, she focuses on the 30s and what you need to know to achieving flawless looking skin.

Nausheen  says, “Small yet visible changes start appearing in the skin texture during this decade. Keeping an organised skincare regime throughout your 30s will mean you won’t feel the need to resort to more drastic measures in later decades.”

Hello fine lines, brown spots and dull, uneven skin tone

UV exposure starts to take its toll and you will notice these photoageing changes in your skin. Even hyper pigmentation  and scarring may be an issue because cell regeneration and repair processes are slowing.

Pigmentation issues can be addressed with the right combination of products and regular resurfacing treatments, which include enzyme peels or very light peels  using mild lactic, salicylic or glycolic acid. Always consult a skincare professional for peels as different skin types react in unique ways to these treatments, so it is better to invest in their experience and training. I recommend Linda Palcic  for her vast knowledge and personalised attention to clients. It is also key not to overdo these treatments: once a month will suffice. Oil-secreting glands on the face also become larger as we age, so another benefit of these treatments is to help minimise pore size. In products, look for brightening ingredients such as liquorice root extract, kojic acid, turmeric and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to help minimise their appearance.

For fine lines, Vitamin A (retinol or retinoic acid precursor)-based products are your best bet, this includes products with high proportions of rosehip oil. Retinoic acid is a cell communicating substance which tells the cell to keep functioning. Also, lots of additional antioxidants in products, like white tea, green tea and grape skin extracts will combat free radical production and help reduce the cellular repair function. I recommend Sarah Chapman Age-Repair Serum , £46.24, formulated with Vitamin A and antioxidants.

Suffice to say, you still need to use and top up your sunscreen daily. Moreover, resurfacing treatments and retinoids actually increase photosensitivity so UV protection becomes absolutely essential. Don’t forget to keep using products with tamarind seed extract, hyaluronic acid or other humectants to keep the layers of the skin hydrated.

Time for an amazing eye cream

Whereas in your 20s, any moisturiser could also double as an eye cream, in your 30s, the sensitive skin around the eyes is starting to thin, and lines and creases around the eye area are common prior to any other area of the face (interestingly, the second area to age is the line from your nose to the corner of your mouth, which is also an extremely sensitive area). The answer is a special eye cream that contains carefully balanced concentrations of richly moisturising oils, humectants, antioxidants and a few peptides to signal to the cells to start building collagen. Another answer is to ensure you get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible to maximise cell regeneration. The result will be fewer fine lines and more plump skin around the eye area.

I recommend Elethea Eye Architecture Cream , £120, for guaranteed anti-wrinkle results, packed with Vitamin A precursors, antioxidants, peptides, hosts of vitamins and minerals, and nature’s best humectant: tamarind seed extract.

Become your own facial masseuse

One of the most important tips is to ensure you never, ever have even a patch of dry skin on your face . Use a good moisturiser that lasts throughout the day, but during the winter and in drier climates, or even after your menstrual period when your skin is at its driest, add a few drops of your favourite carrier oil to your moisturiser. Massage the moisturiser into your face from the bottom, up and out to the sides for as long as possible, a minimum of a couple of minutes. This relaxes facial muscles and improves circulation, which ensures more nutrients are delivered from the blood to the face to help cell renewal and repair.

Another tip to keep your skin moisturised is to introduce oil-based cleansing into your regime, but always double cleanse with a gentle foaming cleanser  to ensure all dirt is removed.

I recommend A’kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil , £17.71 for the perfect massage facial oil with beneficial concentrations of Omega 3, 6 and 9.

Beware of allergic reactions

There is extensive scientific research going on in this area to show why, as we age, we become more sensitive to ingredients that wouldn’t have caused a reaction in our younger days. If you find yourself suddenly allergic to a product that you’ve been using for a while or a new product altogether, take note of the ingredients and keep documenting and analysing. In many cases, known irritants include essential oils and some preservatives, so look out for those in your products.

Be sure to check in next week when  Nausheen  discusses everything you need to know about skincare in your 40s