People often ask me how I manage to find the time to take care of my skin with three young children.

I’ll be honest with you, it can be challenging some days — especially at night — but it’s a lot easier once you find skin care products that work for you and stick to a skin care routine. I’ve been diligent about how I treat my skin since I was in my 20s, so I thought I’d share some tips with you on how you can take care of your own skin, no matter your ageor skin type.

Skin care by age — your 20s

Your 20s aren’t just a time for you to go wild and figure out what you want out of your life — they’re also a time to get ahead of the aging process and really focus on preventive care. 

Seriously, don’t leave the house without applying your sunscreen! We love a broad-spectrum sun protectant (which provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays) with SPF 30 or higher that is packed with hyaluronic acid —  like our 100% Mineral Tinted SPF. 

In addition to making sunscreen the last step of your skin care routine before you leave the house, you can up the ante with a serum. Look for a serum that’s rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, which can prevent sun damage by limiting the production of free radicals. Our Glow Factor is a great choice. 

Unfortunately, some of us still deal with breakouts in our 20s and beyond — if you’re still struggling with them, you’re not alone! Instead of being hard on yourself, use an acne treatment like Skin Pharm's Crystal Clear clarifying pads.

It’s also never too early to start using Botox as a preventive!One of the main benefits of Botox is that it can help to combat dynamic wrinkles — the type that is caused by repetitive muscle movements (like smiling, laughing and frowning). While you probably don’t yet need filler for deep lines or wrinkles, it’s still a great option for enhancing your lips if you want to plump them up a bit. 

Last but not least, we recommend that you schedule regular chemical peels every 1–3 months to keep your skin bright and smooth.

Skin care by age — your 30s

Your 30s bring with them more stability and a stronger sense of who you are and what you want out of the world. However, with all of those positive benefits also comes the beginning of visible age-related concerns, like fine lines and wrinkles (especially around the eyes). 

To help counteract those concerns and continue to prevent others from popping up as quickly, you can add on to the above routine. You can start by integrating an exfoliating retinol or retinoid product into your evening routine to help increase skin cell turnover rate and clear dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. We’re big fans of our Night Watch retinol drops because they boost collagen production while balancing oil production and reducing fine lines and pore size. 

Be sure to add retinol products into your skin care regimen gradually, as they can initially cause some irritation while your skin adjusts. We recommend starting by using them just once a week, then working your way up to every other day as your skin tolerates it. 

(And be sure to keep that sun protection on — retinol can make your skin will be more sensitive to sunlight). You’ll also want to add an eye cream (try Eye Sculpt!) to protect and prevent wrinkles on the delicate skin around the eye area.

If you’ve already started getting regular Botox, keep your results looking fresh by scheduling appointments every 3–6 months. If you haven’t, you should definitely consider starting them, as well as considering filler for any exaggerated lines that may have formed around the mouth (aka “smile lines”).

And finally, in order to aggressively fight signs of aging and improve overall skin appearance, consider adding collagen-boosting treatments every few months, such as laser therapy or microneedling. 

Skin care by age — your 40s

Your 40s are a glorious time, despite the anxiety many people feel about entering into them. You’ve probably had plenty of great adventures — you’ve probably laughed a lot and smiled a lot. Some of those emotions may have ended up on your skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles, and you’re starting to see the results of collagen and elastin loss start to show up. 

To help keep your skin looking as youthful as possible, enhance your previous routine by adding peptides and growth factor serum (which help with further fine line correction) — we swear by our Youth Serum. This hydrating serum features hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which can both brighten dry skin and address dullness.

You may want to start or continue Botox treatments as well, adding the lower face area (especially around the mouth) to manipulate those aforementioned smile lines that can turn downward as we age. Filler is also great for helping to reduce those increasingly exaggerated lines and for any hollow areas/dark circles under your eyes or around your temples. 

In addition, schedule a resurfacing peel every 1-3 months to step up the treatment of areas of hyperpigmentation (dark spots) as well as fine lines and wrinkles. If you notice any moles or skin changes, you’ll also want to get them checked out by a dermatologist — the results of chronic sun exposure from UV rays can start to add up and contribute to a higher risk of skin cancer. 

Skin care by age — your 50s

And finally, your 50s (and beyond). Hopefully, you’ve already established a solid skin care routine that you’re following consistently. If you haven’t yet — don’t worry! It’s never too late to take care of your skin.

Like in every decade, the basics of a quality skin care routine are buildable. You’ll take what you’ve learned and add to it, paying close attention to your skin’s specific needs (after all, none of us age the same). Hormonal changes, like the ones you may experience during menopause, can also impact how the skin behaves. 

One of the keys to skin care in your 50s is to focus on giving your skin the hydration it needs to combat natural dryness — our skin has less and less elasticity as we age, so it’s crucial that we give it the right hydrating moisturizer to keep it supple and resilient.

You can also start to incorporate a vitamin C serum for its brightening effects, as well as ingredients like ceramides to support the skin barrier. We also recommend using an exfoliant like lactic or glycolic acid, which can gently fade the appearance of pigmentation and even out your skin tone.

You may also need to increase the frequency of your filler treatments for exaggerated lines and hollow areas, and they can also help you with regaining structure — especially in the apples of your cheeks — while providing an overall lift to the lower face. 

For a more intensive non-surgical anti-aging skin rejuvenation treatment, try a fractional resurfacing treatment such as a C02 laser, which can soften wrinkles, encourage skin firmness and improve overall texture.