Skincare in your 20s

You’ve barely made it through your hormone-fuelled teenage years with your skin intact, only to be faced with the stressful and sleepless twenties! Your twenties are a time of change, and the added pressure can really take its toll. Chances are you’ll undertake new jobs, new relationships and brand new experiences in this time, and the internal and external factors incited by all of this change will make a huge difference to the way you look after your skin.

Stress can affect skin in different ways. For many, hormones will become imbalanced and skin will react by overproducing oil, much the same as your teenage years. For others, the lack of harmony in their lifestyle may lead to them not looking after themselves properly, eating a poor diet and not getting very much sleep. This lack of moisture will inevitably lead to drier skin, or for many a combination of dryness and oiliness. Because of these varying factors, you need to suss out your skin type rather than adhere to any regime that is meant for your overall age range. Take a look at the Skintype page to suss which type you are.

Keep the Formulations Light
Even though your skin is behaving wildly, it doesn’t necessarily need heavy-duty formulations to keep it in check. Remember that your skin is young, and harsh formulations will be detrimental. Instead, plump for natural-based formulations, and ones without alcohol and chemical preservatives. Lighter formulations are just as effective; choose your products carefully, and try to test a product out before committing to a full-sized bottle or jar.

Get Into the Habit
Even though your schedule is all over the place, it’s important to get into a routine with your skincare to replace moisture that has been lost through stress and a poor diet. Align the process with a morning routine and an evening routine, cleansing, toning and moisturising before applying make-up at the start of the day, and removing make-up, cleansing, toning and moisturising before bed. Preparing skin properly for both the day and the night is essential to the upkeep of healthy looking skin.

Try a Mask
If you find that you slather on lots of product to get your desired effect, be it hydration or matification, then you could be a prime candidate for a weekly mask treatment. Used once a week, it can make a big difference to both the look of your skin and the effectiveness of the rest of your regime. Make it a weekly pampering experience; put in some leave in conditioner, paint your nails, put on a face mask and relax. You’ll look and feel soothed and rejuvenated.