First published on Hello Beautiful.
The secret to the longevity of looking youthful is more than just good genes. You are never too young to begin a good skincare routine that your 50+ year old self will thank you for. We spoke with Rachel Roff, the developer of Urban Skin Rx, a line of high performance clinical skin care products and the founder of Urban Skin Solutions, one of the first medical spas and laser centers in the country that exclusively caters to ethnic and darker skin.
Rachel shared with us important tips to take care of your skin in your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s…as well as products that will help you keep your skin acne-free, healthy, and happy.
When Should I Begin A Skincare Routine?
You should be washing your face at a young age. However, the time for you to begin a skincare routine is whenever you start wearing makeup, no matter how young that is. Makeup can clog your pores and you don’t want that! Also, it’s imperative to utilize sunscreen as to protect your skin from UV rays, which can increase signs of aging. Lastly, eating lots of fruits and vegetables will give your body lots of vitamins, antixoxidants and nutrients needed to produce collagen as well as protect your skin from environmental damage. Rachel teaches us, “Sun exposure is the number one cause of premature aging and uneven skin tone. Many young women of color don’t think it’s necessary to use sunblock everyday (it’s not just for the beach!) but by incorporating a daily moisturizer with sunblock in it into your morning regimen, you can save thousands of dollars in corrective skin products and services later.”
What Should You Be Doing For Skincare In Your 20’s?
While yes, you are still ‘young,’ in your 20’s…it’s time to begin a great skincare routine. Rachel tells Hello Beautiful, “Your 20’s are a time when most of us are still mistreating our bodies and skin with what I call ‘unhealthy lifestyle habits.‘” These bad habits include smoking, eating improperly, taking recreational drugs, binge drinking, tanning, and just being plain stressed out which can cause oxidative stress. Rachel explains that oxidative stress “can wreak havoc on your body and skin by preventing proper cellular function within the body causing premature signs of aging, acne, photo damage and hyper pigmentation.” While cutting back on bad habits will do wonders for your skin, this is also the time to add some healthy habits! Rachel suggests utilizing antioxidant-rich supplements and skincare products into your daily regiment.
What Should You Be Doing For Skincare In Your 30’s?
Entering your 30’s is when most women want to begin a skincare routine because it symbolizes the beginning of your skin showing its initial signs of aging. “The eye area posses the thinnest skin on the whole body and usually is the first to develop fine lines,” Rachel educates. Because of this, she recommends introducing a daily eye serum. That horrible habit of not washing makeup off your face at night? Yeah, that has to stop, beauties. Rachel sympathizes with us, “Being one of those thirty-something, entrepreneurial, single mothers myself, I can totally relate to this habit, however, when you know better you have no choice but to do better. The simple task of washing your face obviously removes makeup, prevents clogged pores and breakouts, but it also gives your skin a chance to rejuvenate and heal overnight while boosting the production of collagen and leading to a more youthful appearance.” Noted.
What Should You Be Doing For Skincare In Your 40’s?
If you are in your 40’s, retinol should be your best (skin) friend. Rachel educates, “Retinol, which is derived from Vitamin A, is the most effective corrective and preventative skin care ingredient on the market. It’s main function is to speed up the skin’s cellular renewal process or, in simple terms, it exfoliates the top layer of cells from your skin and promotes new skin growth.” This is very important because your skin’s natural exfoliation process slows down in your 40’s, so it is up to you to be proactive with your own daily regimen. Rachel explains, “The cellular renewal process assists in the fading of hyper pigmentation as well as prevents dead skin from accumulating and clogging pores and most importantly boosts collagen and firms skin. Retinol truly is your 3 in 1 skin perfecting product for acne, uneven skin tone, and most importantly anti-aging.”
What Should You Be Doing For Your Skincare In Your 50’s?
“Your 50’s are a time of correction and hydration,” Rachel schools us. You are going to want to utilize products with Hyaluronic Acid. “Don’t be fooled by its name, Hyaluronic Acid is gentle and hydrating. It is a moisturize binding molecule that attracts moisture to skin cells, resulting in a firmer, more hydrated appearance to the skin.” Since hyaluronic acid is a part of everyone’s body, it’s impossible to be allergic to it (so everyone can use it). Beach lovers, Rachel does have a warning, “The older you get, the more you want to minimize direct sun exposure or wearing a hat and sunglasses while out in direct sunlight to help protect your natural collagen.”
Beauties, now you know how to take care of your skin no matter your age.
