Aside from the well-known skincare tips – moisturizing, applying SPF daily (even when it’s not sunny!), removing makeup before bed, drinking plenty of water, getting 8 hours of sleep – there are some lesser known tips for taking care of 20-something+ skin and help mitigate premature aging. In fact, if you’re like me, some of these tips may seem to contradict what you’ve read or been told in the past. Luckily, there’s enough information online and from experts to get the facts straight:
1. Wash your face with cold water.
Since I was an acne-ridden tween, I bought into the myth that cleansing my face with hot water is best for “unclogging pores” and fighting acne. I’ve come a long way since then! Hot water penetrates beneath the surface of your skin and removes the essential, natural oils that hydrate skin cells. The result is dry skin that makes you prone to acne and aging (there’s a reason hands age before the rest of your body and every bit of it is due to washing dishes with hot water)! In contrast, cold water water does what it’s supposed to do – remove oil/dirt on the surface of your skin while keeping the essential oils. To get the benefit of unclogging pores without drying your skin, take a steam shower instead of applying hot water directly on your face.
2. Don’t use retinol or exfoliating scrubs daily.
I admit, this one came as a shock. Two years ago, a cosmetologist at Bliss in NYC informed me that my skincare regimen of daily retinol use and frequent exfoliating were contributing to dryness, acne, and weaker collagen (fine lines galore). “But I thought retinol protects against aging,” I replied, confused. To some extent, it does. Retinol, or vitamin A, is an antioxidant that can help increase collagen, though it can also cause redness, dryness, and irritation, which is why it’s best to apply retinol at night and apply plenty of moisturizer. Moreover, overuse of retinol can have the opposite effect by thinning out your skin, creating fine lines. The same is true for exfoliating too often. So how often phentermine 37.5 generic name should you apply retinol and scrubs? The answer depends on the condition of your skin. Is it oily, dry, combination? As someone who has combination skin, I exfoliate once or twice a week and use retinol only a handful of times a month.
3. Apply Vitamin C to boost collagen.
An alternative to the consequences of vitamin A or retinol is another antioxidant, vitamin C. You can apply vitamin C as a moisturizer or find a moisturizer that contains vitamin C. My favorite is Finnish brand Lumene Pure Radiance Night Cream. Vitamin C helps rejuvenate damaged skin and produce more collagen. Another plus, which vitamin A doesn’t provide, is a bright complexion.
4. Egg and honey mask can help minimize pores.
We spend so much of our time looking for *the* best facial mask, many of which are pricey and may contain toxic ingredients that outweigh the benefits. When it comes to minimizing pores, the ingredients are available in your kitchen (if you wouldn’t eat it, why put it on your face?). The mask includes one egg white and 1 tsp of honey. Leave it on for 20 minutes then rinse with cool water. You can find this DIY mask in addition to others on Pinterest. Warning: it can be messy!
5. Use a gentle cleanser for everyday use.
This one is really important and refers back to #2. Your skin is delicate, and as you age you should take extra care not to inadvertently speed up the aging process with cleansers that contain harsh ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Therefore, choose a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of essential oils needed for skin cell replenishing. I recently started using Yes to Carrots Nourishing Daily Cream Facial Cleanser (whew, that was long!). The sulfate-free cleanser gently removes dirt without sabotaging your skin.
Those are all my tips for now. Are there any other skincare tips I missed? Were any of these obvious before you read this post? Let me know in the comments!
