Want flawless, lifted skin well into your 30s, 40s and beyond? Well, it all starts in your 20s. Perhaps you’ve been sticking to a simple moisturiser that you happened to see on the dresser, or removing your makeup with nothing but baby wipes. While there’s technically nothing wrong with that (although skincare experts will beg to differ), your 20s is the ideal time to pick up some anti-ageing habits to help you maintain your youth. Prevention is indeed better than cure, it is never too early to start taking care of your skin.
Here’s how to do just that.
1. Use sunscreen daily
One of the most underrated and often-overlooked steps when it comes to skin ageing prevention is the use of sunscreen. You’d be surprised at just how many people in their 20s have not incorporated sunscreen into their skincare regime. The good thing is, it’s never too late to start.
Be sure to apply a broad-spectrum and water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher every single day – even if you’re indoors. Sunscreen combines different ingredients to help stop UV rays from damaging your skin and slows down the ageing process..
2. Avoid tobacco and alcohol
Drinking heavily and smoking for years are known to impact your skin negatively, and studies1 have shown there are varying associations existing for tobacco and alcohol use such as wrinkling or facial ageing.
Alcohol dehydrates the skin, reduces collagen production and increases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Smoking, on the other hand, affects oxygen and nutrient levels in the skin, resulting in premature ageing that manifests in the form of leather-like skin, eye puffiness and crow’s feet.
Both habits take a toll on our bodies and skin in the worst ways, so it’s best to stay away.
3. Always double cleanse and use retinoids
Another great habit to pick up in your 20s is to double cleanse your skin, especially at the end of a long day. The idea is to wash your face with an oil-based cleanser so as to remove all the gunk, dirt and debris from your face, followed by your regular cleanser to remove the remaining dirt on your face. This step would help to ensure that any other treatments that you apply after will be better absorbed by the skin.
Your 20s is a great time to start including anti-ageing treatments such as retinoids, which have been proven to increase collagen production, fade age spots and stimulate the cell renewal process. All of these are definitely key in maintaining a youthful appearance.
4. Don’t forget your neck and chest
With so much attention given to your face, it’s easy to overlook other important parts of our bodies that easily show signs of ageing, such as the neck and chest. Ask any dermatologist or expert and they will consider the face, neck and décolletage as a unit, and this is definitely something worth reminding yourself of in your 20s.
Slowly get into the habit of extending all your skincare products such as creams, serums and sunscreen down past your throat and chest so you could extend the same benefits that you’re giving your face to those areas too.
5. Explore preventative treatments like Ultherapy
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to deciding when you should start anti-ageing treatments, and the same goes for skin tightening treatments like Ultherapy. Of course, the other tips mentioned above are certainly effective on how to prevent ageing in your 20s, but Ultherapy provides a faster, more effective way to maintain your youth. If anything, it actually supports your efforts to put off signs of ageing. This effective, non-invasive and US FDA-cleared treatment not only delivers ultrasound energy deep within the skin to stimulate the skin’s new collagen and elastin production to jumpstart the skin tightening process, but it also helps to prevent skin sagginess. Being in your 20s is the best time to start preventive treatments. Start your journey today by finding an aesthetic clinic near you.
Resources:
1 Goodman GD, Kaufman J, Day D, Weiss R, Kawata AK, Garcia JK, Santangelo S, Gallagher CJ. Impact of Smoking and Alcohol Use on Facial Aging in Women: Results of a Large Multinational, Multiracial, Cross-sectional Survey. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2019 Aug;12(8):28-39. Epub 2019 Aug 1. PMID: 31531169; PMCI D: PMC6715121.
