We’re all starting to get familiar with that never-ending quest to maintain and achieve youthful skin as we age. Asking ourselves: How do celebrities look so young? What treatments are they using? How can I look like them? And the answer often comes with a hefty price tag or the magical end-all-be-all answer: “Reduce stress.”
Well, the globe is only getting warmer, the wealth divide keeps getting larger, our purses are only getting lighter, and life seems to speed up rather than slow down. So, let’s be realistic: lowering stress levels probably isn’t the only thing that will help. And who has the spare cash to feed themselves and get Botox? Not me.
While aging is a beautiful privilege, there’s no shame in wanting to look and feel our best as we go through it. Preventative skincare does more than just reduce signs of aging or ensure you look better than your high school nemesis at age 40⎯it actively boosts skin health, making your skin resilient and radiant as the years pass.
3 Products for Anti-Aging Skincare
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we want to age like fine wine and not with fine lines. And it all starts now. What we do in our twenties will eventually show up sooner rather than later, and by that, I mean in our thirties.
I may not have the secret location to the fountain of youth… or a surgeon that can make you look twenty years younger. But I can give you three essential items to start using as preventative skincare when it comes to wrinkles and fine lines, ensuring you’ll have MILF status by the age of 40.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the best products to slow the visual signs of aging, and a little more importantly, keep your skin healthy and cancer-free.
Sunscreen should be applied every day and throughout the day. And yes, that includes cloudy days and winter! Ultraviolet rays are still able to penetrate the skin barrier, damaging skin cells and increasing the risks of cancer.
Aim for an SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen that is water-resistant. Broad-spectrum sunscreen protects from both UVA and UVB rays, adding an extra layer of protection.
If you’re unsure of how much sunscreen to apply daily, it is best to apply two strips on your index and middle finger and spread evenly across your face. To avoid that “young face, old neck” situation, make sure to consistently apply sunscreen to both your face and your neck, or part of you will look a lot younger than the rest of you.
Sunscreen preferences vary by person, so whether it’s a mineral or chemical sunscreen it doesn’t matter. Choose a sunscreen that works best for you.
PRO TIP: Layer a vitamin C serum under your sunscreen for an extra antioxidant boost, neutralizing the sun’s rays. Try La Roche Posay’s 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum designed with anti-aging in mind, brightening and hydrating your skin, reducing texture, and reducing visible signs of aging. The serum is also great for all skin types with an emphasis on sensitive skin.
The Best Sunscreens for Your 20s
The EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 46 is an award-winning dermatologist favorite sunscreen. Their tinted sunscreen comes in two shades for darker and lighter skin. Their formula is oil-free with 5% niacinamide and zinc oxide, reducing blemishes and discoloration while protecting your skin. It’s made for all skin types and suitable for sensitive skin.
Tula’s PentaPeptide Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 serum is perfect for those who aren’t particular fans of sunscreen with an added preventative anti-aging plus. The serum’s formula is lightweight, minimizes excess oil, and smooths the skin—perfect for under makeup. The probiotic extracts and pentapeptides also work to prevent the appearance of early signs of aging. It’s suitable for all skin types from dry and sensitive skin to oily and acne-prone skin. Tula is cruelty-free.
The Shiseido Clear Suncare Stick 50+ is the perfect product for all-day wear with easy reapplication as it’s easy to bring with you and apply throughout the day without touching your skin. The product uses multiple patented skin technologies to reinforce UV protection and prevent signs of aging. The product is clear, leaving no white cast, and applies smoothly.
La Roche Posay’s Anthelios line is popular for good reason. Their Anthelios UVMUNE 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream is a lightweight formula that doesn’t leave your skin oily and ghostly white from a strong whitecast. The formula is designed for sensitive skin and is sweat-resistant making it perfect for everyday wear.
Retinol
Today we’re disproving the myth that you can only start anti-aging ingredients when you see the first signs of age. Retinol is a multitasking miracle derived from vitamin A that tackles fine lines, wrinkles, acne, and texture. By boosting cell turnover and collagen production, it smooths and firms the skin over time.
Before signs of aging appear, retinol will be most effective in your 20s. As evidenced by the National Institute of Health, retinol has been scientifically proven to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Cautions and Use
Since it’s best to start early, it’s also best to start slow. The focus of using retinol in our 20s is to prevent signs of aging, starting with a gentle, low-concentration retinol formula. A concentration of 0.2% or less is sufficient for preventive purposes, but there are higher concentrated formulas on the market.
Retinol can take time to get used to. Make sure to follow the directions provided in the packaging of your specific retinol product, avoiding using too much product or too often. For all retinoids, it is wise to start the application once a week after cleansing your face and gradually increase the frequency as your skin adjusts.
PRO TIP: Avoid exfoliants like BHAs or AHAs while using retinol, as they can cause extra dryness and irritation. And while you can use a vitamin C product with retinol, it’s best to use them at separate times of the day to prevent irritation. We recommend vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night.
The Best Retinols for Your 20s
Cosrx is a recent addition into the retinol market with three new products: The Retinol 0.1 Cream, The Retinol 0.3 Cream, and The Retinol 0.5 Oil. The 0.1 cream is perfect for retinol beginners with sensitive skin. The 0.3 cream is best for those familiar with retinol products and is effective for mature skin types or preventing and treating signs of aging. The 0.5 oil is perfect for experienced retinol users who need a higher potency formula. All products work to target fine lines and wrinkles, skin elasticity, and anti-aging. Cosrx is cruelty-free.
Glossier’s Universal Pro-Retinol is perfect for beginning or experienced retinol users that everyone can love. It focuses on fine lines, pores, dark spots, blemishes, and uneven tone and texture. Glossier is cruelty-free, and the Universal Pro Retinol is vegan.
The Ordinary has a couple of retinol products, but let’s focus on the Retinol 0.2% in Squalene and the Retinol 0.5% in Squalene. These are targeted for general signs of aging, perfect for preventative skincare in your twenties, as their retinoids over 1% are for advanced aging. The serums are great for all skin types and also target dryness, irregular texture, and uneven skin tone. The Ordinary is cruelty-free.
For those of you who have been scarred by retinol use in the past, Versed’s Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum may be for you. Their serum which is clinically- and dermatologist-tested is designed to be gentle on sensitive skin. The product is aimed at treating skin texture, softening fine lines and wrinkles, and evening skin tone. Versed is vegan and cruelty-free.
Eye Cream
Eye creams are not the first product that comes to mind when thinking about age-preventative skincare. But they can be a mighty tool in fighting the evil of sagging skin. As the skin around your eyes is thinnest, this will often be where the first signs of aging will appear.
Expert dermatologists agree that between the ages of twenty to twenty-five is a good time to start preventative care with eye creams. Eye creams are also great at tackling dark circles and under-eye puffiness. The main goal for using eye creams in your 20s is to keep skin hydrated and plump while preventing fine lines and wrinkles.
Cautions and Use
When using an eye cream, take care to be gentle with your skin around the eyes as it is the most fragile. This irritation can cause discoloration and inflammation. When applying the creams, dab it onto your eye area first and then gently rub it in, starting from your under-eye and also extending it to your crow’s feet and eyelid.
The Best Eye Creams for Your 20s
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The right product can eradicate your need for concealers. For instant results, we recommend Proto-col’s The Eye Lift serum with a 4-in-1 formula that targets fine lines and wrinkles, dark circles, under-eye puffiness, and hooded eyes. Protocol is cruelty-free and vegan.
For ultra-moisturizing products that are great to apply before makeup, try Typology’s A41- Winkles and Fine Lines Eye Cream. The cream is great for all age ranges and uses key ingredients: Q10 and prickly pear oil. Q10 is a natural antioxidant that promotes collagen production and anti-aging protection, and prickly pear oil helps to reduce inflammation and skin damage. Typology is cruelty-free, vegan, and made in France.
L’Oreal Paris’ Eye Defense Cream has been designed to defend against signs of aging in your twenties. The cream is perfect for all skin types with a non-greasy gel-cream consistency. The product also smooths fine lines, reduces puffiness, and lightens dark circles. L’Oreal Paris is cruelty-free.
The Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum is tailored to sensitive skin using ingredients like ginseng and retinal. No, that wasn’t a typo. Retinal is another vitamin A derivative that acts faster on the skin with boosted effects as it is closer to vitamin A than retinol and one step away from being retinoic acid. Ginseng is also a beloved ingredient among the Korean community and promotes healthy moisturized skin. Beauty of Joseon is cruelty-free.