The best anti-aging skin care routine in your 30s

Hello, woman of the world. Your 30s may be busy and hectic, but you’re also primed with the knowledge of what’s good for you thanks to the past decade of self-discovery. Plus, now that you have the means to splurge on quality items, it’s the perfect time to make sure your skincare regimen is still right for your skin or if you need some additions for a boost in results.

That whisper of a wrinkle that crept into your eye area in your late 30s? Without proper care, it can deepen into an etched groove that begins to look suspiciously more ‘crow’s feet’ than ‘fine line’. Luckily, you can slow down the appearance of visible aging signs with the right preventive routine. Here’s the best way to go about it.

Perhaps you’ve noticed how the corners of your eyes crinkle when you smile, or slight creases leading from your nose to the sides of your mouth. These fine lines and wrinkles are caused by not only repeated use of facial muscles, which creates grooves and creases in the skin, but also UV exposure. Your skin’s structural proteins, collagen and elastin, help it spring back into place — but these proteins wear out as you get older, deepening the lines and making them permanent.

Fine lines show up more clearly on dehydrated skin, so make sure your skin has all the moisture it needs. Moisturisers keep skin plumped up and a long-term SK-II study has also implied that keeping your skin hydrated helps slow the development of wrinkles. Haven’t found your dream cream? Check out our guide to moisturisers.

Moisturise to stave off wrinkles

Dark spots are caused by the overproduction of melanin, a pigment your skin produces in response to UV exposure. While your skin is vulnerable to spots caused by UV exposure at any age, it is especially susceptible to hyperpigmentation in your 30s – thanks to hormonal changes caused by pregnancy, birth control, or even natural cycle changes. These fluctuations can also trigger the production of melanin, the pigment that causes patchy spots to form especially on the cheek, forehead, and upper lip areas.

If you’re suffering from dark spots, lighten up — there are many ways to even out your skin tone with exfoliators, brighteners, and moisturisers containing brightening actives such as Vitamin C derivatives and Niacinamide. Botanical ingredients such as prunus fruit and plum extracts are also known for their skin-brightening properties. Look for serums that contain these ingredients and apply them as part of a twice-daily skincare routine.

Get your glow back on

Help dark spots fade into a distant memory by increasing cell turnover, which sloughs off dead cells on the top layer of your skin. This reveals fresh, younger-looking skin and helps dark spots fade over time. Niacinamide, also known as Vitamin B3, gives cell turnover a gentle boost while chemical exfoliants such as Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids help get rid of dead cells on the surface.

Boost skin renewal to fade spots

Skin brightening refers to the brightening and evening of your natural skin tone by targeting dullness and dark spots. It does not change your natural skin colour.