Skincare By Age

The best skincare tip (other than wearing sunscreen every day!) we can give anyone in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond is to re-think what they may have read about how to approach skincare as they age.

The reason? Simply put, age is NOT a skin type.

Why Isn’t Age a Skin Type?

When we say that age isn’t a skin type what we mean is that your default skin type – whether normal, oily, combination, or dry – largely remains the same, regardless of age. The ingredients you’ve used with success throughout your life will still yield results as you age. They don’t automatically stop working just because you’ve hit a certain aging milestone.

Age isn’t a skin type because people of all ages can have the same or different skin types throughout their life. It’s not as simple as saying everyone over age 50 has dry skin and everyone younger than that has combination or oily skin. Skin type can and often does change as we age (see menopause, discussed below), but the truth is the same ingredients that benefit your skin when you’re young will be just as good for your skin when you’re older.

Expanding on the info above, people of all ages can have dry, dull, rough, uneven, and blotchy skin. Others have oily skin with clogged pores and white bumps or have redness-prone skin. By the time you’re 20, your skin has already been greatly impacted by environmental assault. The way to combat these effects of environmental assault remains the same, no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake.

If you’re using preventive skincare loaded with antioxidants, in addition to active ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, and AHA or BHA (alpha hydroxy acid or beta hydroxy acid), these will still work on your skin in the same way they did when you were younger. However, there are a few special considerations to make when tackling skincare as you get older.

What About Skin Changes Due to Menopause?

It’s just a fact: the loss of oestrogen that results from the process of menopause, as well as certain medical procedures, does have an impact on skin health and appearance. This phenomenon, known as oestrogen-deficient skin, results in accelerated visible signs of aging, including wrinkles, crepey skin, and sagging.

The solution if you’re experiencing oestrogen-deficient skin isn’t to throw out your existing skincare products; rather, you can supplement your routine with products designed to address this specific skin concern. More and more research indicates that treatment with topical phytoestrogens can help make a meaningful impact on the appearance of skin that’s been affected by oestrogen loss.

Shop our OMEGA+ Complex Collection now to improve moisture retention and skin elasticity.

References for this information

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, March 2022, pages 444-452

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, October 2021, pages 1-26