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When Should You Start a Skin Care Routine?

Written by:Bryan Barron
Updated on:12/1/2022

It’s a common question—sometimes even a worry: When should you begin a facial skin care regimen? Lots of people wait to take care of their skin until a problem shows up—that’s not the best approach. Would you wait until you’re nutritionally deficient before you begin eating healthy foods? Of course not! The same approach applies to getting started with a basic skin care routine

Whether you want to help prevent wrinkles, smooth away dryness, or address other concerns, you should start a skin care routine as soon as possible. Age doesn’t matter; surprise, age is not a skin type.

Fashion magazines and websites tend to categorise skin care by the decade, often writing about the best skin care for when you’re in your 20s, best for when you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and so on. Although some of the information can be helpful, it doesn’t take into account the research-supported truth:  Skin has the same basic needs at every age.

No matter your age, gender, or ethnicity, your skin needs gentle cleansing, exfoliation, hydration, year-round protection from UV light, and antioxidants, replenishing ingredients, and restoring ingredients.

What can and often does change over the years is our skin type, but even that doesn’t always go in the conventional direction of becoming more dry as we age. Many women find their skin does become drier with age, but many also experience oily skin, enlarged pores, and breakouts as their skin matures. That’s why, at any age, you should choose a skin care regimen based on your skin type and concerns, not on your age.

One important note: menopause and certain surgical procedures result in estrogen deficient skin. When skin loses estrogen, the process of visible ageing speeds up, and signs of it, such as wrinkles, sagging, and uneven tone become more pronounced. When this happens, you can seek out topical products containing phytoestrogens to combat some of these signs and improve skin’s overall health.

But what if you’re young and not yet concerned about signs of ageing or dealing with breakouts? Do you still need a skin care routine? Yes, absolutely. Here’s what everyone should be doing to take care of their skin—and you can start doing it during childhood:

  • Wash your face with a gentle cleanser morning and evening.
  • In the daytime, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face, neck, and other exposed areas of skin.
  • At night, apply a facial moisturiser suitable for your skin type: Liquids or gels if your skin is oily; lotions if your skin is normal to combination; creams if your skin is dry. Moisturisers from Paula’s Choice Skincare are enriched with the groups of ingredients mentioned above—antioxidants, replenishing, and restoring ingredients.

Those are the basics everyone can use daily; from the teen years on and as different skin care concerns arise, you can adapt and expand your routine as needed. For example, you can begin using an AHA or BHA exfoliant to improve skin texture and clogged pores. Or add an antioxidant serum to strengthen skin’s environmental defences. The trick is customising your skin care so it consistently meets the needs of your current concerns—and helps allay future concerns.

References for this information:
Journal of Pediatrics Review, January 2015, ePublication
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, August 2013, pages 337–345
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, September 2012, pages 18–23
Dermatology Research and Practice, August 2012, ePublication
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, June 2007, pages 75–82
Dermatologic Therapy, Volume 17, 2004, pages 143–148