Anti ageing- I’m 30, what do I need to do?

[Canadianviews]

As title really. I’m so confused as to what I should be doing now I’m 30 to try and keep the wrinkles/ inevitable sagging of the face at bay as long as possible.

I have, at the moment, smooth skin with not really any wrinkles. I have developed in the past year or so some fine lines around my eyes (crows feet I guess) when I smile and I have a v faint fine line on my forehead. Not really noticeable except when I’m tired/ hungover/ dehydrated.

I cleanse, use a Dragon’s blood Nip & Fab pad everyday, as well as moisturise morning and night. I never have and never will sleep in my make up, I always take it off and cleanse my face, moisturise etc before bed.

I wear SPF 50 everyday.

I keep hearing people talk about Retin A, is this something I ‘need’ to be using? Would it help with my crows feet/ forehead line?

Any help much appreciated!

[Bella8]

Prevention is better than treatment so whether you're 20, 30, 40 you should be looking after yourself. I wish I'd known some of the stuff I known now as when I was younger I didn't bother! Now I'm 32 and I'm whacking on all the oils and creams In a bid to prevent aging! I find the best method is take care of yourself from the inside; plenty water, omega 3 oils and good diet. External treatments only nourish the top layers of skin. At the moment I'm ushing coconut oil, neroli oil and some good old castor oil. Some helichrysum oil too for my post partum stretch marks!! All working wonders. My face had never looked this youthful in years and I've even had compliments on my skin. I'm now a fan of all the natural oils they're much cheaper and exactly what they put in those really expensive moisturisers!

[MattBerrysHair]

Good diet, plenty of water, sun protection, exercise, sleep, don't have children.

[Bella8]

MattBerrysHair Haha the children one is definitely a huge factor in aging!

[MattBerrysHair]

I think I aged a decade during ds1's first year. The fact he woke up a minimum of 3 TIMES A NIGHT UNTIL HE WAS 5! means I now look 102.

I'm not bitter, oh no.......

[Bella8]

Haha I feel the same I have an 8 month old but the he has been actually sleeping okay lately so maybe I've taken a year off my 100 years...I live in hope!

[PollyPerky]

FFS you are 30!!!! Stop worrying, eat well, sleep well, and stop worrying cos you are 30. Wait till you are twice that age.

[Cazz81]

Which spf 50 do you use and would you recommend ?

I have been told to start having Botox at late 20s / early 30s but I'm against the whole idea tbh.

[NinonDeLenclos]

A good rich thick night cream - Neals Yard Frankincense or Dr Hauschka Rose (calls itself day cream but it's too thick for day).

Don't use water or alcohol on your face. Instead use rosewater.

Decleor's Angelique oil or Caudalie Divine Oil - use regularly.

Moisture mask once a week - eg Logona

Don't put your face in the sun at all.

[NinonDeLenclos]

You don't need botox, you just need good skincare. I'm 47 and don't have any lines - generally people think I'm around 30.

[NinonDeLenclos]

Caudalie Divine Oil

Sorry that's wrong it's called Caudalie Detox Oil.

Divine oil is for the body.

[Cazz81]

Great advice from @ninondelenclos thank you

[Dustbunny1900]

I also just turned 30..I've always been into oil cleansing and spf 30 EVERY day of the year, even inside (windows don't block out UVA) but this year I've ramped it up ..I've been applying spf to backs of my hands and neck, using moisturizers with ceramides and hyaluronic acid (cerave) in the mornings before my spf, and at night I've been using really heavy creams and locking it into my skin with powerful occlusives (like Vaseline) to prevent transepidermal water loss. I will start using retin A whenever I start seeing lines. They say you should be using antioxidant creams too.

I also use humidifiers inside, eat lots of healthy fats/oils and fermented foods and bone broth (super rich in collagen) and drink lots of water. I go really easy on the makeup , especially eye makeup because the eye area is so delicate.

[Canadianviews]

Thanks guys.

Can anyone recommend a good moisturiser or oil with Hyaluronic acid in? I have to be careful with moisturisers and things as I have sensitive skin so really, they need to be fragrance free ideally.

Cazz81- I use La Roche Posy SPF (available in boots)

I am considering starting with Retin A, but have no idea where to start tbh or if it’s even safe to use around the eye area etc!

[Solasum]

Canadian I have super sensitive skin, and found retinol A creams made a mess of my face.

Watching with interest. Any particular products recommended for sensitive skin?

[oldlaundbooth]

Do not smoke. Just don't.

I see a remarkable difference between women who have smoked and who haven't.

You can't tell at 25 but you can at 40 believe me.

Drink loads of water.
Less alcohol.
Veg. Good protein. Good fat.
As much sleep as possible.
Thick moisturiser.
Stay out of the sun.

[LifeOnAHamsterWheel]

Have enough sleep
Don’t drink too much
Use a moisturiser
Stay out of the sun
Drink water
Eat healthily

[catnoir]

Start retin-A using a low percentage. I recommend The Ordinary granactive retinoids in squalene, excellent brand and value for money for someone new to retinoids. 30+ is the recommended age to begin retinoids for prevention, as per Caroline Hirons, Deciem etc. Use sparingly at first to build up skin tolerance as can be very hard on skin initially.

[catnoir]

The Ordinary also has a number of very effective facial oils too, my favorite is the rose hip, Argan, marula, and squalene, all have different benefits, depending on your individual skin requirements.

[Anatidae]

Remember that retinoids are highly teratogenic. Do not use them if there’s even a whiff of a chance you’d get pregnant.

I’m afraid that most of it is genetic. I’m a geneticist ;)

The biggie is stay out of the sun. That’s the number one cause of skin ageing apart from well... age. Spf is nice, but a big hat is better.

Then, don’t smoke. Get as much sleep as you can. Eat well. Don’t be too thin.

Then, stop caking loads of products on. There was a really interesting thread on here a while ago where the op asked ‘if you look ten years younger , what’s your skin care regime?’ And the vast, vast majority of the responders said ‘nowt. Bit of moisturiser, I rarely wear makeup.’ I firmly believe that the endless stretching and tugging and product applications and removals is more a cause of wrinkles than a remedy.

So. Most of it is genetic. Stay out of the sun (take a good vitamin D supplement.) don’t smoke. Eat healthily. Don’t be too thin. Don’t use All The Products. Bit of moisturiser is fine. And they are all roughly the same stuff, find one you like / cheap Nivea is just as effective as super pricey shit. It’s all just emulsifier and fat.

[Anatidae]

By the way all the ‘science’ in product labels is bollocks. Very few commercial skin preparations penetrate any further than the dead bits of your skin - you actually don’t want them to - skin is a barrier for a very good reason.

Find a moisturiser your skin likes and use it. And not much else.

[Canadianviews]

Unfortunately staying out of the sun is impossible for me as I have an outdoorsy job. Hence the factor 50

[Dustbunny1900]

Anatidae, so do you just look at your parents to see if you have the "aging well genes"?

[Anatidae]

Well spf and a hat then :) and big sunnies. If you’re outdoors all the time you will get more uv exposure and that will contribute to ageing.

dustbunny yes and no. You’re a new combination of half of each parent, and genes are discrete units rather than things that blend. Also lifestyle does play a role, so if you’re a sun seeker who uses tanning beds, smokes etc and your mum is a pale indoors type then she’s likely to age better. But to a degree, yes.

Darker skins tend to age better as well.

Same with stretch marks I’m afraid - generally genetic plus how much the skin stretched - no product in the world helps or prevents.