Skin Care for Every Age Group
/Pre-Teens
The best skin care for this age group is simply keeping the skin clean without causing harm with any harsh chemicals. Generally this age group can simply wash their face with water in the am and pm. However, if there are any signs of pores becoming clogged, then it may be time to introduce a very gentle cleanser - DO NOT USE YOUR MOM'S! - for two reasons. The first being, she probably spent a lot of $$ on it and you would get into trouble! The second, it will likely be much too harsh for you. My recommendation would be to use a product like Cetaphil. You can find it at the drug store and it isn't expensive and is extremely gentle.
TEENS
Ah the pesky teen skin dilemas. This will most likely be the worst period of time in your life in terms of having nice, healthy looking skin. Between puberty, the dramas of teen life (ie. Stress), and not taking proper care of your skin - this is a tough decade. My advice - find a cleanser that is best suited to your skin type. Most teens find their skin becoming quite oily, therefore a gel cleanser for oily skin would work well. Also a blemish cream - one that not only helps to cover up blemishes but also helps to treat them, not just dry out the skin, (like our Blemish Balm), will become your best friend! Now that your mom won't be looking out for your hygene needs - remember to cleanse twice a day (am and pm) and use water based mineral sunscreen in the summer months. I recommend buying a really good light sunscreen that is non-comedogenic (non clogging) with at least a 15 SPF, and use it daily if you are going to be out in the sun for more than 15 minutes. In terms of exfoliating and moisturizing - these can exacerbate an acneic condition if you are not careful. I would definitely recommend speaking to a professional about what will work best for you. This is a great time to have your first facial - see there is some good news! Seeing a professional and learning about your skins needs would be very helpful.
*NOTE: DO NOT use products with Benzoyl Peroxide, products with high alcohol content, and do not use soap. Prolonged use of harsh chemicals such as Benzoyl Peroxide may cause increased redness, and may even result in Rosacea. Many teens like the way these products cause the skin to feel dry and tight and without oils, however, the sebaceous glands begin to work even harder to lubricate the skin, thus creating a vicious cycle.
20's
Welcome to your 20's! This is the decade of fun, fun and more fun! By this point your hormones have settled and you no longer look like a connect the dot activity - Hurray! This is a good time to re-evaluate your skin and what it may need. You'll likely still need that blemish balm for a spot here or there (if you are like me - you may need it for LIFE!), of course a good cleanser - the gel cleanser may have become too drying by now - make sure you assess your skin and choose the right products. DO NOT STEAL YOUR MOMS - again for the same 2 reasons above and DO NOT USE WHATEVER IS UNDER THE BATHROOM COUNTER. Again - for 2 reasons. The first, if it is expired or has been open for a while it has likely gone bad. (If you aren't sure if it's expired - the rule of thumb is 18 months or less unopened is okay or 6-12 months if it was opened). The second, it likely isn't what is best for your skin. If you use product just to "use it up", and it isn't right for your skin, you will have to deal with some sort of skin backlash (ie. Break outs, hives, itchiness, blotchiness, dry patches, sensitivities - get the picture?). The 20's mark the start of your adult skin care regime - YAY! (Now you start to take even longer to get ready each day!). You should now be using an appropriate cleanser, exfoliant, toner, and moisturizer with SPF. By 25, you should be also using an eye cream to help prevent fine lines and keep the eye area hydrated. A moisturizer will not absorb into the eye area as the molecular structure of a moisturizer is too large.
30's
This is the decade where you tell yourself you don't miss your 20's at all and you are at the pinacle of your being. And it really is kind of sort of true…
As for your skin - well now you have some new problems - likely caused by your refusal to wear sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF daily - YES - fine lines. :(
The cruel little things start at the sides of the eyes and a line or two may be starting to furrow between your brows and - do those smile lines seem a little deeper? So, what do we do? This is when we start to use anything and everything to grasp onto our "youthful glow". Seriously now, my advice, is to start using age preventing creams suitable for your skin type of course. Usually if you haven't switched to a cream cleanser yet, this may be the decade for you to do so. You most definitely do not want to be dry, which encourages and highlights a wrinkle as well. You should still use what I mentioned from your 20's, but this is a good time to add an anti-aging serum to the list. I would also recommend starting Microdermabrasion treatments. As we age, the process by which the skin naturally exfoliates and sloughs off, begins to slow down. It needs a little help from exfoliants and treatments such as Microdermabrasion. They are a great first step toward age prevention and you will look and feel FANTASTIC!
40 and Up
I am not sure since I'm not there yet…ok I'm in denial, let's move on please! (I should have changed it to "41 and Up" Lol!). Some of you may be thinking that is too vast a group - 40 - 99! However, really the skin care needs will be quite similar. Skin care will always need to be customized to your specific needs. In these years, you want to use a great basic line (as you started in your 20's), but you will tweak it as your skin changes ie. Products for dry, oily, sensitive, etc. You also want to be using eye cream (from 25-30yrs - FOREVER), an exfoliant, an anti-aging serum, and occasional masks if required (certain conditions will see a great improvement with the use of masks). For most people continuing with Microdermabrasion treatments will really benefit their skin - the products you use will penetrate much better as well as helping you maintain that youthful glow. For some, skin peels may be better, or may be recommended in conjunction with Microdermabrasion. For those with redness in their cheeks or sun damage, a series of IPL treatments may be the solution. This is also the age group that may wish to start to use Botox and/or fillers for those annoying deeper lines. A more natural way to treat those lines (and also treat any pock mark scars/large pores/loose skin/etc.), would be the INTRAcel treatment. (I will be having another one shortly, and will blog about it - maybe I'll even show you some video/pics!). Remember, if in doubt of what treatments or products you should be using, we will always provide a complimentary skin analysis.