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So you just turned dirty 30 and you’re probably noticing some new things. I’ve previously written about how my body has changed since turning 30 (you can read that post here). Your thirties are an amazing time. I can officially say that now that I’m 32. While I may have been skinny in my 20s, in my 30s I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, the healthiest I’ve ever been, and probably the most confident I’ve ever been. While you still may not know what you want by the time you hit 30, you’re definitely going to know what you don’t want. And unfortunately, some of the bad decisions you made in your 20s are going to now show up on your face. In this post, I’m going to talk about how your skin changes once you cross 30 and also what the heck you can do about it.
Sun Damage Starts to Show
When you were younger you loved going to the beach. I know I loved showing off in bikinis. I was a tiny little thing and even though I actually dislike sand, I’d go to the beach just so I could show off my teeny bits. I was pretty good at wearing sunscreen but I grew up in Florida so sun exposure is pretty constant. Once you turn 30 you will start noticing signs of sun damage on your face, on your arms, and maybe even *gasp* on your hands. This sun damage can be in the form of hyperpigmentation, freckles, or actual sunspots. I’ve noticed that I have developed freckles on my cheekbones. In your 30s it becomes increasingly important that you wear sunscreen on your face. I personally love Clinique SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face I find that it doesn’t break me out. If however, you’re someone who can break out from sunscreen consider either wearing a hat when you’re outside or getting yourself a UV Index app for your phone. If the UV Index is above 5 that day wear your face sunscreen if it isn’t then you can forgo it but don’t linger outside for too long. I like the UVIndexToday App from the App Store and use it constantly.
Your Skin Type Will Likely Change
My skin type has gone from combination skin to dry skin. I was wondering why it didn’t seem like I was making progress anymore with parts of my skincare regime and then a few weeks ago I decided not to put anything on my face for a few days. My skin was so dry! I have somehow dried up like a prune. Changes in your skin type occur mostly due to things like hormonal changes, stress, and your body simply turning over cells slower than it used to. Remember when we talked about that slowing metabolism? Same idea. Most of us will need more hydration once we hit our 30s, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, you have a good moisturizer, and aren’t using too many mattifying products.
Wrinkles Are Real
You might have been staring at yourself recently and been thinking ‘what the heck is that?!’ It’s the beginning of crow’s feet or a frown line or worse yet a laugh line. If in your 20s it was just merely suggested it might be a good idea to start some anti-aging products, in your 30s it’s essential. Of course, you can always deal with any wrinkles that pop up with Botox but some people don’t respond well to those injections and others don’t like the way it makes the face look. If you’d like to avoid that level of medical intervention then you need to consider adding retinol or some other collagen boosting formulation to your skincare regime. I was previously using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream and I really love it. I think it’s a great affordable introduction to retinol. Not to mention that it’s just and most people tolerate it well.
Here’s my latest addition to love my 30-something skin:
So like I said, I noticed that my skin had gotten really dry and I suspected it was contributing to some of my breakouts. I read a few things online and realized that maybe I needed to hydrate my skin at night. I decided to try out the Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream ($22.00) which is rated as being okay for sensitive skin.
This cream contains marine collagen to help with skin elasticity and wonderful marine botanicals that help plump the skin. I put it on at night before bed and I have to tell you this cream has been conquering the lines on my forehead like a champ! Plus my face isn’t dry as a bone anymore. And my breakouts are becoming fewer and farther in-between. If you find that retinol is too harsh for you, this is definitely a cream that you should give a try.
What else is making a real difference in my 30s?
I’m finding that it’s really helpful to use a chemical exfoliant to renew my skin on a regular basis. If you read my post on The Ordinary aha 30% + bha 2% peeling solution then you know I’m loving that chemical peel. It looks like blood on your face but it is completely resurfacing your skin when you use it. I have noticed that since I started to use it the freckles on my cheeks are fading away, as well as my acne scars. I find that chemical exfoliants are a lot easier on the skin than physical exfoliants (scrubs) as they don’t actually cause abrasions on the skin but instead stimulate the skin to produce collagen through a mild irritation.
Those are my tips so far, I’m sure I’ll discover more things about my skin as I get older and I’ll be sure to share them with you all once I do. For the meantime, give these tips a try and let me know how it goes. Also, let me know in the comments how you’ve noticed that your skin has changed as you’ve gotten older and if there are any products that you’re absolutely obsessed with to show your skin some love.
If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask. As always thanks for reading! Subscribe to my e-mail list so you never miss a post, every Monday and Thursday.
Y’all are beautiful!
