The aging process affects your skin differently as you get older. What worked for your skin in your 30s is probably not going to be as effective in your 50s. Even though you can’t stop the clock, you can be ready for whatever the years throw at you.

Thirties

Believe it or not, once you hit your 30s, your skin has already begun to succumb to the aging process. While you might not notice many changes taking place when you look in the mirror, deep down your body is losing its ability to produce important elements like collagen that keep you looking young and healthy. That’s why this decade might be the most vital period to get a handle on caring for your skin.

It can also be the most challenging time to keep up with the demands of proper skincare. Juggling a career, family, and a social life, people in their 30s often skip or don’t properly perform the most important step in skincare: cleansing. Thoroughly cleansing your skin in the morning and removing makeup and cleansing before bed is vital to your skin’s health. Proper exfoliation and moisturizing practices can help too.

Men and women in their 30s can do their skin a big favor by applying a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen when going outside, even when it’s cloudy. Aside from a decrease in collagen production, sun damage is responsible for the majority of aging skin issues and is an often-forgotten aspect of skin care, since the signs of UV damage don’t appear right away.

Forties

Forty might be the new 30, but despite how young you feel, your skin is in need of even more attention during this decade. The collagen loss that started in your 30s has accelerated and you now have significantly less of it than when you were 20. This is usually the time when your skin is drier, duller, and wrinkles and fine lines start to appear.

During your 40s, your skin doesn’t regenerate as quickly and it’s slower to shed dead and damaged cells. Those cells can build up, leading to dull or muted skin, which is why you’ll want to continue to exfoliate. Exfoliating more frequently can keep those dried-out, dead cells at bay, allowing your skin to glow and look healthier.

This is also the perfect time to add a hydrating serum. Your skin doesn’t retain moisture in your 40s like it did earlier in life, and that can leave your skin feeling dry and lifeless. You can replenish and lock in moisture by incorporating a quality serum into your regimen.

Then there’s that all-important collagen. Giving your skin a much-needed boost of collagen production can go a long way in holding off the signs of aging. Be sure to add at least one collagen-enhancing serum to bolster your skin’s natural network.

Fifties

If you’re a woman in your 50s, it’s time to consider the effects menopause is having on your skin. Lower estrogen levels mean a drop in natural skin protection, as your body doesn’t maintain ample hydration or produce new collagen the way it used to. To keep moisture levels up, apply a moisturizer that’s rich in essential lipids twice a day,

Women with light skin tones might also notice the appearance of brown spots along the hairline, chest, and the tops of the hands. Of course, powerful sunscreen is the best way to keep your skin spot-free, but you can also banish these blemishes with a skin-brightening complex to lighten the spots and even out your skin’s pigment. Be sure to have any suspicious growths checked out by a professional.

Like the rest of your face, the skin under your chin is also thinning out and being pulled down by gravity. While you don’t necessarily need a specific formulation to battle neck dryness, wrinkles, and laxity, you do need to apply an effective moisturizing cream every day.

For more like this, check out our Wellbeing section here.