The Best Age to Start a Skincare Routine? Whenever You're Ready

We’re surrounded with messages about beauty and self-care. Sometimes it can make it feel like you’re not doing enough, or that you’re late to the game, especially when it comes to your skincare routine. 

But no matter how old or young you are, take a deep breath, because you’re right on time. 

How Old Should You Be to Start a Skincare Routine?

The truth of the matter is, skincare and healthy skin has no age. The time you take to care for your skin is a precious moment for self-care that should be celebrated no matter when you start doing it. Part of self-care is learning how to love and cherish the skin you’re in no matter how old you are. When you have this approach, your skin care routine becomes more about self-love, health, and nourishment than aesthetics.

Just like the rest of you, your skin’s needs are always changing. With hormones, changing life circumstances, different weather patterns, and life in general, you’re never too old or young to have healthy skin and start a skincare routine – one that works for you and your unique skin type. 

If you’re wondering how to start a skincare routine at any age, you’ve come to the right place. There are a few things to know about skincare at each stage of life, so let’s dig in.

Skincare for Kids & Teens

A common question when it comes to skincare is “When should you start taking care of your skin?”. Whether you’re a parent of a kid or teen, or are a young person yourself, the answer is whenever you’re ready.

A skincare routine for kids will probably have more to do with learning about personal hygiene than trying out different products. Any age is a great time to teach your children the importance of washing their face in the mornings and evenings and using sunscreen when necessary to protect against sun exposure. If your child enjoys using your products or other moisturizers, you can explain that that’s how you maintain the health of your skin, just like you eat healthy food to keep your insides healthy. 

Things change around the pre-teen years. Puberty tends to hit and the skin starts to change, teens also may start being self conscious of these changes. Still, it’s important not to overdo it with harsh products that can disrupt the natural balance of your skin, and treat skincare as a chance to relax and take care of yourself.

Skincare can be helpful in adjusting to the changes your skin is going through like:

• Oily skin
• Breakouts
• Sun damage
• Sweat

In the early teen years, skincare should be minimal – clean with a gentle facial cleanser, moisturize, and protect your skin from the sun. As you get a bit older, it may be tempting to play around with all sorts of products, but remember that sometimes less is more. Try one product at a time to really see how your skin reacts before adding in another. 

Skincare for Young Adults

When you hit your late teenage years and your 20s, your skin continues to change. College, careers, relationships, and life all start to pick up in the phase of your life. Still, this is a time to prioritize your own needs and take care of yourself. Your skincare routine is a great way to do that. 

As you begin getting a bit older, you may start wondering when to start using anti-aging products. As life goes on, you may see greater signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Years of compounding stress may cause eye bags to be a little more prominent. This is nothing to worry about. Aging is a beautiful part of being alive. It brings wisdom, experiences, connections, and some extra (eye) baggage to bring with you!

Looking for a skincare routine for late 20s? We’ve got you covered.

This is all about building on your skincare routine from your teen years and early twenties. You might have made the switch to green products and are really paying attention to the ingredients in what you put on your skin. You may have started to notice the importance of understanding skin types, and where your skin fits in there. 

Your skincare routine may evolve and expand a little to include things like spot treatments, anti-aging products, an eye cream,  and helpful serums in addition to the basics of a cleanser, moisturizer and SPF/sunscreen from the teenage years. 

Your twenties are the time for you to fully get to know yourself, as well as learn how to take care of yourself. Your skincare routine is a great place to start.

Skincare for 30s+

Are you past your 20s and still not sure about skincare? Not to worry – it’s never too late to start! Maybe you’ve been too busy living to pay attention to your skin, or you felt like you never needed skincare products until you started to see signs of aging, or you just never knew where to start. No matter the case, you’re here now, and you’ve come to the right place.

Skincare in your 30s and beyond usually has more of a focus on anti-aging and moisturizing, as your skin tends to get drier the older you get. Just because you’re a bit older, doesn’t mean you need to all of a sudden buy every Vitamin C serum and hyaluronic acid on the market – even if targeted ads make it seem that way. 

Simple is still often best, even when you’re looking for the best skincare for a 40 year old (or 50, 60, and beyond)!

Your routine will include the basics we talked about earlier like a cleanser, moisturizer, and spot treatment when needed. This also may be the time you start to add in a few extra things like retinol, anti-aging and under eye creams.

As with any age, you should always be using SPF even as you get older to help you and your skin live the longest, healthiest life. Choosing a clean sunscreen helps to protect your skin from sun damage, and keep it as healthy as possible.  

What Products to Start With

Hopefully by now you have a good idea about where you’re at, and what your skin’s needs are. Ready to get started on building your skincare routine? Commitment is the first step, but you’ll also need some tools in your belt (or medicine cabinet) to get you going on the right track.

No matter how old you are, these types of skincare products are the foundation for you to build your routine on. 

Cleanser

You wouldn’t start a painting with a dirty canvas, right?

The same is true for your face. Using a gentle cleanser on your skin is essential for cleaning your pores, getting rid of dirt, grime, sweat and makeup, and preventing buildup and breakouts.

Even if you don’t feel like your skin is dirty, we’re constantly being exposed to environmental toxins that build up and lead to congestion in your skin.  

There are all sorts of cleansers out there – foams, gels, oils, creams, and bars. The most important thing is that your cleanser is made from clean ingredients, and doesn’t feel like it’s stripping away your skin’s natural oils.

If you have sensitive skin, you’ll want to make sure that your cleanser doesn’t irritate it and cause rashes, dry spots, or breakouts. 

You can teach the importance of a quality cleanser for someone no matter how old they are.

Moisturizer

Another product that can be used for pretty much any age and for any skin type is a quality moisturizer. Moisturizers are essential for keeping your skin hydrated and protecting it against outside harm. 

Your moisturizers may get a bit fancier as you get older, but it’s main jobs stay the same. There are all different types of moisturizers out there like creams, oils, and lotions. Just like with your cleanser, check to make sure your moisturizer is made from clean ingredients that will nurture your skin, instead of irritate it.

Sunscreen

The last item that should be in everyone’s toolkit at any age and for any skin type is sunscreen. You know the drill. Sunscreen is essential for protecting your skin against UV rays that can cause skin damage and accelerate signs of aging. 

Sunscreen isn’t just for beach days and tropical vacations. UV rays can impact your skin’s health in all sorts of weather conditions. Even on cloudy days, or in the middle of winter, it’s essential to wear an spf/sunscreen. 

Other Products to Incorporate

A holistic skincare routine involves taking care of your skin on the inside and outside. It means the lifestyle choices you make about your health are just as important as the products you use.  

Eating healthy, getting regular physical activity, and filling up your happiness cup contribute to your skin’s health as much as knowing how to layer your skincare products.

While we’re talking about products though, here are a few more you may want to add into your arsenal.

Serum

If you want to give your skin an extra boost of nutrients then we suggest reaching for a serum.

Serums carry high concentrations of ingredients that offer different targeted benefits like antiaging, reducing redness, and discoloration. A common one you’ll see on the market is a vitamin c serum for brightness. 

Serums are beneficial for giving your skin the little extra TLC it needs, especially as you get into your mid-twenties and beyond. How do you use a facial serum? It should be applied after your cleanser, but before your moisturizer and spf.

A great serum for anyone, even those with sensitive skin is Terasana’s Clear + Control Miracle Serum made from squalane and CBG. Add it to your skincare toolkit for 15% off today.

Retinol

If you’re looking for more anti-aging skincare products, then retinol is a great place to turn. Retinols are antioxidants that increase skin cell turnover rate, although they don’t remove dead skin cells, so you may want an exfoliating product for that a couple times a week. 

Retinoids help trigger collagen production in your skin to help keep it looking tight and young as you age. Collagen production is also a part of the recovery process that your skin undergoes as you sleep. Adding some retinol to your routine gives your skin an extra boost, which is why we recommend using this product in the evening. 

Remember – we love aging, but we can all use a little extra support through the process. Retinol is also a great night cream to help smooth scars and dark spots, clear pores, prevent breakouts, and more! It’s safe to use with other products like hyaluronic acid.

Toner

You know the importance of cleansing your skin, well toner can help you with that. Toner is a good backup to use after cleanser to get any remaining grime out of your pores. 

Using a toner after exfoliating can help get rid of any dead skin cells lingering on your skin. Just be sure your toner doesn’t dry your skin out. If so, use less often, or try a different product. 

Spot Treatment

Another thing to keep on hand at any age is a spot treatment. Breakouts happen, there’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s still helpful to have a product on hand that can help treat them. 

Spot treatments with active ingredients like salicylic acid are great for surprise breakouts. Not everyone will need this kind of product, especially if you’re not prone to breakouts. If you’re unsure of what product to try, be sure to talk to a dermatologist to see what your options are. 

Skincare for All Seasons of Life 

As life changes, so do your skin’s needs. It’s awesome to nail down a routine that works for you while still keeping in mind that your routine will probably change through different seasons of the year, as well as the seasons of your life.

No matter your age, your skincare routine should be something that works for you, your unique skin type, and your lifestyle. Something that you’ll be able to maintain, that feels like a moment to relax, not a chore. Creating a skincare routine at any age should feel empowering, it’s another opportunity to take care of yourself on the outside and the inside!