Skincare Advice for Your 20s and 30s

If the Sephora kid trend tells us anything, it’s that young people are paying attention to skin health and appearance. Skincare companies know this, and now we are being bombarded daily with ads for products and dubious claims about their efficacy. Instead of trying to figure out what is necessary and truly effective, here’s my skincare advice for your 20s and 30s (for yourself or your 20- or 30-year old child!). 

Apply sunscreen daily

When you were a kid, your parents applied sunscreen before you went outside to play. Once you are an independent adult, you need to apply sunscreen daily to protect your skin from future sun damage. Chemical sunscreens from Europe or Asia are my top preference, as I explain at length in this blog post. 

Many young people are under the misguided impression that mineral sunscreens are better for you, thinking they are “natural.” They are not better for you, nor are they “natural.”  Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are chemicals, and they do not act as SUNBLOCKS (which many people believe). They act in the same way as chemical sunscreens by absorbing ultraviolet light and converting it to heat. And because they are sometimes thick and can leave your skin with a white appearance, many people skip them entirely.  

Of course, any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen – just make sure it’s a broad spectrum sunscreen and apply it frequently. 

Start a more intensive skincare routine

Once you hit your 20s, it’s time to start a more intensive skincare routine. Intensive doesn’t mean complicated. A simple and effective, three-part routine is all you need. 

1. Use a serum with an antioxidant like Vitamin C, which can help slow skin aging, reduce the breakdown of collagen, and decrease the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots.
2. DNA repair enzymes, which come in the form of serums, lotions, and creams, are very helpful to mitigate the effects of the sun and environmental pollutants.
3. If your skin is dry, apply a moisturizer (sunscreen goes on top of that). 

If you or your friends love trying the latest trendy product from Korea, keep in mind that they are not usually backed by real science. They probably won’t harm you, but they will most likely not deliver on their promises. These three fundamentals listed above are backed by science. They will help you have the best skin today and in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. 

For those of us who didn’t grow up using these products, we are suffering the effects. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, and the American Academy of Dermatology estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

Baby retinoids are great for anti-aging and to treat acne

In your 20s, you can certainly use a mild retinoid for its anti-aging effects. My favorite is retinaldehyde. If you suffer from acne, you may already be on a prescription retinoid, which is even more effective than on OTC retinoid.

Just keep in mind that you should not use retinoids while pregnant, so if you are planning to get pregnant, you need to stop using them. (Taking retinoids orrally during pregnancy can cause major complications, from miscarriage to congenital abnormalities.) While side effects from topical retinoids in pregnancy are extremely rare, it’s still a wise idea to stop them entirely during pregnancy and to resume them after delivery.  

Strengthen your skin with microneedling

Microneedling is a popular procedure for young people. By making microscopic injuries to your skin, it will always be in “repair mode.”  It doesn’t reverse pigmentation or sun damage; I think of it as a skin strengthener.

If used deeply enough, microneedling can treat mild acne scarring. But if you have deep scars, start CO2 laser treatments when you’re in your 20s, because the scars will appear deeper as your skin ages.

Be aware that skin issues may be a sign of something more serious

If you’re a woman in your 20s suffering from acne, your acne may be a sign that you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Other symptoms include excess hair growth on your face and breasts (among other areas), irregular periods, stretch marks, and hair thinning on the scalp. You can get tested for PCOS by your dermatologist, gynecologist, or endocrinologist. 

To treat hair loss due to PCOS, an oral medication called spironolactone is very effective. It’s a diuretic that also blocks hormone receptors, and has been used very safely for many decades.  Like retinoids, you cannot take this medication during pregnancy. 

We can also treat stretch marks on the abdomen and thighs due to PCOS, pregnancy, or weight gain with Fraxel laser. In cases where stretch marks are red, we combine both VBeam and Fraxel. 

Cosmetic procedures are only appropriate in select cases

I am not a huge fan of performing cosmetic procedures on 20-somethings. But if you abused the sun and are reforming your ways, I might do some Clear and Brilliant laser treatments. This “baby Fraxel” is helpful for combatting superficial sun damage, but you need to do a full series to enjoy the benefits. Once you reach your late 30s or early 40s, you can consider some more powerful laser treatments depending on the level of sun damage. 

If you suffer from facial redness, a BBL or a pulsed dye laser like VBeam would be helpful to improve your skin’s appearance. 

Chemical peels are a great way to keep your skin fresh and exfoliated. But you don’t always need a deep one to reverse sun damage; sometimes a series of mild peels is sufficient.  

As for Botox or other neurotoxins, I only use them in specific cases on people in their 20s. If you have deep wrinkles between your eyebrows, I’ll use a very conservative amount of Botox in that area to prevent them from getting deeper.

Then there’s this whole cohort of young women who want to have their lips enhanced with filler. I try to talk them out of it. If I can’t, I’ll put in the tiniest bit of filler to plump the lips a bit. Here’s the thing about filler: it lasts much longer than we thought it did. If you keep injecting filler over and over, you may end up with a distorted, misshapen mouth. 

And now let’s talk about earrings and lash serums

As we age, the skin on our entire bodies – not just our faces – gets looser. This includes your ear lobes. Only wear heavy earrings on occasion. And don’t sleep with any earrings in! Your lobes will stretch and they will have to be surgically repaired when you hit your 50s. 

I am not a big fan of lash serums, because they can cause redness and hyperpigmentation around the eyes, which is often not reversible. It can also cause some of the fat under your eyes to disappear, which is not replaceable nor correctable with filler injections.  

For any of these procedures listed above, make sure you work with someone who is very experienced. In my opinion, aestheticians in med spas are not the way to go if you want to see the best results. Practitioners need to be skilled and trained, and if they are not physicians, they should have a physician working with them to handle any issues that arise. 

You will be wearing your skin for your entire life, and it’s never too early to start taking care of it. I welcome you to schedule an appointment if you’d like to discuss any skincare concerns and learn your options. Call our office at 212-288-8222.