Skincare by Age

Which homecare should I be using at what age?

Is it really necessary for ALL the products?

As a total skincare addict this is a difficult one for me because I truly believe yes, you do need ALL the products! But I do also remember a time when I was on a strict budget, I didn’t have time for 5 million products in the morning and honestly, I didn’t know what I really needed to make the most of my skincare routine. I am sure I am not the only one, if you nodded your head “yes, that’s me now” to any of the above reasons, read on…

It's quite overwhelming to go for a skin analysis and treatment after which you get sent home with an overload of information and a list as long as the pope’s hat full of homecare products that you MUST use. Cleansers (yes, you may be prescribed one for morning use and another for evening use), exfoliater, mask, eye cream, day moisturiser, evening moisturiser, sunscreen and at least three serums! Never mind the occasional spot treatment, toner and supplements.

There is definitely a place for all of these if you are specifically treating a difficult skin condition, you need to see results fast, if the patient has been on a skin regime forever, knows their skin and likes to keep things interesting by switching it up every now and again (raise your hand if you also have 4 different sunblocks for different occasions) or the person is just really vigilant with homecare, spare no expense!

But not every single person falls into those categories and as skin specialists, we get it – but I will not be doing my job very well if I only give you a bare basic recommendation. We will always give you the full range of options and by discussing your main concerns we can narrow it down to suit your lifestyle and adapt accordingly to maybe add a few things later on or change it around as your skin changes  – that’s the beauty of a tailormade homecare prescription done by a knowledgeable and thorough skin specialist!

The Bare Basics

CLEANSER, EXFOLIATER, MOISTURISER, SUNSCREEN

If you are a no-fuss type of person who don’t see yourself getting too wrapped up in all things skin (maybe you were just genetically blessed with the perfect complexion) but you also want to make sure you are still giving your skin the best care available, you can definitely get away with these basic items. This is also a great option for someone just starting out with a new skincare range…remember, sometimes “less is more” and in case of any adverse reactions it is easier for us to detect the naughty culprit!

Depending on your skin type (oily/dry/impaired/combination) a variety of CLEANSERS will be available in gel, milk, oil or foam consistency for morning and evening use – it is important to cleanse twice daily! An ENZYME EXFOLIATER is a must, it prevents dull complexions but also plays an important role in natural skin turnover to aid with ageing, congestion and other breakouts or blackheads, pigmentation and even skin sensitivity! With regards to a MOISTURISER, ideally you want something for morning and something a little more active for night time use but again, if you are not too phased about results you may get away with one moisturiser to use day and night.

Last but not at all the least, SUNSCREEN! This is an extremely important step that many people skip because they think it’s an item only to be used for beach days but then can’t seem to understand why their skin is looking dull, aged and uneven. Currently we have 15 different types of sunscreen available at Lilium Aesthetics so no more excuses – there will definitely be a non-greasy, non-residue option that you will love forever!

Skincare before age 25-30

ANTIOXIDANTS, HYALURONIC ACID

Did you know that our bodies develop, grow and thrive until the age of 25 and then our telomeres start shortening and everything pretty much goes downhill from there? Oke, Sleeping Beauty, don’t stress – it won’t happen exactly “on the eve of your 25th birthday”…it’s a slow and gradual process that starts somewhere around that age.

To slow down ageing and maintain your youthful glow for as long as possible your skincare should include ANTIOXIDANTS that work against free-radicals. Free-radicals are tiny molecules with unpaired electrons that wreack havoc by stealing electrons from other compounds in the skin that lead to DNA damage, breakdown of collagen and elastin and ultimately premature ageing. Examples of antioxidants found in skincare are Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid, Resveratrol and Niacinamide.

Another important ingredient to add is HYALURONIC ACID. This potent hydrating molecule can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water! It gives the skin a plump and glowy look while replenishing your natural moisture levels.

Skincare between age 30-50

RETINOL, GROWTH FACTORS, PEPTIDES

When we reach the wrong side of 30, not only do we start noticing more neck and back pain (where are the days you could sleep on a friend’s couch and be perfectly fine the next morning…now not even the Posturepedic pillow will do), we also notice darker spots appearing on our skin, some wrinkles decide to put up permanent residency and the overall pores and texture are just not a vibe anymore!

RETINOL is definitely an ingredient you would have heard of before, it is marketed as a magical unicorn that can cure anything to do with skin. Basically it really just works by increasing cell turnover. Yep, it’s a fancy exfoliater. But by increasing cell turnover, you get rid of superficial hyperpigmented cells, you clear congestion associated with acne and also soften fine lines in aged skins…magical indeed!

By the age of 30, not only are we confused by SnapChat, TikTok and other Messenger types, even our skin’s communication functions start to throw out a few errors and that is where GROWTH FACTORS will play an important role. They ensure that cells receive the correct messages to stimulate the correct functions – “Hey, Fibroblast, stop being lazy and go make me some collagen”!

PEPTIDES are another group of specialized actives that has a multi-functional role in skincare. You get signalling peptides (they act as messengers to stimulate certain skin functions), carrier peptides (they are the Fedex of skincare and make sure important elements get transported to where they are needed), enzyme-inhibiting peptides (they stop certain enzymes like tyrosinase which causes pigmentation or collagenase which breaks down collagen), neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides (prevent messages from being delivered between neurons, for example inhibiting muscle contraction to prevent wrinkles forming) and antimicrobial peptides (important for immune defence). Your skin professional will know which products contain which peptides to address your specific skin needs!

Skincare after age 50

STEM CELLS, LIPIDS, DMAE

Some people still look amazing and ‘youthful’ at the age of 60, while others may have spent their days in the sun and have severe photoageing symptoms already in their 30’s. It is important to have your skin assessed and decide where on the Glogau ageing spectrum your skin falls to make sure you are using the correct homecare. If you feel you’ve reached the point of no return, fear not – we have a few ingredients that will be able to reverse the damaging effects!

STEM CELLS are derived from certain plants or made in a laboratory, they are unique in their ability to replicate and become any type of cell to perform more specialized functions! If the skin has an abundance of faulty cells due to severe skin damage, stem cells will replace these cells and start reversing the damage by performing the cells’ previous function.

Another goodie to look for in your homecare products is good quality and skin-friendly LIPIDS. As we age our skins lose a lot of moisture through trans-epidermal water loss and when you reach a certain age, the natural lipids in your skin follow suit. We therefore need to replenish these lipids to avoid excessive dryness, lipids also provide a protective film to assist with the weakened skin barrier associated with advanced ageing.

And of course we would need a special lifting and firming ingredient to combat those droopy eyes and sagging jowls…enter DMAE. This is a great example of a potent firming ingredient with almost instant results! It is also important to remember that certain degrees of droopiness and sagging can only be fixed by aesthetic injectables, like dermal fillers and threads, performed by a medical aesthetic doctor.

So no matter in which season of life you find yourself, there are so many great advanced ingredients to assist you into the next phase of graceful skin ageing! Make sure you devote your (sk)investment to a trusted and well trained skin professional who will make sure you use the best quality and quantity of actives…many products claim to contain these ingredients, but then only contain very small quantities or inferior generic ingredients that will not get you the results you deserve!

Happy product shopping, fellow-skin-addicts!