10 Skin Care Tips for Girls in their 20s - Sanctuary Spa & Skin Care

1. Start the anti-aging process now. Don’t wait until your 40s to start taking preventative action against wrinkles, loss of firmness, or dulling skin. The absolute best thing you can do for yourself is hop on the band wagon now! But be careful when choosing products, since many anti-aging products are designed for already mature skin. These products can have agents in them that are too harsh for young skin, so be sure to educate yourself first on the regimen you decide on. Our favorite regimen is Eminence Organic’s Youth Shield Starter Kit, which is perfect for young skin wanting to… stay young!
2. Make sunscreen your BFF. Seriously. No, seriously… Did you hear us? Sunscreen? Are you using it? We know it’s a hassle to add an extra step to your morning routine, let alone reapplying it throughout the day. But you know what’s an even bigger hassle? Having to take care of sun damaged skin. Skin cancer is not the only damage caused by ignoring sunscreen. Even if you escape this world skin cancer free, you can’t escape the premature aging, wrinkles, or spots, skin discoloration, and blotchiness. So with that said, pass the SPF, please! For easy re-application, we love Eminence Organic’s Sun Defense Minerals. Whether you want translucent, or a little extra color, this sun protection is in powder form with a built in brush for on the go!
3. Give your skin antioxidants. Just as it is important for us to nourish our bodies with foods full of vitamins and antioxidants (which also benefit our skin), it is also important for us to nourish our skin directly! Vitamin C is one of the most important ingredients for your skin. This wonderful antioxidant protects us against free radicals and environmental stressors that cause our skin to age prematurely. Learn more about Vitamin C in our blog post all about it here!
4. Did someone say Retinol? We did! We did! Oh Retinol, how we love you. We love your creamy consistency, and we love how fast acting you are! But more than that, we love that you fight all our skin care woes! Acne, blemishes, spots, discoloration, scarring, wrinkles, dullness… need I say more? Along with Vitamin C, Retinol (a form of Vitamin A) is the other key ingredient for the longevity of your skin’s lovely, supple glow!
5. Don’t wait until you’re 80 to start using eye cream. We know. If you’re in your twenties, chances are money doesn’t grow on trees. Let’s just be honest about it! And that isn’t a bad thing. Every season of life is to be cherished. But even if it means making your coffee at home for the week, we hope you’ll consider investing in an eye cream. Why? Because the skin around our eyes is so incredibly thin and delicate. That means it’s a huge target for fine lines and wrinkles, and the easiest place for skin to lose it’s firmness and elasticity. We show our age in our eyes. Using an eye cream keeps our eyes bright, firm, and can help keep you looking younger longer.
6. Spend the extra 2-minutes at night to take off your makeup. Especially after nights out on the town, or long day at work, this short step can feel incredibly daunting. But skipping it causes more harm than you might think. Sleeping in makeup can lead to clogged pores that cause blackheads and acne, leaving your skin dull and aging prematurely. No one wants extra wrinkles, and no one wants them even sooner in life. Makeup also holds on to free radicals, which are extremely damaging to our skin and bodies.
7. Fake the tan. Girl. It is worth it to airbrush or purchase a self-tanner. It is not worth it to end up in an issue of Women’s Health magazine for your story about getting Melanoma before your 30th birthday. The endless stories of health traumas caused by tanning beds aren’t flooding the news just for fun. Your health is so much more important than an easy tan. You may not think so now, but trust us. You will thank us when you have daughters in their twenties and you look like their sister.
8. Remember your neck! Your neck, my dear, is simply an extension of your face. In fact, while you’re at it, go ahead and think of your neck and your hands as extensions of your face. The skin on these areas is just as sensitive to aging and damage, and needs the same kind of care. Feel free to use your facial products down to your neck and chest, and invest in a good hand cream to keep those hard working beauties soft.
9. Know your skin. Are you oily? Dry? Sensitive? Combo? It’s incredibly important to know exactly the kind of skin that you are working with. Just like snowflakes, no two faces are the same! With there being so many skin care products out there, it’s important to know the skin you are feeding them to. They could be drying your skin out even more, or causing unnecessary breakouts simply because they aren’t designed for your skin type. Discover your skin type by washing your face, waiting an hour for your skin to dry, and dabbing different areas with a tissue. Dry skin will feel taught and may have some flakiness. Oily skin will show grease on the tissue and your face will show large pores and shine. Combination (most popular) will be greasy most likely in your T-Zone and dry everywhere else. Sensitive skin is often times red with increased irritation when using certain products. Normal skin is neither dry nor oily.
10. See an esthetician. When you are trying to get into shape, what does the doctor tell you? Eat healthy and go to the gym. Think of caring for your skin’s health like this: your skin care regimen is to eating healthy as going to the gym is to seeing your esthetician. They work with each other in order for you to reach your goals more successfully. They are trained experts in the skin care world who can help teach you how to care for your unique, individual skin care needs. Our skin changes more than we think. For optimal skin care, we recommend visiting your esthetician for a facial every 4-6 weeks or a minimum of once per season as the weather and environment changes.