In your 30s:

STILL LEARNING, with a little more EARNING / Career Life / Family / Social Life / Skincare & Self Care Strategies

At this stage in life, you’ll generally be full swing into work, maybe you’ll own a home, maybe you’ll have children or be planning for a family. Maybe you’ll be living a lively single life, enjoying the freedom that comes with a bit more earning power and visiting friends in far places. 

Whether you’re traveling or nesting, you may begin to notice that it takes a bit longer for your body to recuperate after long days and late nights. You may begin to see slight changes in your skin, such as the cumulative effect of past sunburns showing up as hyper pigmentation (dark spots, sun spots) or the hint of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes or mouth.

This happens because as we age, our skin loses a bit of elasticity. This means that the elastin fibers in the skin, which give it the ability to bounce back into shape, are bouncing back slightly slower. 

The cellular turnover, or the new cells' journey from the dermis to the surface of the skin slows down, meaning the skin begins to lose it's youthful freshness, and needs more mindful support of taking care of it by cleansing, treating and protecting it from the outside. Healthy habits and self care practices like exercise, eating fresh, whole food, sleeping well and managing stress makes a huge difference in Awesome Aging or Amazing Aging!

If you haven’t been serious about your skincare before, don’t fret. There’s still time to create habits that significantly slow down the signs of aging and keep your skin looking youthful and radiant.

The Best Habits from your 20s still apply, and you can add a few key steps to increase your skincare & self care.

The Best Habits for this decade (30-40) are:

Self-facials at home:

Cleanse every evening before bedtime. If you find that you're too tired before bed, do it earlier! First thing when you get home from work, slip into something more comfortable and do your skincare ritual. You'll feel fresh & rejuvenated for the evening.

Treat with a specialty serum for your specific concerns. Firming peptides & skin brightening agents are perfect for this stage.

Use a Retinol Creme at night before bedtime, 2-3 times per week – this works wonders to keep your cellular turnover on point and works to minimize both wrinkles AND breakouts!     *Retinol creme is only to be used at nighttime, never in the morning. This is a powerful ingredient that can change skin's texture and appearance. However, the skin requires extra protection as well, so only use it at night and always wear sunscreen in the morning.

Weekly masques to address specific concerns & conditions. 

Use Eye Creme to treat the very thin skin around the eyes (this skin is thinner than a piece of paper!) that will be among the first areas to show signs of wear, especially in phases when you’re not getting enough sleep because of babies or working extra long hours.

Sleep. In a quiet, dark room. 8-10 hours per night. Like it’s your job.

Sunscreen, sunglasses & a hat on sunny days to protect your skin & scalp, reduce squinting!

Nutrition. "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." – Michael Pollan, Author of Food Rules and The Omnivore's Dilemma. Lots of fresh veggies, fruits, whole foods, include occasional indulgences and enhance your glow from within.

Exercise. Move your body. Pump your blood. Increase circulation. Tone your muscles. Sweat. Ideally, outside in fresh air. Let it feel good. Do what you enjoy.

Yoga. "Yoga is profoundly effective self care"- Rolf Gates, Yoga Teacher & Author of Meditations from the Mat. The benefits of a yoga practice are vast and many. If you can begin a practice early in life, it will be something that will welcome you back anytime. Your body, your mind, your whole self will thank you. You can read my blog post about what Yoga is here: http://www.complexionsoncarter.com/yoga-is-prayer-and-self-care

Meditation. Meditation is a practice that can be used to create the life you want, self-soothe anxieties and fears, create new neuropathways that protect your brain and benefit your body in ways science has only begun to understand. It is a practice that is perfected by very few, which is beautiful, because the practice is the journey.

Visualization. Getting clear about what you want optimizes your chances of receiving what you want. See yourself the way you strive to be. Use the power of your mind to see your ideal self, in your ideal situations. 

Change sheets & pillowcases often. Reduce dust & bacteria from getting all over your face and aggravating your skin.

Clean phone screens. Reduce bacteria from clogging your face where your phone touches.

Don’t touch your face: Again, the bacteria from your hands can irritate your skin.

Sit up straight: Better posture leads to feeling better and looking better.

Take screen breaks: Phones and screens are addictive. Mindfully set them down and engage in the world around you. Your life is happening in your PRESENCE, not in your phone.

Take deep breath breaks: Every hour or so, stop and take 10 deep, slow, full inhales and exhales. It takes about 2 minutes and can reset your mind and body. It's a great way to begin a mini-meditation practice. Bring in a visualization for something you'd like to create in your life or even in your day, as a bonus!

Drink lots of water: Hydration is very important. I recommend drinking only water & tea. No sodas or sugary beverages. Your body and your skin don't need the extra sugar.

Cleansing skin every single night before bedtime. If you are someone who is prone to skipping this step because you are too tired before bed, then do this in the late afternoon, right when you get home for the day/evening.

Tinted moisturizer is a great way to protect your skin and create a more even tone. It’s a perfect base for a BB creme, which is a full coverage, breathable, skin-loving concealer to create a perfect complexion.

Professional treatments: 

Invest in professional skincare treatments like a facial with microdermabrasion, dermablade, peels & light therapy. These services can go a long way in keeping your skin in tip-top shape, and give you results you can’t achieve with products at home on your own.

Work with a Licensed Esthetician you like and trust to create a home care regimen with professional products. The price point for professional products may be higher than what you can find in the beauty aisle or department, but you will likely save money, time and energy in the long run by working with someone who knows their product line well and can make recommendations based on a thorough consultation and assessment of your skin.