6 Skincare Habits You Should Axe By 30

September 5, 2024

I have four daughters. FOUR. They are still little but even my baby (6 years old today!) knows that sunscreen is a non-negotiable in our house. Luckily my oldest at 15 has embraced pretty much every skincare tip I have given her over the years and even my 9 year old is asking when she will be given her own set of skincare products. You will notice that there is one child who is missing in that line-up. My 11 year old, strong-willed daughter who loves being a kid and whom, ahem, I am having trouble convincing that it is time to start wearing deodorant, much less wash her face daily.

So with that sweet angel in mind, I am going to compile a quick list of skincare habits that everyone should ditch by the time they are 30. THIRTY??? No way, let’s change that to 18. By 30, you could have already sustained some serious damage to your skin. So if you are lucky enough to still be under 30 or if, like me, you have already passed that milestone long ago, here are some tips that you should adhere to young or old.

1. Sunscreen. Your beautiful face may not be showing any signs of aging and in your wonderful naivete of youth, you may still believe that wrinkles won’t affect you, but I have bad news. Aging affects us ALL. And without ample sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats in our youth, those wrinkles will appear faster than ever. Apply and re-apply when in the sun but your best bet is to stay in the shade as much as possible, wearing wide-brimmed hats and long sleeves. Those golden tans of summer are so lovely while you have them but the effects are long lasting on your skin and ultimately, not worth it.

2. Water. Hydration is so important, not only for your thirst levels but so that your entire body functions the way it is supposed to. Did you know that on a daily basis, your body loses about 3-4 quarts of water just by being? Luckily, the food we eat is primarily made up of water but that does not mean you don’t need to supplement that. With the advent of the super cool Stanley cups, our youth likely drink more water than I ever did as a kid out of a garden hose, but it is something to bear in mind on a daily basis. Water is essential for our body to carry nutrients and oxygen to all cells of our body, helps to convert food into energy, helps regulate body temperature, helps to lubricate joints and protects our organs. That’s actually just a partial list of why we need to stay hydrated. But do you know what the largest organ is in our body? The SKIN. So hydrate to protect your skin and do so daily!

3. Moisturizer. When I was young, and scared of pimples, I operated under the assumption that moisturizer = pimples. For a solid 2-3 years, I would wash my face and then… nothing. After a couple of hours, my natural oil production would kick in and my face would stop feeling so dry and crackly but I was shocked to realize that I was still breaking out. My solution to having a clear visage wasn’t working at all! Luckily later in life, I realize my folly. Applying moisturizer multiple times a day is actually beneficial to your skin. Your facial skin sheds skin cells more rapidly than other parts of your body and therefore, needs help to retain the moisture and repair itself. The massaging in of the moisturizer itself is also regenerative in that it increases blood circulation in that area. If you are acne prone, it is important to use non-comedogenic moisturizer and it’s always a good idea to use a daily moisturizer with an SPF of 30 or higher during the day.

4. Remove Your Makeup. I have never been much of a makeup wearer and as a result, this might ring more true for me than for serious makeup fans. You see, since I rarely wear it, I pretty much always, 100% without fail, forget to remove it anytime I do wear it. As a result, I wake up the following morning, bleary eyed and…. raccoon-eyed. That caked on makeup has done me a big disservice because it will likely lead to clogged pores, dull-skin complexion, potential eye-irritation, eyelash issues and dry skin, among other things. So do yourself a favor and wash that stuff off your face before kitting the sack!

5. Sleep. I have FINALLY, finally, finally, hit the age where I would prefer to go to bed at a reasonable hour rather than giving into my FOMO and staying up as late as possible at every chance. My carriage now officially turns into a pumpkin no later than 10pm and I grant myself a minimum of 8.5 hours of sleep every single night. I don’t have babies waking me up throughout the night any more and my nightclub life has long been dead. When my oldest comes home from a sleepover with stories of staying up until 1am, 2am, 3am, I visibly shudder at the thought of being that mentally and physically exhausted. Now, I know I have gone over this in previous blog posts but the reasons why sleep is so essential is too long to even get into.  The long and short of it is that sleep is when you ENTIRE body repairs itself. You organs, your brain, your skeleton. Without that literal down time, the problems that arise are endless: increased rates of dementia, mental health problems, cardiovascular issues, blood pressure, mood swings, relationship issues, professional decline… and yes, skin issues. Remember, the skin is your largest organ and without sleep, it doesn’t have the time it needs to repair itself and undergoes an immense amount of stress. Speaking of stress…

6. Stress. Stress is something I have learned is just an inescapable fact of life. You can meditate all you want. You can sleep all you want. You can eat the healthy food, listen to Enya and avoid bad people but every once in a while, you will encounter a stressful situation. A car accident, a sick relative, a bill you forgot to pay. The key to living a stress-free life isn’t to avoid all stressful elements of life because, well, that simply isn’t possible, but rather to know how to manage your stress once it enters your realm of being. For some (like me), the answer is to get moving… literally. Go outside and work that stress out of your body and once you are back, your mind is clearer and the burden doesn’t seem as large as it did before. Others want to talk it through with a trusted confidant. Or meditate. Or hot yoga. Whatever your solution is, identify it and then lean into it during your moments of stress because that unseen companion can do a number on your emotional and physical state if you don’t know how to ask him to leave PRONTO. And yes, an increase of stress in your life inevitably will lead to breakouts if you can’t manage it effectively.

 

Are there more tips? Well of course there are. So many, it’s hard to count. Avoid too much sugar, don’t eat fast food like ever, eat foods high in antioxidants, be consistent with your skincare routine, don’t drink excessive amounts of alcohol, wash away sweat after a workout, workout daily – getting that heart rate up for at least 20 consecutive minutes daily. And on and on and on. But I think that for starters, for those 16 year olds who think they are invincible, this is a solid start. And don’t forget to wear your deodorant. 🙂