From Your 20's To Your 50's & Beyond-Top Strategies For Beautiful Skin!

YES, It's possible to have the healthiest skin you've ever had with the right anti-aging strategies and smart lifestyle changes at ANY age! As a board certified aesthetician specializing in skin care health I'd like to share a few of those strategies through the decades.  

The 20's: It's important to get started on a good skin care regime with gentle cleansing, prevention and protection. Daily use of a gentle, sulphate free cleanser, a chemical-free sunscreen and an antioxidant serum that protects against harmful environmental factors and help keep your skin mantle strong and resilient is the foundation of what you'll need to keep skin healthy and glowing in your 20's! 

The 30s: it is time to get serious about incorporating anti-aging products that target any signs of premature aging you may be experiencing. You'll need a moisturizer with retinol, that does more than just hydrate. Retinol stimulates the production of new skin cells. It also helps fade some of those dark spots produced by the sun or any hormonal changes experienced. It is also time to up exfoliation, whether it is chemical or mechanical with a gentle scrub or products containing BHA/AHA's like glycolic and lactic acid. Now is the time to be more serious about increasing cellular renewal and maintaining the building blocks of your  healthy skin mantle. 

The 40s: It is all about making sure your skin has a strong barrier function to maintain it's resilience and function!  A properly functioning and healthy skin barrier protects against transepidermal water loss (TEWL) or dehydration. Levels of hyaluronic acid decrease as we age. We start noticing that water loss leads to volume loss, creating a collapsed look in the face. To help plump and rehydrate, it is important to use a serum containing hyaluronic acid in the morning and evening. The more mature skin becomes, the more factors come into play revolving around hormones and stress. Continue with your Retinol and peptide infused hydrators, and a good Vitamin C serum to maintain your skins firmness and radiance well into your 40's. 

The 50s and beyond: It's never too late to make significant changes in your skin's appearance  In this decade  we begin to notice a significant change in brightness, firmness and texture of our skin.  Unlike in the past, there is not one product that solves everything. You need to look for products that will help the skin protect itself, maintain hydration, and stimulate collagen production with Retinol, peptides and Vitamin C in stronger clinical strength formulations. Increasing exfoliation is also key to help keep the size of the pores more refined and the texture smoother and brighter. For that, use  products that contain enzymes and AHA/BHA acids to keep pace with older, sluggish skin proliferation. Hyaluronic acid based serums will help plump up fine lines and wrinkles and help assist with some of the volume loss that increases as we age. Less is more when it comes to make-up and using a great breathable primer under a foundation that includes anti-aging ingredients can assist in taking your appearance and your skin's health to the next level throughout the day.

Lastly, Hyperpigmentation (age spots) have surpassed wrinkles as the #1 physical  trait of aging skin. There is a 3 prong approach to reducing hyper-pigmentation. 1. Exfoliation to increase sloughing off of the damaged, older skin cells and to increase cellular renewal. Facial peels will accelerate your results, especially those that contain lactic, mandelic and kojic acids. 2. Daily application of clinical strength products that are formulated specifically to lessen the appearance of hyperpigmentation and assist in repairing those damaged skin cells to a healthier, more normalized state.  3  Diligent, daily use of an anti-oxidant infused SPF protectant to fast forward the brightening effects you're working on and to prevent further damage. 

Professional Facials Fast Track Getting Your Skin In Shape! Facials aid with detoxification, exfoliation, hydration, and increasing circulation. Even in just one session, you'll feel and see a difference in your skin after dulling, dead skin cells are professionally removed and your skin is returned to it's optimal functional ph and hydration levels along with the application of higher tech delivery systems of clinical strength reparative  nutrients and skin barrier protectants. A regular regime of skin care can catapult skin's appearance, health and results! 

No matter how good a your skin care routine is, diet and lifestyle have a huge impact.

Nutrition:  Food is essential to overall health. You should eat foods you like, but food that will also nourish the body and give you energy and stamina. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and lean protein are all jam-packed with vitamins and minerals that will impact the condition of your skin. For example, avocados, my personal favorite, are filled with mono-unsaturated fat, which helps skin stay hydrated, while helping absorb the vitamins that skin needs. 

​Move More:  According to recent studies, there is a direct link between looking young and exercise. Doctors say exercise impacts you on a cellular level. It also maintains a regular level of cortisol, the stress-related hormone. We all know the pitfalls of stress. Once  you stop sweating the small stuff, your appearance reaps all of the benefits! It even helps you sleep better at night. A good night’s sleep is also crucial in skin function and repair. Lack of sleep can greatly contribute to dull, dry, swollen eyes and dark circles, not to mention a major slow down in all your bodies functions including the skin's circulation and rebuilding mechanisms. 

Did You Know? The skin is the body’s largest organ, weighing up to eight pounds and approximately 22 square feet. Love the Skin Your In! 

xo, Cathy Favelle,
Board Certified Aesthetician & Owner of CoreQuest Skin Care Studio