My sophomore year of college, I remember inquiring with my roommate about the night cream that she always applied before bed. I didn’t understand why she’d spend $20 at CVS on this anti-aging cream when she was only 19 years old. She would say, “it’s preventative!” My budgeting-college-self just couldn’t understand why you’d care about aging at 19.
Fast forward a few years, and I’m now the manager of a medical spa and skin care clinic. My twenty-something-self now understands. If you’re able to prevent damage from occurring, why wouldn’t you?
When I first started at Toccare (now TOC Medical Spa), I was amazed at the number of products available to help correct damaged skin and give a more youthful appearance. My roommate’s words of wisdom are now something that I preach daily.
Twenty-somethings – start now! There are so many products on the line to help you protect your skin, and you will be glad that you started early. Let’s go through a few of those products:
Clarisonic® Brush – Clarisonic cleansing brushes are sold all over the place, and there’s a reason. Not only do they help you remove makeup up to 11 times better than hands alone, but they help exfoliate and clear your pores on a regular basis. Having clear pores helps prevent breakouts (if you struggle with them like I do), and it helps your products penetrate deeper (i.e. work better). I use my Smart Profile brush every morning since I apply the majority of my skin care products in the morning. Combine your brush with a good cleanser for your skin type, and your skin will be perfectly primed for product application.
Toner – I get asked every day what the point of toner is. One of our nurses, Meredith, has taught me to think of it as the conditioner to your shampoo (cleanser). Toner helps balance your skin’s pH. Most people tend to have areas of the skin where they’re oilier than other areas. Using a toner helps even out the skin, so your products don’t penetrate deeper in one area than they do in another.
Antioxidant – This is one that took me a while to understand, but now it’s my favorite product. Applying an antioxidant every morning helps protect your skin from harmful free radicals. It works hand-in-hand with your sunscreen to protect on multiple levels. I use SkinCeuticals® Phloretin CF which also helps to even out skin tone for a brighter complexion.
Anti–Aging Product – I actually use two anti-aging products: Nouvelle+ Retinol and SkinCeuticals® Blemish & Age Defense (again, I’m prone to breakouts). Starting your anti-aging regimen in your younger years does exactly what my roommate said it would; it prevents! Obviously, this isn’t to say that you won’t age. However, using these products now helps slow down the process and gives you less to worry about in the future. Using a product like a retinol to help produce skin cell turnover helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
Sunscreen –I know it’s hard for some of my friends to accept the fact that basking in the sun isn’t doing them any favors. It’s actually quite terrible for you (in this red head’s opinion). Applying a sunscreen on a daily basis is probably the most important thing you can be doing to help protect your skin and prevent damage from occurring. My current favorite is EltaMD®’s UV Clear SPF 46. This is such a lightweight sunscreen that doesn’t leave you shiny. It provides UVA and UVB protection and is perfect for sensitive skin.
Have questions on which products will help your youthful skin? Feel free to set up a complimentary consultation with one of our registered nurses to discuss your options. Your forty-something-self will thank you!
