Skincare Commandments for My 30s

I’ve officially entered my 30s (!!) and while I truthfully don’t think turning 30 is that big of a deal, it is an exciting time to reflect and think about all that is to come. I truly believe that the best is yet to come, and I’ve shared before how optimistic I am for this new year and truthfully a new decade of my life. As with all things there are downsides of course, I’m well aware 30 isn’t old but I do want to prioritize wellness and self-care more than I did in my 20s. The first area I want to start with is skin – skincare is so important, and I feel like your 30s are the time to start really investing in the long term.

I feel like I didn’t take skincare super seriously in my 20s because I was fairly blessed with normal skin. Obviously I try a lot of products through blogging, but I admittedly spent way too much time in the sun in my teenage years and would sometimes not wash my face before going to bed after a night out. Those days are behind me now. But I wanted to lay a foundation of good skincare habits and commandments for myself as I enter my 30s.

Skincare Commandments for My 30s

+ Nail the non-negotiables

These are your basic commandments: sunscreen everyday, drink a lot of water, always remove your makeup before bed (ALWAYS). I definitely let some of these slide in my 20s, but NO MORE. At the bare minimum, these are things that need to happen everyday.

+ Focus on glowing from within

Cliche I know, but you really are what you eat, and these days when I inhale a pizza or too many spicy margaritas, it shows on my skin the next day. I get bags under my eyes, everything is puffy, and my skin gets splotchy and irritable. Really not cute. My goal is lots of greens everyday and easy on things that irritate my skin and gut (mostly dairy).

+ Bring in the experts

I want to make regular appointments with my dermatologist a thing (if anyone has any great recs in LA I’d love to know!). Your dermatologist also has access to products and treatments you can’t get from your local Sephora. I also have nothing against Botox or fillers – you do you!!! – but I personally would like to hold off as long as possible, and will try every product and treatment under the sun before I go that route.

+ Research ingredients

Knowledge is power, and it’s important to know what’s actually in your skincare and working for you. In the past, I spent a lot of money on packaging and branding that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Your local drugstore has tons of dermatologist recommended products, and many high end skincare products are truthfully more hype than they’re worth.If you’re going to spend a lot of money on skincare, you want to make sure it’s actually doing something. The key is active ingredients. A few ingredients to look for in a high quality product – vitamin C (serum), hyaluronic acid (serum), retinol/retinoid (ask a derm first).

+ A sheet mask once a week

At least. I have dry skin and live in Southern California, so hydrating sheet masks go a long way in keeping my skin hydrated and plump (aka less likely to wrinkle – maybe this is just in my head, but I’m convinced dry skin is more likely to wrinkle). It also fits into my efforts of pursuing more self-care, and “me time” to do nothing. And what better way to do nothing than to do a little at home spa session? My favorite sheet masks are these (more affordable) and these are my ultimate faves, albeit a splurge.

+ Regular facials

In keeping with a theme of more self-care, I want to find an esthetician I love and commit to seeing her regularly. At a minimum, once every season. It’s an investment, but I’ve noticed the few times I got facials regularly, my skin was the best (clear, smooth, glowy, hydrated) it’s ever been. Some of my favorites are the Hydrafacial and the Triple Crown Facial at Joanna Vargas.

Friends in their 30s… what are your best skincare tips and tricks?!