The Blog BODY+SOUL: Dr Josh Wall on Gorgeous Skin at Every Age

The below is an excerpt from the BODY+SOUL website.

It doesn’t matter whether we’re in our 20s or our 50s; we all want our skin to look and feel its best. Because skin changes so frequently throughout our lives, we really do need to be adjusting our skincare regime as we get older. What works in our 20s won’t be enough once we hit our 30s and beyond.

Skincare in your 20s

Dr Josh Wall is a Celebrity Cosmetic Doctor and the Medical Director of Contour Clinics. He says that most patients in their twenties come in with concerns around acne and post-inflammatory scarring. “During your 20s the skin is firing on all cylinders, it’s producing high levels of collagen, looking plump and firm. So at this age it’s all about prevention,” he explains. “The best habits to get into is applying a toner and a Multi-B,” he says. “A toner will help fight those nasty acne breakouts and a Multi B will help rebuild the skin’s natural barrier.”

Skincare in your 30s

“Early 30s is when we want to look at stimulating collagen and evening out skin tone,” says Dr Wall. “We also need to start taking care of the deeper layers underneath the skin as this is when they lose support and structure.”

If you’re not already including Vitamin C in your regime, now is the time to start. A natural skin brightener, it will help to fade dark spots and keep skin moisturised. Dr Wall also recommends AHAs, Vitamin E and grape seed extracts.

Skincare in your 40s

If you’re not doing it already, now is the time to invest in a few key serums and active skincare products. Peptide creams are great for helping treat fine lines and for skin renewal, and hyaluronic acid definitely needs a permanent spot in your bathroom cabinet from here on in. A natural ‘replumper’, it will keep your skin looking full and smooth, locking in moisture. Because dry and dull skin can make you look older, you want to add in products that hydrate and moisturise, evening out fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol is a key ingredient when it comes to anti-ageing because it stimulates collagen production, helps with pigmentation and fine lines and just generally keeps your skin looking younger. It’s also not too late to start using an eye cream. “Once we start hitting our 40s, the eyes are one of the first areas of the face that show ageing,” says Dr Wall.

While you might want to start thinking about using gentler exfoliators and cleansers as you age, your 40s is a great time to lean into the heavier moisturisers and oils you might have avoided in your 20s and 30s for fear of breaking out. “It is very important at this age to make sure we do not strip any more moisture out of the skin,” says Dr Josh Wall. “Therefore, using a cleanser that is gentle and will remove dirt and dead skin cells but not moisture is key.” He also recommends adding a night moisturiser. “One that contains ceramides or shea butter is a good option here as it’s a richer moisturiser and helps the skin retain its moisture better than lighter options.”

In terms of cosmetic treatments, ramp them up as you move through the decade. “Patients in their 40s are starting to see skin laxity, skin sagging including deeper lines and deeper wrinkles and bags under the eyes,” says Dr Wall, who recommends getting started on regular facials in your 40s. “Facials improve all the characteristics of all skin,” he says.

Skincare in your 50s and beyond

By now, you’ve probably found that you have a pretty good routine going – you know what products work and what don’t – but still be aware of adapting the products you use as your skin changes. As we get older, our skin naturally tends to become more sensitive, so into your 50s, a gentle cleanser or creamy cleanser is key. “The most common issues I see in patients in their 50s are to do with skin dryness, increased pigment and increased signs of ageing,” he says. “Dermal filler treatments can maintain and create volume to a tired hollow face, reclaim a youthful appearance, fill fine lines/creases/wrinkles and hydrate aged skin,” he says.

Just as you want to be leaning towards a gentler cleanser, the same goes for exfoliation. You might find that your old exfoliator is too harsh these days – that’s pretty normal – it just means seeking out options which don’t irritate your skin. Continue to use those anti-ageing heroes like retinol and hyaluronic acid, but also it’s worth adding a few tools to your bathroom cabinet – like a jade or rose quartz roller. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t use these earlier – but in your 50s, a daily facial massage doesn’t just feel luxurious, it also improves blood flow and boosts collagen production. And as always, sunscreen is key. Sun protection, more than anything, will continue to slow down the ageing process and also decrease the risk of developing skin cancers.

You can find the full article here.