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Embrace your Age: a guide to great skin at every age

Twenties

First fine lines and expression lines begin to form such as crow’s feet and frown lines. Pigmentation can also be evident either from hormonal imbalances or sun damage. Skin congestion and acne are common.

Women deal with unpredictable complexions like acne one minute, dry skin the next. Twenty-something skin tends to be hard to pin down as it could be caused by lifestyle choices or growth or even hereditary influences. The 20s are the decade when everything in a woman’s life is done to the extreme: long hours at work, too much sun, late nights out, too many (or too few) workouts, too much alcohol, social smoking, bad food choices.

It’s also a time when our bodies start to decrease in its ceramide production. These molecules are part of the protective component of the epidermis – the outer layer of the skin, that nourishes our skin cells, resulting in drier, flakier skin than in our teens.

Objectives: Balance and prevention

Australian skincare queen Terri Vinson, Synergie Skin founder and managing director recommends women to start investing in your skin when you are in your mid-twenties. “This is when females begin to change hormonally and I would invest in an anti-ageing serum with peptides”, Terri explains.

Balance is the key to caring for 20-something skin managing that fine line between dry, flaky skin and oily, clogged pores. Also, invest in a reliable SPF 15 or higher moisturiser and use it daily. Don’t go to sleep with makeup on, drink lots of water and get eight hours of rest nightly.

Niamh and the team recommend using a topical exfoliant in your skincare to buff away flaky skin to keep your skin looking fresh. Look for glycolic and alpha hydroxy acids to even skin tone. Lastly, as your body decreases its elastin production, the protein that keeps skin smooth and wrinkle-resistant, at 21, introducing an eye-cream now can fend off crow’s feet until their inevitable appearance the following decade.

Thirties

Thirty-something women tend to notice a gradual increase in fine lines and loss of elasticity, particularly around the eye area. Skin dryness may become a concern and hyperpigmentation more evident.

When you enter your 30s, collagen and elastic fibres begin to break down in your face. Women in their 30s are usually experiencing the first signs of ageing. As a result, fine lines and wrinkles become more apparent particularly around the eyes first with some fine worry lines around the face.

Evidence of worry lines and crow’s feet are when many 30-somethings start entertaining the idea of injectables but don’t jump too soon. It’s not too late to repair skin at this stage before resorting to cosmetic surgery.

Objectives: Increase hydration and use Vitamin C and retinol-based products

“Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is important for collagen production,” says CRC dermal therapist Kathryn Panagiotidis. A vitamin C-based product will both protect and brighten the skin. Look for the ingredient on labels like Vita-C Plus from Synergie. To postpone the urge to go under the needle, Kathryn recommends products with retinoids. Dermal researchers are convinced that retinol is the single most effective non-prescription anti-aging treatment. It increases cellular renewal and reduces fine lines and wrinkles while leaving skin with an overall youthful appearance. Look for antioxidant-rich products to diminish signs of ageing as well as products high in retinols such as those found in our Biopelle range.

Kathryn also recommends a peptide and hyaluronic acid-rich primer to stave off wrinkles. Hyaluronic-acid is a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin while peptides promote collagen production. “I like recommending Synergie ReClaim to my mature clients because it offers a boost of antioxidants and peptides that help to minimise fine lines and restore ageing skin. It’s a great two-in-one that firms and moisturises at the same time.”

Forties

Women will notice an increase in wrinkles, both expression lines and lines at rest. Hormonal changes are beginning and pre-menopausal state may be commencing.

The biggest concern the CRC team are approached with from women in their 40s are dark spots, which can cause skin to look uneven. “Chasing after your kids in your 20s and 30s and the overexposure to the sun’s rays has caught up with you, and now age spots and freckles are dotting your face, neck and the backs of your hands,” says Hayley Stoop, CRC dermal clinician.

Added to this, your skin begins to lose volume in your forties, and some wrinkles and lines can start to appear deeper and more permanent. A common concern is the ‘elevens lines’ when the brow is furrowed or ‘knitted’, two prominent lines form together to create the ‘eleven’ lines because they often can look like two lines forming the number eleven, also known as the nasal glabellar furrows.

Objectives: Increase hydration, increase antioxidants and more hydrating SPF

Treatment for sunspots can include skin bleaching products (look for hydroquinone, which is found in many lightening and clarifying products) and, retinoids. However, at this stage of life, Hayley says prescription-strength products might be the ticket, so talk to your dermatologist about the extent of sun damage.

To stop future sun damage, keep slapping on the sunscreen. “Protecting the skin becomes a priority in the 40s because the skin is more fragile and dry with age and sun exposure,” says Hayley.
“For the most part, deep wrinkles will not be dramatically affected by topical moisturisers, serums or creams,” says Hayley. As a result, some women will look for more permanent treatment options. “Injectable fillers and anti-ageing treatments will help to improve these changes,” says Hayley, adding that there are other options including lactic peels and laser resurfacing.

Fifties + | Menopause

Menopausal state results in loss of fat and bone density. This results in loss of facial volume and sagging where the skin appears to be lax and lacking in firmness. Wrinkles and sun damage will also be more pronounced.

“After a woman goes through menopause, natural hormonal changes can have a profound effect on the skin,” says Ms Niamh Corduff, CRC Clinic Director who adds that studies have shown that the lowered oestrogen levels that come with menopause can lead to excessively dry skin. “During menopause, levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone rapidly decline leading to accelerated skin ageing. Collagen and elastin levels deplete dramatically, so you get sagging and deep wrinkles,” explains Niamh.

More than half of Australian women are unaware of the impact that menopause has on their skin. But experts believe these menopause effects can be limited if we act in advance.

Many women will also notice that once firm skin is now sagging, a result of facial fat pads shifting under the skin. “Wrinkles tend to set in as permanent fixtures, which can cause make-up to crack and cake,” says Niamh.

Objectives: Increase hydration, antioxidants, more hydrating SPF +, and brightening serum

“At this age, dryness is better managed using creams rather than lotions to retain the moisture throughout the day, says Niamh. Niamh recommends investing in a good quality cream to calm the inflammatory stress that can accompany dry skin during the hormonal years of menopause and beyond. She recommends Synergie Skin product DermaCalm, a highly active anti-inflammatory lotion, and Synergie HyDrolock for additional hydration and repair to replenish the skin and restore surface imperfections and moisture. Synergie Reclaim is also a good one to include in a skin care routine.

To address the effects of the “shifting facial fat pads”, the attention is turned to treatments that can both densify and resculpt the face such as fillers.