Should You be Using Anti-Aging Products in your Twenties?

Most anti-aging skincare products typically don’t specifically target consumers in their twenties. Part of this might be due to the fact that most women in their twenties are not yet panicking about wrinkles or age related issues. 

That said, for the forward thinkers among us, it's very tempting, and quite logical to wonder if by using anti-aging product earlier, you can get ahead and stay looking younger for longer.

In this article, we're going to dig into the details of anti-aging products and discuss the pros and cons of early adoption of anti-aging products.

Anti-Aging Treatments

First let’s define what we mean when we're talking about anti-aging treatments and products. In general, anti-aging products aim to:

• Protect against skin damage caused by aging
• Prepare your skin to defend against the accelerated appearance of aging
• Improve skin elasticity, discoloration, and smoothness of the skin, all of which help to roll back the years

Anti-Aging Product Categories

With these anti-aging goals in mind, let's take a look at the various categories of anti-aging products and determine whether or not you should be using them in your twenties.

We’ll start our list with the least contentious.

• Moisturizers are arguably one of the most important products you should be using at any and every age. These should be included in every skin care routine. By moisturizing, you’re adding an extra layer of protection on your skin and keeping it hydrated and elastic to prevent wrinkles and looking plump and glowy.

• Sunscreens have been growing in importance over the years, and for good reason. The sun is probably one of the most aggressive aging accelerators. Nothing good comes from exposing your unprotected skin to the sun. Don’t think if you have dark skin you get a free pass either. The sun is an equal opportunities skin aging agent. A good sunscreen should be a mainstay within your morning skincare routine starting right now, regardless of your age.

• Retinoids are a family of drugs that have been used to treat various skin conditions since the 1970’s. The most popular retinoid is called Retinol. Retinol is a topical form of Vitamin A that can be applied directly to the skin and works to reduce wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen and stimulating the production of new blood vessels in the skin. It also improves skin color, fades age spots, and softens rough patches of skin. That said, when you’re in your twenties, your skin is already producing enough collagen and you’ll have plenty of new blood vessels feeding your young skin with an array of nutrients.

• Serums. Facial serums can be added to your skincare routine to address specific skin concerns. These are skincare products that are formulated to contain high doses of certain ingredients, such as Vitamin C, and can be absorbed into the skin rapidly. Facial serums are used as an anti-aging treatment to target fine lines and wrinkles, increase firmness, reduce dryness, fade age spots, and so on. While you're in your twenties, you should use serums sparingly because your skin is able to hold it’s shape and avoid dark spots with moisturizer and sunscreen alone.

• Chemical Exfoliants. The word chemical makes this sound rather extreme but in reality, chemical facial peels are quite gentle solutions that assist with loosening dead skin cells so you can shed them more efficiently.

What You Should be Doing in Your Twenties

Now that we’ve covered the various types of anti-aging treatments, the question still stands: should you be using anti-aging products in your twenties? There are some specific pros and cons to consider, but ultimately, it depends on what anti-aging treatment you’re looking to try!

The most positive benefit to getting a headstart on anti-aging in your twenties is to start implementing preventative measures. The three best things you can be doing for your skin in your twenties is to:

• diligently apply your sunscreen
• avoid smoking and
• keep up a regular skincare regime that includes moisturizing daily!

Using other anti-aging skincare products in your twenties is probably unnecessary for normal skin and could even be harmful. Most serums and creams provide anti-aging benefits by increasing cell turnover or repairing collagen breakdown. But, in your twenties, your body is able to fully repair itself. Using these products in your twenties might even irritate your skin or make it more sensitive to the sun causing even more damage. 

There are many considerations when deciding if and when to start adding anti-aging treatments into your skincare routine. While you might feel like you need to get a headstart on using these products, preventative measures will be more beneficial in the long run.