Ageing gracefully is about more than just skincare. Discover how to nurture your skin and support your evolving beauty through the decades.
Ageing is a journey marked by growth, wisdom and transformation, and your skin tells the story of each chapter. Embracing and adapting to the natural changes in your skin is key to preserving its health and vitality. Your skin is ever evolving through the decades, from the hormonal upheavals of your teens to the graceful changes of your 60s and beyond. By understanding the unique needs of your skin at each stage, you can craft skincare routines that not only enhance your natural beauty, but also support your skin’s resilience and radiance.
The way forward: “pro-ageing”
Gone are the days of “anti-ageing” — today’s updated beauty philosophy is all about celebrating each chapter of your life. A refreshing paradigm of “proageing” is paving the way for how beauty is approached. “The term ‘pro-ageing’ is so inspiring,” says Dr Katherine Armour, a leading dermatologist and founder of Bespoke Skin Technology. “To me, it means embracing where you are in your life and feeling grateful for the privilege of ageing.”
This shift in the narrative around ageing is reflected in the media, with icons such as Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Elle Macpherson continuing to grace magazine covers and catwalks, showcasing that beauty transcends age. “Seeing these supermodels still rocking it, and the use of mature models in fashion festivals and advertising campaigns reminds maturing women that they can, and should, still feel sexy, powerful and valued, no matter what their age is,” says Dr Armour.
Mukti, the mononymous founder behind cosmetic formulator and skin therapist Mukti Organics and author of Truth In Beauty, shares a similar sentiment: “[Beauty] shines through your eyes; it’s a reflection of your inner vitality”. Pro-ageing, she says, is about “respecting the unique story that each wrinkle and grey hair tells, rather than trying to erase them”.
An age-positive mindset is a crucial element to embracing your unique beauty at every age, however, understanding and engaging practical skincare wisdom is a wonderful accomplice in the passage of time. So, what is happening to your skin as you move through life’s decades and how can you best care for it to support the ageing process?
Teens: the foundation of skincare
The teenage years are an important time to begin considering your skin’s needs. Establishing good skincare routines at this time can set the stage for healthy skin in the future. “Sun protection is the most important part of this equation,” says Dr Armour. “A light moisturiser and sunscreen will suffice in the morning, and sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours if you’re spending time outside.” Come evening, it’s important to cleanse the skin with a non-stripping cleanser to remove debris from the day to minimise inflammation and breakouts. Mukti echoes this sentiment, advocating for a pared-back approach: “Avoid harsh scrubs and opt for gentle moisturisation. There’s no need for strong active ingredients at this stage.”
The journey into adolescence is marked by hormonal fluctuations that often lead to the biggest complexion struggles of the teenage years: increased oil production, which can result in pimples and acne. “Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as niacinamide are useful in serums or moisturisers and low-concentration salicylic acid in leave-on products can also help to unblock pores,” recommends Dr Armour for those with light to moderate acne. If you have more significant acne, however, then it’s suggested that you see a dermatologist to get you on the right track and avoid spending hundreds of dollars on products that aren’t right for your individual skin.
Additionally, maintaining a balanced diet and managing stress levels can positively impact your skin’s health and lay positive lifestyle foundations for years to come. Avoiding excessive sugar and processed foods and maintaining healthy cortisol (the stress hormone) levels can reduce the risk of breakouts, while staying hydrated supports overall skin vitality.
20s: preservation and protection
Your 20s are a time when your skin typically boasts abundant collagen and elastin, but this is also when the first signs of ageing can start to appear. “Visible ageing begins around 25, when the skin is considered ‘mature’, and the regenerative process starts to slow down. Around 28, the first fi ne lines and dynamic wrinkles appear around the eyes from repetitive muscular expression and contraction,” explains Mukti.
Hydration and protection are key during this decade, with ingredients that are hydrophilic (hold on to water) and antioxidant-rich (to combat free-radical damage) being skincare heroes. “Add in antioxidants in the morning to protect the skin’s DNA and collagen from external aggressors such as UV radiation and pollution,” suggests Dr Armour. Vitamin C is a star antioxidant to look for when it comes to skin health, along with plant-powered extracts such as pomegranate, curcumin, green tea and resveratrol. A hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid, which can biochemically hold up to a thousand times its weight in water, is another efficacious skincare addition.
This is also the time to be vigilant about your overall health. Regular exercise, a balanced diet and a quality sleep routine can contribute significantly to the health and appearance of your skin. Combined with a consistent skincare routine, this helps maintain your skin’s youthful glow.
30s: boost and renew
In your 30s, fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear, and collagen production starts to really slow down. This is the time to boost your skincare routine with products that stimulate collagen and promote cell turnover, and think about “collagen banking”. This means taking a proactive approach to your collagen health to invest in your skin’s elasticity before it declines. “Now is the time to stimulate more collagen production with retinoids, bakuchiol and AHAs,” recommends Dr Armour, and these should be chosen based on your skin’s sensitivity.
As the mutations of the epidermal cells from environmental damage become more prevalent, exfoliation also becomes more crucial, helping to remove dead skin cells and promote a smoother, more radiant complexion. “Exfoliation reaps rewards by stimulating circulation and sloughing off the build-up of dead cells to assist with turnover,” explains Mukti, who advises incorporating both mechanical and physical exfoliation methods into your protocol.
It’s also important to remember to prioritise sleep and manage stress, as both factors can significantly impact your skin’s health, influencing everything from hydration to the development of fine lines. If it’s not already a feature of your lifestyle, adopting relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation can help manage stress levels and promote overall wellbeing.
40s: strengthen and support
In your 40s, collagen and elastin continue to diminish, and hormonal changes can lead to dryness and sensitivity. Expression lines become more pronounced, and your skin may show further signs of environmental damage such as pigmentation. This is the time to continue good skincare habits from the previous decade, taking it up a notch by incorporating skincare products with peptides, ceramides and DNA-repair enzymes. “Procedures such as laser, radiofrequency and high-frequency ultrasound can also be helpful at stimulating new collagen production to prevent fi ne lines and wrinkles,” adds Dr Armour.
The 40s are also the time when most women experience perimenopause, which is a signifi cant transition for your body and your complexion. “This is a time of relative instability for the skin. Not only does it often become drier and more sensitive due to decreasing oestrogen, but acne breakouts can also rear their head due to an imbalance of male/ female hormones as women’s ovaries sporadically produce oestrogen,” explains Dr Armour. The flushing and sweats that some women experience in perimenopause and menopause can also trigger rosacea, which presents as redness on the skin.
With these hormonal changes, the skin also begins to thin around your mid-40s and it becomes more susceptible to damage and dullness. “Ramp up your natural skin-lightening and -brightening preparations such as vitamin C and liquorice root extract, while enhancing protection against free radicals with a good boost of antioxidants, internally and externally,” advises Mukti, adding that including a good EPA and DHA supplement “will also assist with the skin from the inside out”. Caring for your hormonal health holistically is also key for your overall health and that of your complexion.
50s: nourish and protect
As you reach your 50s, changed hormonal levels continue to lead to skin changes as menopause sets in for women, while sun damage and other signs of ageing become more apparent. As Dr Armour explains, “From this time on, oestrogen levels are low. This leads to our skin becoming much drier and less plump due to dropping collagen levels.”
Topical hydration remains vital and richer moisturisers that can help combat dryness are your friend. “Your skin may be drier than ever with dermal-barrier impairment, so rich moisturisers and antioxidant-based serums are essential,” says Mukti
Active ingredients that repair and regenerate the skin are paramount for your everyday skincare formulas. Incorporating natural oils such as rosehip or argan oil, along with topical probiotics to nourish the skin microbiome can provide additional nourishment and support skin barrier function.
60s and beyond: maintain and cherish
In your 60s and beyond, your skin stabilises post-menopause, but ongoing care is essential when it comes to safeguarding its vitality and helping stave off further decline. “To maintain the integrity of your skin for as long as possible, a regular maintenance program both at home and with a skin therapist is highly recommended,” says Mukti.
When it comes to your at-home skincare routine, hydration, sun protection and the use of nourishing products continue to be crucial for helping maintain elasticity and tone, while incorporating treatments such as LED light therapy can also support your skin’s health. “If you’ve used adequate UV protection over the years, then your complexion will still be smoother and less mottled than your sun-worshipping sisters,” notes Mukti. “But it’s never too late to be diligent about this.”
Continuing to focus on a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, movement and stress relief techniques, combined with a pro-ageing approach to your skin’s appearance, is a positive way to embrace ongoing changes in your complexion.
Enhancements: injectables and cosmetic surgery
When it comes to enhancements such as surgery or injectables, it’s important to make choices that align with your personal values and desired outcomes. These options can provide significant results, but it’s essential to approach them thoughtfully and responsibly.
Mukti advises, “As far as enhancements, whether surgical or injectable, these are purely a matter of personal choice – you can decide what is best for you. My best advice is to have on hand a photo that you liked of yourself when you were in your mid-to-late 20s. Use it as a guiding benchmark as to how far you should go in relation to procedures.” This approach ensures that any enhancements you choose enhance your natural beauty and reflect your unique journey, rather than aiming for an unrealistic standard or changing your appearance too drastically.
Remembering the beauty in ageing
Ageing gracefully is about embracing each chapter of your life with confidence and care. “This movement towards pro-ageing is happening because people are beginning to recognise that beauty isn’t about conforming to a narrow standard of youthfulness — it’s about celebrating individuality and authenticity at every stage of life,” reflects Mukti.
By understanding and addressing your skin’s changing needs, you can maintain its health and radiance at every decade. This is your reminder: you can age beautifully and on your own terms.
