by Sonika Santani
I just celebrated my birthday last month, bringing me closer to my mid 30’s than I care to remember. Over the last few years, I have noticed a lot of changes in myself, alongside monthly mood swings and body aches, I have also seen my flawless skin become overly acne prone. In my twenties I had perfectly clear skin, bar dark circles there was nothing about my skin that made me feel uncomfortable. But recently I have seen a flare-up of acne, discolouration and dullness in my skin that made me re-asses my skincare routine and embrace my 30 something face.
Here are a few things that have helped me love my skin more:
Daytime routine vs night-time routine
As you grow older your skin doesn’t repair as easily as it used to. This is why there needs to be a difference between how you care for your skin in the morning in comparison to at night. Your routine in the morning is more about protecting your skin from the ‘outside’ pollutants and sun exposure we endure daily. Include a hydrating eye cream for mornings and a moisturiser focused on super hydration to make your skin look fresh and clean. DO NOT forget the SPF! Especially in the summer, your skin ages more with sun exposure and SPF is something that will help you protect it, even when not directly in the sunlight, it is still there and can still cause unwanted damage.
At night-time, your skin needs help to repair itself. A good face wash/ cleanser will help leave your skin clear of all that it has been exposed to during the day and any of the remnants from your make -up. Leave yourself a clean canvas for your night-time products to take effect. Look for a night cream with Retinol so you can give it some help to rejuvenate skin whilst you sleep. An eye cream to repair signs of ageing around your eyes, like wrinkles and dark circles will work best.
Water
Keep yourself hydrated. About 3 litres of water a day is recommended to keep you refreshed and helps to flush out all the toxins from your body leaving your skin looking fresh and glowing.
Nutrition
Eat more fruits and vegetables throughout the day to give your body the nutrients it needs to feel energetic and fresh. The nutrients will leave your skin looking fresh and will help it recover faster.
Sleep
There is nothing more important than a good night’s sleep. It helps your body recover and helps the night-time routine do its work. ;)
Finally, there is nothing wrong with ageing, it's beautiful and natural. Your body does so much for you the least you can do is eat, drink and sleep well to help it recover.