“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty, you get the face you deserve.” This quote has been attributed to quite a few different people. But whoever actually said it first, we’re pretty sure they were vigilant with the sunscreen.
You may not see it for a few years, but the invisible damage you do to your skin now will one day come back to bite you on the… face. Conversely, take care of your skin today, and it’ll look after you tomorrow. At Ivy Clinic, we’re huge believers in proactive skincare. So if you’re in your teens or early twenties, check out our list of good skin habits and how to make them a part of your life.
Book a Skin Discovery session to learn more about skincare in your teens and twenties.
Cleanse before bed. Cleanse before bed.
Nope that’s not a typo – it’s so important, we’ve said it twice. If you're too exhausted (because, life) to tie your hair up and properly cleanse, tone and moisturise your face, neck and décolleté, at least use makeup removing wipes. Sleeping with makeup on can lead to breakouts and dermatitis – not great at the time, and can create permanent scarring and pigmentation issues. Plus, makeup gunks up your pillow.
For oily skin choose a foaming or gel cleanser, for dryer skin stick with milky or creamy textures. Cleanse at least once a day, but morning and night is even better.
Sharing (makeup) is not caring
Avoid sharing your makeup. Yes, it's tempting to test out your friend’s new eye-liner or holy grail lip colour, but eye and lip products are especially prone to germs – best to keep those to yourself.
Exfoliating is essential
Exfoliate once or twice a week, to keep skin cells turning over regularly. The trick is to choose a gentle exfoliant and avoid scrubbing. For acne-prone skin, look for ingredients like salicylic acid and lactic acid, which will help to control oil production without stripping.
Always use (sun) protection
By protecting your skin from the sun – think big hats, loose shirts, sunglasses and daily sunblock application – your skin will have a brighter, smoother future. You’ll be preventing more visible signs of ageing that will become more obvious in your thirties and beyond, like premature wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and loss of elasticity.
Discover why Vitamin C is your first line of skin defence, after sun protection.
So that’s it. Just four good skin habits you can start today. Future you will thank you.
