Skincare Adulting: 5 Tips for Growing Up & Getting Real About Your Skin

There comes a point in everyone’s skincare journey where they realize maybe they need to get a bit more serious about how they look at and care for their skin, that they can’t just fall asleep with makeup and still look glowing the next morning. That’s the point when you need to start skincare adulting. Here, 5 things that’ll help you level up.

I’ve always had a vested interest in my skincare, but as the years go by and my age creeps up towards my mid-30s, I’m even more invested in my beauty routine.

We all know the things we should be doing in our 30s: not staying up late, not binge-watching Real Housewives of Atlanta with a bottle of wine and a box of pizza (maybe this is just me). We know we should drink water and eat our veggies and go the f—k to sleep and try to have a healthy work-life balance and USE SUNSCREEN … so I’m not going to talk about all of those things.

Instead, let’s take a look at some of my other skincare adulting tips.

1. Remind yourself: It is OK to look your age

As humans (and women especially), looking younger has always been the #1 goal for most people’s skincare routine. I mean, anti-aging is a huge thing and I’m all for it, but here’s the tea — there is nothing wrong with looking your age.

We all want to ward off the eventual appearance of wrinkles and fine lines for as long as we can, but there’s something also beautiful about those eye crinkles that pop up when we smile or laugh, or the wrinkles in your brow as you work on something. It’s called living a full, content, and balanced life.

Wrinkles ARE normal. Fine lines ARE normal. Instead of focusing on those things, try to focus on the general health of your skin. Are you hydrating? How healthy is your moisture barrier? Are you glowing? All of these things are way more important to me. Hashtag normalize aging 2019.

2. Really streamline your routine and products

I spent the vast majority of my 20s and the first year of my 30s trying everything I could get my hands on, without a real regard for my skin type or personal preference. I was all about chasing the new releases, so I could be the first one to review it. Over time, this caused both my wallet and skin some grief because I was just throwing whatever the hell on it.

Now I’ve realized what ingredients really work for my skin, what skincare goals I want to achieve, what textures and fragrances (if any) I like. I’ve learned to finish a product before buying a new one, and I’ve realized the power of shopping my stash.

I encourage you to identify what skincare goals you want to achieve and really dig deep into finding what kind of products you like. We are saving money and time in our 30s, OK!

3. Find an esthetician and make them your BFF

So there’s only so much one can do for their skin in the comfort of their own home. This is where your trusty esthetician comes in. Getting regular, professional treatments, like facials, dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, and pore clearing treatments aren’t just for “fun” — they are extremely beneficial to maintaining the health of your skin. When celebrities and influencers talk about their skincare routines, they rarely mention that they are also regularly getting facials and other treatments (and really, this is probably why they look so good, let’s be honest).

Instead of spending money on products that may or may not work for me, I’ve started saving that money instead to get professional treatments once a month. Let’s level up!

4. Embrace change and adapt

I think one thing that gets people caught up with skincare is that they expect things to be a linear experience — like “well, my skin has always been oily and it should continue to always be oily,” and then freak out when things change.

Let’s use myself as an example. I’ve had oily skin my entire life, but I’ve realized that as I’ve gotten older, my skin has been leaning more towards combo, with dry spots on my cheeks and forehead, and an increase in hormonal acne around my jawline and chin. For the longest time, I thought that that meant something was wrong with the products I was using or my diet or any of the 235,097 other things people say. But nope, I’ve realized that my skin type is changing.

As we get older, our hormones shift, our skin starts responding to stress in different ways, not to mention this is the age where a lot of women are getting pregnant, nursing, and raising children. All of these things contribute to changing skin types. Embrace the process, and adapt your routine!

5. Maybe look into an eye cream

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt like using an eye cream is the epitome of getting older. Maybe it’s because growing up, all of the eye creams tended to be marketed towards older people, but I’ve never been into them …. until now.

I’ve noticed that the skin around my eyes has been noticeably drier in the past year, thought that I could just dab my normal moisturizer around there, and everything would be fine. But nope. Eye creams have now become a firm staple in my routine.

There’s also a mental/emotional component in there for me, too. I feel fancy, more sophisticated, like a wise older sister that can give it to you straight up, no chaser. And really, isn’t that what getting older is all about? Being a bit wiser, a bit wittier, a bit smarter, and a bit more badass (with highly moisturized under-eyes, I might add)

What have you done in your journey to skincare adulting? Anything to add to the list? Let me know in the comments!