Anne Hathaway looks more gamine at 30 than ever before. Of course, her Oscar-winning pixie cut helps. But continuing to look as radiant as she did when accepting her Best Supporting Actress award will be challenging as her third decade advances. It is in your 30s that your skin starts to look a little gray and washed out. You might not be seeing any wrinkles yet, you may not even be a smoker, but your skin is looking as if you woke up in post-volcanic Pompeii and you are covered in a thin film of ash. A specific regimen is required.
The first essential is a weekly, gentle exfoliating mask will give you a brighter complexion, refine your skin tone and help close enlarged pores. La Vie Celeste Restorative Exfoliating Gel Mask (1.7oz/$60 in the shop) it has mostly natural ingredients and a 5% glycolic concentration that is just enough to give you a glow (read our reader review). Another good one is 100% Pure Pineapple Enzyme Peel (2oz/$18 in the shop), with an orchard of fruit extracts including, of course, pineapple enzymes for removing dead skin cells.
As far a daily essential 30-something regimen goes, the best possible cleanser is a must. La Vie Celeste Exfoliating Mother of Pearl Cleanser (4oz/$40 in the shop) is uniquely formulated with pink and white clays and is a lovely companion to the LVC mask mentioned above. For those that prefer a creamy cleanser, Red Flower Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser and Masque (8.8oz/$40 in the shop) is calming and will not clog pores whether left on for a few moments in mask mode or immediately rinsed away. Some really nice ingredients include juniper and antioxidant mushroom. Those with especially oily skin could investigate Sevani Ageless Radiance Refining AHA Cleanser (4oz/$39 in the shop), which also multitasks as makeup remover, mask and cleanser.
Now, whether a 30-something should go for a serum really depends on an objective (not paranoid) assessment of their skin. If you don’t have wrinkles then there is nothing to repair, so something like AQ Serum or ReLuma with repairing stem cell cytokines is probably a waste of money. A few fine lines, however, are a good signal to start getting serious about prevention; antioxidants that prevent free radical damage are going to be a great investment.
Arcona Peptide Hydrating Complex (1oz/$75 in the shop) is a rare serum and moisturizer in one. For all its hydrating power, this is a fast-absorbing and non-greasy serum that keeps the skin feeling supple throughout the day or night. It has the power peptide Matrixyl 3000, a slew of hydrating ingredients and plant-derived antioxidants. Really, really dry skin seems to respond well to Skinfinite’s The Balm (1.7oz/$40 in the shop), with ingredients to boost oxygen and moisture levels in the skin. A turbo-charged (as in hydrates and may help prevent aging) is Avitalin Youth Essentials Ageless Skin Complex (1.4oz $65 in the shop). The focus on the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, is dubbed “corneotherapy” and Avitalin claims its ingredients are also effective in reducing skin irritation and inflammation. The ingredients are pretty out there, striking a balance between cutting edge laboratory ingredients and naturals.
If that objective appraisal of your skin condition concludes that heavier guns are needed, then I would suggest Your Best Face Restore with vitamin C and alpha arbutin for brightening the skin (read our 30-year-old tester’s review). It will take down redness, moisturize without being oily, and “plump” skin, while giving you a dose of YBF’s radical scavenger, spin trap.
I do think this is the time to start thinking about eye creams rather than hoping that one cream will do for everything. Your Best Face Refresh (0.5oz/ ($80 in the shop) would be a good investment if lines are beginning to appear. If your outer eye area still reassembles itself after a hearty laugh then you’ll be more than happy with the refreshing efforts of Sevani Ageless Eyes (0.5oz/$54 in the shop or Skinfinite’s highly popular LOL (0.5/$45 in the shop).