I’m Almost 30 And I Just Started a Skincare Routine

There are so many routines that make up our daily lives, and we are creatures of habit so we tend to stick to what we know. One vital habit that (more often than you think) goes unnoticed is skincare. When we’re younger, we think we’re exempt from the natural occurrences that happen with aging — wrinkles, grey hair, stretch marks, you name it. What we often don’t realize is how our habits starting as young adults shape our health in the future. As silly as it sounds, I’d go to bed without even putting water to my face. This means a much higher chance of breakouts, larger pores, premature aging, and even eye irritation. When I realized I was putting oily, dirty skin on my clean, cool pillow at night, I realized it was time for a change. That’s why as I approach thirty, it was time to do something I should’ve started a long time ago — wash my face.

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If you’ve never stepped into the skincare aisle at a beauty or drug store (like me), it can be extremely overwhelming. I walked into Sephora and thought multiple times about turning around and “starting tomorrow.” The problem is, tomorrow never comes. Make sure you walk into a store with a clear, concise plan and don’t be afraid to ask a salesperson for help. I have oily, combination skin, so I tried the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser to remove excess oil, dirt and makeup. Next, I tried Caudalie Vinopure Toner at the recommendation of a beauty expert to reduce oil and clear up blackheads. Lastly, I lathered on CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizer to protect my skin from UV light, and the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizer to give myself a heavier base at night. If you learn one thing at all, use something with SPF! Your skin is exposed to harsh light at all times of day, even if it’s not sunny outside and this is what leads to wrinkles, saggy skin, and increases the chances of skin cancer. It’s important to start basic with your skincare routine, as I learned, as too much product too soon can cause your skin to go into panic mode.

Here’s what I learned:

• Consistency is key: Consistent application will prove consistent results. Only applying your new skincare routine once or twice a week will not help you in the long run. After only a month of starting a skincare routine, my skin has noticeably less oil and much smaller pores. I do notice if I get lazy and skip toner here and there, or only use my night time moisturizer, my skin shows it. I can only imagine the results after one whole year! Stick with your new routine and in the end, you’ll thank yourself for doing so.
• Creating new habits isn’t as hard as it seems: Starting a new habit is always the hardest part, but once you see results, it gets a lot easier. Habits are habits for a reason, because you continue to do them. I learned how to incorporate all three steps of my new skincare regime morning and night so that it doesn’t feel like a chore, but more like part of my routine. If you keep at it, you’ll start to see it becomes second nature.
• Starting a new routine helps create other healthy routines: Caring more for my skin made me think about other healthy ‘habits’ I wasn’t utilizing. I started to notice my bedtime routine was causing me to toss and turn at night and maybe I shouldn’t reach for that second piece of cake.
• Skincare = confidence boost: Taking care of my skin led to clearer, healthier skin, which in turn, created confidence. I didn’t feel embarrassed by the pimple forming on my skin, because there wasn’t one! Granted, a pimple can start forming here and there because we are human. However, this added skin regime made it much harder for pimples to break the surface.

In conclusion, start with the basics. A skincare routine doesn’t have to be overly complicated. In fact, you really only should start with a few products: cleanser, toner, and a basic moisturizer (with SPF, of course.) If a product doesn’t work for you, there are a ton out there you can try instead. Don’t give up, and don’t knock yourself down if you forget here and there. You got this!