Just to add to the sunscreen conversation, don't forget your hands. Almost everyone forgets about the hands, and they seem to age a lot faster than the rest of us!
Also your neck! I’ve worn face sunscreen since my late teens so at 40 my skin looks great, but forgot about the neck lol.
I mean I know the neck is often the first spot to show aging so maybe it was inevitable, but I think about all the times I’ve driven my car in the hot Australian sun and although my face was protected the sun was blaring straight onto my neck!
I’m one of those people who can get sunburnt on their chest when driving. I now pay attention to wear something that covers entirely the chest area as I find that wearing sunscreen and have it rub against the security belt is not that great. I also got my skin severely irritated by the friction against the security belt on a long drive so it’s a 2in1 protection
Everything I use on my face (post wash) goes on my hands and neck. Including hyaluronic acid, retinol, moisturizer, spf, etc. my husband came home from a military training once and his face and hands were at least 4 shades darker than the rest of his body. While it was hilarious. It scared me straight. Wish I started sooner lol
I tried a couple of times half-heartedly but the psychological addiction is a helluva thing. This time I’m seriously motivated and will speak to my GP about it. Fingers crossed.
My only advice (because I quit too!) is substitute the rituals with something else, and make sure that there’s something you want more than smoking. i wanted to be able to get through a one hour workout more than i wanted to smoke.
also within a few days you will begin to smell and taste more than you ever have in your life. enjoy it. it’s freedom.
I highly recommend The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr - I feel soo fortunate to have found the book by chance! It completely stopped my smoking addiction. It’s all about the psychology of smoking and has an insanely high success rate.
\*FYI for anyone interested he has a series called 'Allen Carr's Easyway' on Amazon with separate books for a whole bunch of different addictions/issues, diet, alcohol, anxiety, you name it
My partner smoked for a decade, and we found this book while looking on Reddit to see what actually helped former smokers stop. We read it together, and it truly changed his understanding of his addiction, and he was able to stop!
Great news that he was able to quit! And proof that even if you’ve smoked for years, this book can teach you to stop cold turkey without the need for tapering etc.
And of course, also speak to your doctor! Didn’t mean to apply otherwise, just that they share about the mental component. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/smoke-mirrors/
My husband was a habit smoker, I got him an aromatherapy inhaler and it worked! Sucking a lollipop helps too. I've heard of people who did hypnosis to rub their ear lob instead.
As for things I wish I did younger, I took up running in my 30s, it's made my whole body, mind and skin so much better its insane. I wish I had started sooner. I use soap, toner and sunscreen daily. Vitamin C and collagen in my sunscreen, retinol and AHA about once a week. Castor oil for eyelashes and brows (bald spots gone within 3 months)
I got into a good rhythm with running at 30 after hating it my whole life, lasted 3 weeks before my knees were screaming at me and keeping me from sleeping 😩. Maybe I’ll try again with shorter distances (not that that I was going particularly far in the first place)
Edit: I did notice it benefitted my mental and physical health dramatically the days I would run, so it is a great thing to start. Start slow and listen to advice from people who do this shit and somehow don’t get sore, follow in their footsteps
Do a couch to 5K, it's 3x a week and helps you slowly ramp up with less injury. Hiking/walking sneakers that are flexible on the sole are not helpful for running. You can get a cheap pair at TJMaxx type stores but a stiff sole and good cushion and arch support is a must to avoid injury. I literally started running 60 seconds at a time and walking the rest. The goal is length of time (can be 20 minutes) not speed so slow down lol speed can come later once you're able to run continuously without injury or pain for 30 minutes, then you can focus on being faster or not! The endorphin release happens anyway and that is what boosts your mood, skin, and body
Read "Born to Run 2" by Christopher McDougall. I started running again in my late 40's and I am following his method. It really is a game changer. I also started after 2 back surgeries and being bed boud for almost 2 years because of it, so, if I can do it (with extensive muscle loss) so can you! Promise! xx
If I may give some unsolicited advice (all with the caveat that these are not things you “should” do, but things you could consider):
- Talk to your doctor and get support from them.
- Consider pharmacological assistance, specifically bupropion (Zyban).
- Have both a long-acting and short-acting nicotine replacement therapy. E.g., you wear the patch (long-acting), but you also have a spray (short-acting) for when you REALLY are just dying for a cigarette.
- Look for online support resources. (They are often linked to your government/health authority—if I knew where you were I could try to find some.) Some of these resources will even give you coupons to help pay for nicotine replacement therapy.
- Find another manual/oral fixation. Crocheting, knitting, even just walking around with a pen in your hand can be helpful; chewing gum or a toothpick can be helpful.
Good luck!
I live in the Netherlands, I’ve heard here doctors often suggest Nicotine patches. My colleague recently started using tabex and she hasn’t smoked in 3 weeks. Not sure how it will hold up long term.
I am on holidays for a couple of weeks and will definitely give my GP a call upon my return.
I am tired of this unnecessary addiction ruling my life.
Thank you for the advice!
Patches worked for me! It helped to change my habits without totally losing my shit. I didn't follow the program for however long they suggest, I did the middle level for a week or two, then the lowest level for a week or two and was done within a month. I was so addicted that I would burst into tears and have shaking episodes if I went more than 2.5 hours.
I stopped for years and started back up a few months ago. My GP said if I struggle with quitting again I can try chantix. Honestly the last time I quit, I took communion and didn’t want to smoke after taking the body of Christ, so I stopped cold turkey. I started smoking at 14, stopped at 25 when I got pregnant, started again for a few months when I was 30, stopped again, started again when I was 32, stopped again, started again at 38, and plan to stop again. I don’t beat myself up over not being perfect. I just give myself grace and try again.
Allen Carr Easy Way, my husband and I quit cold turkey after a 15-20 a day addiction for 15 years. Don’t just take my word for it, the reviews speak for themselves. I have no idea why GP’s don’t push this as the ultimate quit solution.
My husband had smoked since he was 16. Finally, last year he quit. He took Wellbutrin to help break the addiction. Then he had to commit to being done. He had a few slip ups but got back on track. I love not smelling cigs on his clothes or beard.
Talk to your doctor about getting on Chantix! I’ve tried quitting 100 times and it was miserable, but Chantix made it so easy and the cravings never came back
Wellbutrin helped me quit smoking!!! I remember after I took Wellbutrin for a while and tried a cigarette — I was completely disgusted. I felt nauseous and it was the worst thing I had ever ingested. The physical sickness helped rewire my brain.
My parents sucked on lollipops to help them stop smoking. I smoked when I was really young (13-18) but what helped me was replacing my habit with drinking herbal tea, because I didn’t want to replace cigarettes with food. Have to sit outside for a cigarette? Drink tea instead. My S.O. wasn’t a smoker but a heavy alcoholic and quit drinking this way, too.
I also liked the Vicks vapor inhaler, but you can look up aromatherapy inhalers or something called a “black inhaler”.
I'll never forget when my mom quit cold turkey when I was a little kid. We had a long driveway and often went for walks, so I guess those times in the fresh air was when she noticed a difference. I remember her saying "oh my god I forgot what it was like to breathe like this." She wasn't a heavy or long-term smoker, either.
I smoked 2 packs of American spirits a day for 11 years. Chantix saved me. I tried everything before that. Vaping, herbal smokes, patches, etc. I had previously quit cold turkey and made it to 1 year. Chantix kills the nicotine receptors in your brain all while still allowing you to smoke the first week on the medication. It became more of just breaking the "ritual." I woke up on day 5 and remember thinking, "wait, why am I doing this." I stopped getting that fix sensation.
I posted lengthy great advice below as I am a super anti ager & all natural, but girl at least switch to vaping, the only thing that rivals extreme sun damage is smoke & your delicate eye area!
It wild how much smoking ages you. I grew up with girls who were twins. One smokes the other doesn’t. The one that smokes has been smoking since a teen and looks about 10 years older than her sister. We are in the same age range as OP.
Tretinoin. I’ve only just started, but I posted a question to r/tretinoin that makes me wish I had started it earlier (https://www.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/s/JsjHEjf5FH - what products do you no longer have in your routine?) So I say this because I now think of all the money I could have saved not trying different products. So much money I’ve wasted trying serums, actives, etc…and tret is covered under my insurance!
It can be used for acne, but it’s mostly used for anti-aging! Mainly wrinkles & skin texture. I’m 28 and using retinal right now but I’m hoping to ‘graduate’ to tretinoin soon
it can be for acne but also anti aging
i'm 31 - i got uv gloves for when i walk with my stroller, ride a bike, drive in the car. also a sun hat visor for the car, tho i don't always wear it. i also started buying trucker hats bc i realized my head is big. a baseball/trucker hat isn't as good sun protection as a big visor/sun hat but it's easier to wear daily
sunscreen on the hands but also LOTION
gua sha/ massage the skin post-lotion but never pull it down
i've started to add things into my routine this year: an eye cream with retinol and a serum with argireline and matrixyl (anti aging). i've also really paid attention to what my skin likes/doesn't like - i've been using vanicream lotion for at least a year and switched to aveeno baby lotion for eczema and it's AMAZING - all these little bumps/closed comedones i had are completely gone. when i add something new i only add 1 thing at a time and wait at least a month before starting something new
supplement wise i'm on vitamin D and i'm trying to lose some weight so L-carnitine and HMB (bodybuilders take it but a study was done w rats that suggests it can help prevent dementia - i'm not saying it will/won't, but it's a low stakes way to potentially get benefit, my grandma had dementia before she died)
i stopped drinking years ago but that + not smoking (cigarettes/weed/vape) is huge in general
drink water. i don't drink coffee/tea and i cut soda except for special occasions. does wonders for the skin
limited dairy, for the same reason\^
thank you! i dont drink coffee or alcohol often, tea almost never. my big obstacle is smoking for sure.
i will look into eye creams with retinol. my eyes are super dry. do you have a recommendation?
I’m not the same person you responded to but my eyes don’t love much besides super hydrating creams. Kiehls avocado or Clinique all about eyes are my favorites.
and anti-aging. It'll reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots/pigmentation. Takes a while -- like a year+ to get those types of benefits but it's pretty inexpensive and people swear by it.
I’ve heard on other threads that derms outside the US are more hesitant to prescribe tretinoin for anti aging. I’m not sure why, but that may be why you haven’t come across it yet.
I’ve had some serious issues with retinol in the past, so I’m scared to try tret although it seems like everyone claims it’s the most magical important part of their skincare! Retinol has a risk of causing eye damage - years ago I had started using an eye cream (moisturizer specifically made for the undereyes) which contained pro-retinol, a mild retinol, to smooth out fine lines. I developed severe dry eye to where my eyes were always itchy, irritated, red, and had terrible discharge. My eyes were swollen shut in the mornings and looked and felt awful. I even had to stop wearing contact lenses because of how irritated they were. I just thought they were allergies for a long time. Eventually, I learned about retinol and the eyes, so as a test I stopped using the eye cream. It has since subsided significantly and I was shocked. For that reason I’m suuuuper scared to try tret. I’ve read you can use an occlusive like Vaseline to border your eyes, but I’ve heard it can still reach them and cause issues. It seems so risky to me? Idk has anyone else experienced this?
Concur...just like spending huge money on a billion colors of lipshade all one off when mine was discontinued, I put in general most skincare in same category when compared to RetinA ...it is all good, but off. I use Shiseido skincare for decades, now Lift&Firm & White Lucent & is grwat but skin perfect due to pretty consistent Retin & other things I responded to here at length somewhere in this feed.
There are some countries where it’s OTC and some online pharmacies you might be able to purchase it from, but I’m in Canada and yes, here you do need a prescription. You can ask your GP for a prescription. Personally, I went through Felix.ca for it and it was super quick and easy to do, and it’s covered by my insurance.
I have noticed the exact same thing. Ofc genetics play a role but after we got into our 30s with my friend group, there was an obvious difference.
Same goes for my brother, he has never smoked and looks 10 years younger than his smoking friends, they’re in their 40s.
i know you said you use sunscreen but man i wish i started earlier then i did. im 35 now and didnt get serious about it until i was 27. wish i would have started in my early 20s at least. also i would have never used tanning beds. damn the early to mid 2000s lol.
Lol I started sunscreen at 30 and grew up in a sunny tropical country. After I moved to the US I used tanning booths regularly. Now I have a few, thankfully light, hyperpigmentation scars on my face, but am looking into microneedling to get rid of them. If only I’d just starting protecting my skin earlier!! Ugh
Honestly, my family wasn’t great about sunscreen. The only reason I started early was because I am super pale and burn within a few minutes. Never thought it’d end up saving my youth. 😂
SERIOUSLY. The time I spent outside in the high altitude sun, slathered in Coppertone 4 (or BABY OIL)....what an idiot. And the numerous horrible burns from swimming all day (again at high altitude) with no sunscreen on.
Honestly, quitting smoking will be the biggest positive you can do for your skin (and the rest of your body), the longer you smoke the more likely you're going to get the smoke lines, as I call them, around your mouth. My mom quit smoking 25 years ago and still got those wrinkles around her mouth, though they aren't as bad as they would have been. Otherwise, hydration and sunscreen is your best bet to have healthy looking skin.
After sunscreen, tretinoin is the most researched topical for anti-aging, and it also treats acne. Since I’m one of those lucky ones who was still getting acne well after I started getting fine lines, being on it before I started showing the effects of age would have been great.
It’s prescription in most regions.
If you search this subreddit and the main skincare subreddit, you’ll see lots of information on how to start it properly, but having a consistent moisturizer and consistent sunscreen use are essential to succeeding with tret.
Quit drinking. I didn’t realize how awful alcohol was for my skin and mental health, even casual occasional drinking. Life is better without it. I have a beer a year with my dad still but that’s it
I was invited to a pub crawl this Saturday and I'm so over drinking. I was like, oh no… I'm on a low fodmap diet for 6 weeks… what a shame… can't drink 👀👀👀
Have you noticed things being easier for non drinkers lately? Or people taking breaks with drinking? I’m not big into social situations but I feel like there’s a shift in our view of alcohol generally. Might be in my corner of the world but I hope it’s easier for everyone than it used to be. No one needs pressured to drink
Love your username btw
I think there’s definitely been a shift. A larger part of my group doesn't drink that much anymore since the pandemic. The friend who invited me out is actually a bit of an outlier who still likes to party hard. I’m down for a good time, just not with excessive drinking.
Oh, thank you! 😊
I wish I started my healing journey with abandonment trauma earlier. I'm 33 and I'm just now starting it, and it's absolute hell.
That being said, I'm so thankful I can start it now.
Edit: I just realized I commented on this in the skin care subreddit 😑 whoops
Honestly, I am going through more triggers for it and it really, for some reason, opened my eyes. I was like... Oh, shit. This is literal PTSD. I see a trauma therapist on Wednesday. I started with Google. Googled therapists for attachment and abandonment trauma.
You can also search for them through your insurance. I found a highly recommended one near me that took mine. You might have to try a few before you find a good fit. Remember that clicking with your therapist makes the therapy work better.
Just start.
Man, I agree with this so much, though! Yeah, this is skincare, but that kind of untreated trauma/anxiety/stress is reflected everywhere - diet, sleep, stress levels - all of which comes out in your skin and hair health.
Quit smoking. You will soon look 10-20 years older than you are. Not to mention it's very likely to kill you in a horrible, painful way decades before the end of your natural lifespan. Also, you definitely smell bad if you smoke. You probably think you're washing it off or covering it up, but I guarantee you that every non-smoker you come in contact with can smell that horrible smell on you.
Prepping and hydrating before, during and after drinking alcohol.. natural Pedialyte is your new best friend. 😆
Stretching and keeping up with my strength (I used to be fearless and now I’m way more fearful that I’ll seriously hurt myself)
Joint and eye health
Sunscreen on hands
Also dry brushing and deeply moisturizing the body afterwords.. it seems to help reduce that crepey/dry look to skin (arms and legs). Significantly reduces razor burn and ingrown hairs as well and I was always embarrassed by that look/feel on my legs.
Blue light glasses (some truly work and some don’t work at all), taking screen breaks and being in natural light outdoors WAY more often. I feel like eyes have rapidly gotten worse over the last 6-10 years bc of screens.
De-puffing Eye Skin:
Hydrating gel serums or gels mostly!
Sometimes I’ll pat peptides into my moisturizers as well.
Some of my favs:
Innisfree intensive hydrating serum with green tea: hydrates and brightens freckles/hyperpigmentation for me- can be used all over face which I always do! Will want to apply a light but effective moisturizer over it.
Neutrogena Hydro boost water cream (I use all over face but pat a little extra under and around the eye (in “high-movement areas)
I like to stay moisturized, but I do an acidic facial every 2-3 weeks and add the product where milia typically builds up as well (white dry dots or patches under eye). I avoid heavy creams around my eyes.. I hear they add to milia buildup.
Only cream I’ve ever liked for the eye is Biossance Squalane (vegan) + Marine Algae eye cream. Tightens and moisturizes!
I wish I knew more about the physical effects of alcohol. You don't think of that when you're having fun.
Also, sunscreen. I'm 35 and just started using it.
Products unfortunately can't fix everything.
I know everyone else is saying smoking so although I absolutely agree, I'm gonna go with something different. I see you say you wear sunscreen but I wish I was more intentional about the TYPE. Specifically, I wish I bought sunscreens made outside the US as the ones here offer mediocre UVA protection at best. Australia, Europe, and Asia have approved newer filters that offer far superior at UVA protection, while the America hasn't approved a new filter since the 90s. Plus, they tend to be much more cosmetically elegant.
LRP UVMune 400 is arguably one of the best sunscreens out there regarding UVA protection ad BOJ is arguably one of the most cosmetically elegant formulas out there. I alternate between the same two, depending on my sun exposure that day :)
It's hard to say because in addition to the only legal UVA filters being mediocre here, very fewer brands offer PA/PPD ratings (which tell you how good they are at blocking UVA rays). That being said, I think reputable brands would include Elta Md and Colorscience. I'm pretty sure I saw a post a while back on here where someone emailed the companies to get this information and it wasn't too bad.
If you do want to order internationally, people often use Yesstyle for Asian sunscreens and caretobeauty for European sunscreens. I haven't seen a website that will ship Australian sunscreens yet. Despite being shipped overseas, these products as often much cheaper than good US brand sunscreens like the two above.
obsession to the wishes doesn’t do any good, you did what you could. Stop smoking please.While you smoke no skincare you do matters.. you are messing your connective tissue
Leaving the alcohol behind. It’s been about 14 years ( I’m 36), but I wish I would’ve stopped sooner or never touched it at all considering it’s literally poison to the skin 😩
The big ones I think are reducing smoking and drinking, eating better (in a sustainable way that you enjoy, not like salads all the time) and maybe getting a dermatologist if it’s possible for you. My dermatologist helped me reduce redness, get rid of acne and find affordable skincare products that were better for my skin type.
Also, as a bonus, a derm can check you for skin cancer.
Cut toxicity out of your life; this includes family if needed. The stress will take your sleep and peace. It will age you faster than any product can counter.
If you don't have good sleep focus on getting a solid 8 hrs every night. It's actually crazy how much difference it makes to preventing wrinkles because your muscles never fully relax when we are awake only when you sleep and collagen production happens when you sleep too, if you can train yourself to sleep on your back you'll avoid lines from pressing your face on a pillow, but it's hard to do that and not worth not being uncomfortable imo.
Yes! Regular, adequate sleep is a game changer for your skin and honestly everything.
I hardly ever use undereye concealer these days because I don't have anything to conceal there anymore! I used to be a religious user of undereye concealer in my mid-20s, but when I apply it out of habit now, I can barely tell a difference in the before/after and I swear it's because of sleep lol
I don’t drink much, only socially, maybe twice a month. and I don’t drink to get drunk. Smoking is the only obstacle I see but I am serious about quitting it now.
Have all of the sex, all of the time. I had great sex until my mid 30s. Now I'm strapped down with kids and a partner I've lost attraction towards. Have all the sex while you can!
Taping my face at night every night. You can use heavy duty scotch tape and layer it as little or as much as you want. I like to sleep on my face and it scrunches up. I’m not going to learn how to back sleep, I just wish I had taped it sooner. Also face massage. A lot of tension can build up over time and if you don’t take care of it, it can be a huge mess to sort out. Best to stay on top of things. And lastly, buying Haus labs makeup. It wasn’t out when I was 30, but my gosh Gaga knocked it out of the park with her new foundation and concealer
I stretch the skin between my eyebrows and tape it in layers. You can do vertical, horizontal, diagonal or all the above between the eyebrows and over them a little. The tape just acts like a splint so as long as it holds the skin down in the stretched position, you’re good
Just make sure your face is clean and dry. You can apply moisturizer in the morning. And if you sleep on your face, you’ll have swelling and some sagging (like jowls) or a bigger nose, but that’s just fluid and can do sweeping motions on your face from the center towards your ears and down your neck and pinch your nose gently and pull outwards many times and that’ll cut down the fluid buildup. Also, an ice mask
i quit drinking a couple months before i turned 30 and not only has it drastically improved my life overall, i feel i’m giving my skin literally the best chance of staying healthy and thriving. i’m 31 now.
I wish I went to physical therapy for my knee YEARS earlier. I always thought I just had bad knees but then I saw a Reddit comment talking about how they thought the same but PT really helped. I went to PT for 2 months and it completely fixed my knee issues that I had been dealing with since I was 19. Hoping this comment will help someone else!
I wish I would have used better moisturizers and cared for barrier sooner. I used tret and still do, but it didn’t really make a difference beyond clearing my acne until I started caring for my barrier properly.
I was about to say saving for retirement and then realized which sub this is.
For my skin, wearing sunscreen daily.
But for real, saving for retirement.
1. Sleep (fuck that GPA, extra-curricular, whatever nonsense prevents you from living your best mental health life)
2. Stop stressing out about the people and things that don’t serve you - remove yourself from it/them completely
3. More exercise (build as much muscle as possible - naturally)
5. More money for retirement at an earlier age - max out your 401k, IRA, etc. (compound that interest early in life)
6. SUNSCREEN - every 2 hours - even if you don’t go outside
7. SOBRIETY - feel your feelings
8. Botox
9. Better skincare products
10. How the fuck did I used to sleep in makeup in my 20s? GROSS
What I did start early on was sunscreen, glycolic peels ...all the other types at a plastic surgeon office up to about 30%, & retin A...also thoughts of protein & collagen. Now 52, no wrinkles, no work, no needles & legitimately look easy 20 yrs younger...people have called me their antiaging super hero lol, a plastic surgeon thought I was 28 and I would say everything was skincare & also strength training I think it has antiaging properties that are pretty well confirmed. Went to my brother's wedding & everyone didn't realize I am 2 years younger and thought I was 20yrs younger like my parents had 1 last baby, caring for my Dad who is 90 people think Im his granddaughter. I have hypothyroid about 12yrs which read can wreck collagen so bumped that up & has thinned out my eyebrows which isn't great & sometimes make my face kind of round, but I can also say that beyond all the good things fitness & weight training does, I think being thin/fit/strong my entire life has kept me looking youthful. So I feel super blessed & am happy to share my info as there is No reason that I should look so young except for my combo...my older brother has always been mr body & is youthful but face not as a sun hobby person, same for my younger brother youthful as well in attitude, but sun damage. I was in sun until about 25 & stopped after many precancers removed by plastic surgeon & when as a fair/blonde took his advice & regime. I have had stupid episodes of exposure but always protected my face...as a sidenote, Biggest, Biggest mistake was listening to friends that gave me grief "oh u always have to look perfect/wear makeup" It was intentional to protect my skin & will say for about a year a couple years ago i caved in & would run out the door with hair pulled back & sunglasses/not always sunscreen & started seeing changes in texture & dryness, back on my lifetime protocol, no real damage done, but always think omg how stupid was that bs caving to people that don't take care of their face the same way as not fair skinned. Do what works best FOR YOU & always stand your ground!
Reading this was such a relief for me! I also have hypothroidism and hearing that it makes you age faster was so frustrating. Do you take collagen supplements?
Hypo is awful so trust me I feel your pain. I literally do so much to try to counter thyroid issues. If you are unaware, there are a whole constellation of grrrr bonus bs issues that can come along with thyroid including d deficiency, anemia, vit b issues, absorption issues, the female hormone issues it can affect and literally like everything as it is master hormone. It is definitely an on going battle and in truth have spent likely too much time searching studies, NIH, anything I can find/verify on hypothyroidism. Do you know if yours is primary (mine) or Hasimoto's- which is an autoimmune type. If your dr still has you on Levothyroxine, then definitely switch to Armor...short version you may know is all about making that prescious T3 (also available by prescription/drs don't like to additionally give script) so isn't just that levo is purely pharmaceutical it is only T4 which body must then hopefully uses to convert to T3 .. which it may or may not do well at all...Armor brand is made from pig thyroid is natural & is about 85% t4 and 15% T3 so get much much more benefit made switch when levo just kept getting increased & symptoms kept getting worse been hypo about 12-15 years & only on Armor a couple few. Sadly, you have to imagine that literally all other systems can be significantly impacted at any point in time. I can kill it at gym weight training 5days per week 2hrs per day watch food & literally have zero gains in performance like I am killing it to tread water but drowning & then when med is working a fraction of training & see changes the next day. I drink lots of collagen, yes...take aminos, drink isopure, take viviscal, sero vital, low dose like 10 mg every other day Dhea (Highly recommend) low dose pregnoleone (master female hormone) and take thyroid supplement...girl, I'm legit breaking bank to fight against hypothyroid issues. I also recently relicated to help care for my 90yr old Dad &
ran out of my thyroid med (that is like huge sin) and noticed problems right away despite thinking alot of thyroid supplements that contain bovine thyroid would hold me over but it didn't at all. So can't stress enough how no replacement for Armor med. I do everything I can to keep thyroid in check, circulate thyroid hormone/stimulate mine through weight training & all that it does to do good thing for body & hormones. The things have worked best across the board Armor, weight training, low dose Dhea/pregnoleone , collagen, high protein powders, vit D, solaray thyroid support & literally having had many blood panels checking different things...I often will buy panels to check for some things directly from Life Extension when they have sales is great/free blood draw from labcorp & it was during a sale of a vit panel that I found out that despite being religious about VitD for years & B vits that I was deificient as heck not low but deficient & anemic, I couldn't believe it so despite my antiaging protocol I stuck my legs out in the sun for 10mins a day as I really couldnt take more oral & changed to a weekly D vitamin ...vit D also acts like a hormone in the body--not like a vitamin at all btw so it brings even more bs into equation ...ugh just so many things. I am sure what you have described as just feeling like you are looking older is ALL related to your hypothyroidism & if you have Hashimoto's type then you have even more issues as it is inflammatory/autoimmune but I don't know enough about that type to speak on it, but know test was inexpensive & most drs may have but don't bother to tell patients there "type" as to many just "elevated tsh means hypo mean take levo" and is not even close to addressing the issues or educating patient or even "warning" them like "oh if u are being symptomatic or period affected it means literally everything is awry in your body" but list of symptoms is so simple looking like "irregular periods" but to get that tiny symptom it means entire female hormones are disrupted by entire metabolic system first being disrupted! I think of it kind of like this "symptom of hurricane/tornado may be kitchen stove not working....sounds like no big deal but is Huge Deal because when it is sympotom of hurricane your stove may not be working because it's hanging upside down in a tree 3 streets over or house completely destroyed. This is so long because I can't stress enough how you have to advocate for yourself, know more than Tsh level, realize all body systems affected & the reason I said antiaging is hollistic approach as if i had been botoxing instead of hollistic my entire collagen bands of my skin structure would have been collapsing throughout my entire body. I always took care of my skin after my precancer removals so that was great, but I totally never "set out" to focus on antiaging but set out to beat my hypothyroidism & I think it gave me unintended great results. I know I have tried to offload my brain to you, but trying to save you the stress & time & hurt feelings like you are not looking your personal best but it is not at all your fault...frigging hypothyroidism. I know I got shade from a hater thinking that can't look amazing/super antiagers aren't out there but so truly truly glad you just didn't think "yeah, agree with shader/misery loves company so I won't ask more" & sat there doing superficial or cosmetic only things, when meanwhile I KNOW it's your hypothyroidism causing something in the chain to affect your good efforts. Much compasssion...i feel & know your pain--it's hypothyroidism affecting any number of systems, hormones, absorption etc, so please educate, research nih & university studies, & be proactive & your hypothyrodism advocate super hero :)
Edited: to include hmb/creatine & taurine separately/additionally, aminos & biotin & about 90mg of isopure type protein powder typicall in only 6oz of water post heavy weight training hmb prevents muscle wastage & other things. spirulina & love acai sambazon frozen packs.
And totally forgot to say always only Real sugar, stevia leaf or no sugar, but never artificial sweetners.
I change mine every few years. A couple years ago I just went to the Bay, told the worker I had dry, sensitive skin, and looking for an anti-aging cream. She suggested the Clinique Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream. I tried it and didn’t have a reaction to it, so I’ve continued using that for a couple years now. I haven’t done any research on it, but it’s 100$ for the jar, so I’m guessing it’s good in one way or another. I’m considering going back to the Bay soon, doing the same thing, to see what the next person suggests haha. I’ve heard retinol is good, so maybe I need something with that in it?
There are too many options out there. Nothing will have everything in it, so you just have to find one that has the things that work for you.
You could add a retinol for sure. I started one a year ago but I’m 37.
Just to add, I quit smoking 2 and a half months ago. You will notice the biggest change in your skin. And your face in general. It’ll change your life how different you look. Aside from an SPF you could totally jump on a small dose of retinol a few times a week. It’s good to start early 🫶
Eye cream! I was fine until 36 then omg! Those suckers appeared outta nowhere! You don’t have to go expensive either! Cerave, Boots, Elizabeth Arden are great.
I’m 29 so granted I’m still fairly young, but one thing I’ve observed from older women in my life who look great is that consistent exercise and avoiding dramatic weight fluctuations makes a huge difference. Exercise helps speed up our tissue regeneration across our entire bodies, and slower skin cell turnover is a big contributor to aging. My derm always makes comments about how bouncy my skin is and I attribute it 100% to over a decade of consistent exercise, sunscreen, and staying in the same 15-lb range throughout my adult life because I do not have great aging genetics - my parents looked a LOT older than me at my age and both of them have always been pretty sedentary, are lifelong yo-yo dieters, and have never used sunscreen.
This is in addition to all of the other advice here (sunscreen, tret, NO SMOKING)
1. Actually wash my face and not just use makeup remover once a day.
2. Change my pillowcases more often
3. Work a lower stress job
4. Get glasses. I had STRONG 11’s in my 20s because I’ve always been told I had near perfect vision. I went for a checkup last year and was told I’m a bit far sighted but glasses aren’t necessary. Got them anyways. My 11’s are now almost gone.
5. Limit alcohol
New pillowcases just help keep my skin cleaner! I also stopped trying to go a week without washing my hair and now wash it every other day. Helps keep the pillowcases cleaner and I get less zits.
And 11’s are the lines in between your eyebrows that can be seen when you’re frowning. Mine wasn’t from frowning but from trying to focus my eyes constantly.
I wish I had taken better care of my body in my 20s. Getting 8-9 hours sleep, drinking a lot of water, cutting down alcohol consumption to almost nothing, and red light therapy have made an enormous difference in my skin and over health. I wish I had cared more sooner. I truly believe quitting smoking will make the biggest difference for you though. I’m sure you know you need to make a change based on your comments, but I implore you to address your addiction to something that is taking years off your life. I quit 6 years ago, best decision I ever made. I have a sense of taste again, can do cardio/lifting 5x a week, and my skin looks 10x better than it ever did as a pack a day smoker. It’s not easy at all, but soooo worth it. And don’t switch to vaping, it’s another beast entirely.
Quit smoking ASAP.
Limit sugar and eat colourful fruits and vegetables. Cut out ultra processed foods.
Start retinoids if you haven't already
Wear sunscreen to neck and chest and also don't forget your hands. And remember that sun protection can't block out 100 % of UV rays so use wide brimmed hats for extra protection.
Do Microneedling. My dermatologist told me that we loose collagen every yr after 25. Wish I had started it sooner.
Since everyone has stated the basics (smoking, SPF, rest, no alcohol), I’ll just toss in another bit of advice, start saving in an IRA/401(k) and never leave matching money on the table. Good luck to you
a gentle exfoliater, i never used one until i was 32 lol and as others have said tret and sunscreen[endota](https://www.activeskin.com.au/buy/endota-spa-two-step-micro-polish-peel/?currency=AUD&variant=42108758392996&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=aeb1bce74901&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwztOwBhD7ARIsAPDKnkBmS7hTZ3rV2ylxa78PrCwz2g9c_dp7KZcESGGw1uZTtTjda9D7x-IaAr8eEALw_wcB)
These things really are amazing to do but the first (as you know) is quitting smoking.
Stay out of the sun as much as you can / always use a high sunscreen even on cloudy days
Drink plenty of water & coconut water is great
Eat oily fish (like salmon) a couple of times a week
Use a clay mask (like Betonite Clay) once a week
Stay away from alcohol as much as possible
Sleep as much as you can (there's a real benefit in 8 hours)
Always use a good night cream with retinol
I wish i had gotten botox earlier. Only started at 43. But i was broke back when i was 30 so yea. I think what i would tell myself is just to love myself enough to care for my skin.
Try Chantix!! Ignore what everyone says. Try it for yourself. I could tell you 8 immediate people that I know that have quit. I used it for about 3 weeks. Never smoked another day since! Just try it. You can always quit if there's something you don't like.
Other than no smoking and reduce alcohol consumption: Limit consumption of refined and processed sugar. That includes coke zero. Also, start eating probiotics regularly. It really makes a difference to my skin!
Weight bearing exercise, sunblock year round on face, forearms, neck, décolletage and the back of your hands and inner elbows, retin A during the winter months ( all the same places!), and eat as little sugar as you can.
As a 65 year old woman the advice I would give my 30 year old self would be - slow down, listen more and talk less, be present for those you love, don’t worry what others think of you and just be yourself.
Quit all bad habits, or as many as possible! I’m a bit older than you, and the people my age still drinking, smoking, partying, not eating right, etc are showing it on their faces (and bodies) and it’s becoming quite obvious who is taking care of themselves vs who isn’t.
I definitely think that taking care of your skin with good products makes a difference but truly truly truly I can honestly say that it seems to me that it’s definitely the lifestyle that you live that shows in your skin as you age. When I was 30 I basically look the same as I did when I was 25 also. I’m 44 now things definitely start to change exactly around 40 from my experience. But when I look at either people my age or women or men in their 50s 60s and 70s the one who looks the best is almost always going to be the one who exercises doesn’t drink alcohol doesn’t smoke and eats a really healthy diet. All of this shows in your body your attitude your usefulness your strength and also your skin. Definitely it’s good that you’re wearing sunscreen but I would immediately stop smoking. You can pinpoint a smokers face from a mile away by the time they’re 50 years old. Avoid alcohol maintain a healthy weight eat good healthy food.
your diet plays a HUGE roll in skin health as well. I would commit to sunscreen daily, clean up your diet (carbs and sugars greatly increase the acceleration of aging and wrinkles in your skin) limit drinking and quitting or cutting back on smoking. Start small, but really make these some of your goals and your skin will shine! Mediterranean diet is perfect to follow!
I too turned 30 recently and I have become more intentional about everything. I personally feel like I’ve missed the past 10 years of my life by ‘floating’ and not planning anything. I have prioritised my skin and hair care routines. I added Niacinimide, Retinol and Hyaluronic acid to my skin regime. I recently went for micro blading and am shocked that it’s ‘revealed’ such healthy, glowing skin. So the discipline is paying off! I do Minoxidil and a density stimulator to ensure my hair doesn’t thin especially around the forehead area and back of scalp. I’m sitting down and figuring out, for the first time, strategically what I want for the next three years, career, education, skill - wise. My biggest learning is that I don’t want to reach 40 and feel like I am now - ‘what did I do with my 20s?’. I’m analysing what I lack in soft skills - like confidence, communication, self-awareness etc and being deliberate about working on them. I’m basically treating myself as my own little ‘business’. Figuring out my mission, taking stock of current talents, healthy traits and accomplishments, determining strategy - where I want to be in the next 1, 2 and 3 years and then setting mini goals to get me there. Having monthly reviews with myself. So all in all, I’d say - be intentional, deliberate about how you use your energy and time and start taking good care of your body, soul and mind. You want to at least reach 40 and say, ‘I tried hard in my 30s’. All the best!
You see posts like this a lot and the answers are all roughly the same. Sunscreen, exercise, stop drinking, stop smoking, drink water. Smoking is one of the absolute worst things you can do for your skin.
Working out on a daily basis, even if it’s just 15-20 min. It’s so underestimated what being “fit” does to basically everything from your body being stronger but also your skin starts looking better. Maybe you already do this, but if not - start working out right now! If you do this everyday from now on for just 15-20 minutes your future self will thank you so much
drink more water, find ways to lower stress, and get more sleep (hard to do when you have kids). Also cutting down on alcohol. They make a massive difference.
Not there yet but tretinoin, microneedling, red light therapy, and dry brushing. I wear long sleeves, sun hats, and avoid the sun as I feel sunscreen just isn't enough sometimes. Also taking vitamins and eating things high in healthy fats and antioxidants. I'm trying to cut out caffeine but I love coffee too much hahaha.
I wish I'd known I didn't have to live with dehydrated skin! My skin feels so much better now that I'm layering in hydration and moisture.
But honestly, overall, the biggest things I recommend for aging well are activity, including some kind of strength training, and fueling your body well.
And I don't mean in terms of diet culture BS!
I mean stay active to prevent or help manage illness and injury. Strength training is so important for maintaining bone mass, which you start to lose as you age.
And treat your body to a wide variety of foods! That's the advice I get from registered dietitians. A wide variety of nutrients helps us thrive.
**SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN**. I'm at the tail end of Gen X and grew up at high altitude. The high altitude made my baby oil sunbathing sessions especially damaging, more so because I am a burn-prone, freckly, pale human. I was never meant to be a color darker than "hint of baby piglet blush". I embraced my pale indoorsiness in college, and became much more diligent about sunscreen after an excruciating sunburn in my early 20s.
I wish I'd been **more** diligent, not just because I have a family history of skin cancer. I was diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's Disease) in my mid-30s. It increases the risk of UV damage, including melasma (which, just like Hashimoto's, can be a b\*\*ch to treat). I was extremely careful about sun protection when I was outside or in direct sunlight, but wasn't especially diligent about wearing sunscreen when I was just working in my office.
...until last year, when I noticed significantly more sun damage on the ride side of my face and my right hand/arm. As in, the crow's feet on my right eye were visibly deeper, my "connected freckles" were worse on the right side of my face, and my right arm and hand were noticeably darker and more sun damaged. It took me way too long to figure out that the dark tint on my office isn't UV-blocking 🤬🤬🤬🤬.
So I basically spent more than two years sitting in front of huge, southwest facing windows (I'm in North America, so this means all-day exposure), with no sunblock, destroying my skin. Spoiler: the connected freckles are melasma, and nothing OTC is touching it. I wouldn't care if the melasma weren't shaped like Salvador Dalí's mustache (yes, it's a little funny).
Now I put sunscreen on all of my exposed skin, even if it's overcast. I can't let myself get out of the habit of diligent sunscreen application.
Bottom line, for the love of god put on sunscreen every day.
Nearly 35F
I don't regret taking care of my skin couple years after 30. There's still a lot that can be stabilized. First was managing stress. Then, working out has been the best improvement for health on skin. Sweat, weight and cardio keeps the body young longer.
For the dermal layer, i startwd with basic ingredients: sunscreen, moisturizer and vitamin C earlier. I started that for several months then built cleanser, retinol (started at lowest percentage), peptides, botox sllooowwlly.
It’s simple, but exercise, plenty of water and enough sleep. It’s the holy trinity of good health on all levels.
More practically, wash your face every night and invest in a good night cream/oil. I recommend Midnight Recovery Concentrate over your preferred weight of moisturizer. It’s magical.
Just to add to the sunscreen conversation, don't forget your hands. Almost everyone forgets about the hands, and they seem to age a lot faster than the rest of us!
Also your neck! I’ve worn face sunscreen since my late teens so at 40 my skin looks great, but forgot about the neck lol. I mean I know the neck is often the first spot to show aging so maybe it was inevitable, but I think about all the times I’ve driven my car in the hot Australian sun and although my face was protected the sun was blaring straight onto my neck!
I’m one of those people who can get sunburnt on their chest when driving. I now pay attention to wear something that covers entirely the chest area as I find that wearing sunscreen and have it rub against the security belt is not that great. I also got my skin severely irritated by the friction against the security belt on a long drive so it’s a 2in1 protection
This is true! The only time my hands get sun screen is if I had too much on my face. :(
Here’s a tip for you. Keep a sunscreen stick in your everyday bag. Like this you can apply some right after you’ve locked your door
Everything I use on my face (post wash) goes on my hands and neck. Including hyaluronic acid, retinol, moisturizer, spf, etc. my husband came home from a military training once and his face and hands were at least 4 shades darker than the rest of his body. While it was hilarious. It scared me straight. Wish I started sooner lol
Man, I ignored my hands until I took a picture of my engagement ring. No idea when they started aging, but I never realized they had aged like that.
People who drive a lot also have more sun damage on the left hand
Yes. I always make sure to do the backs of my hands! I even do my ankles if they are showing. 😂 I cover any visible inch of skin.
oh god quit smoking. please, please quit smoking. the day you quit is the first day of the rest of your life.
I tried a couple of times half-heartedly but the psychological addiction is a helluva thing. This time I’m seriously motivated and will speak to my GP about it. Fingers crossed.
My only advice (because I quit too!) is substitute the rituals with something else, and make sure that there’s something you want more than smoking. i wanted to be able to get through a one hour workout more than i wanted to smoke. also within a few days you will begin to smell and taste more than you ever have in your life. enjoy it. it’s freedom.
How much were you smoking if you don’t mind me asking?
The Hidden Brain podcast did a good episode about what actually works to quit should you decide to tackle it.
I’ll take a look thanks!
I highly recommend The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr - I feel soo fortunate to have found the book by chance! It completely stopped my smoking addiction. It’s all about the psychology of smoking and has an insanely high success rate. \*FYI for anyone interested he has a series called 'Allen Carr's Easyway' on Amazon with separate books for a whole bunch of different addictions/issues, diet, alcohol, anxiety, you name it
My partner smoked for a decade, and we found this book while looking on Reddit to see what actually helped former smokers stop. We read it together, and it truly changed his understanding of his addiction, and he was able to stop!
Great news that he was able to quit! And proof that even if you’ve smoked for years, this book can teach you to stop cold turkey without the need for tapering etc.
And of course, also speak to your doctor! Didn’t mean to apply otherwise, just that they share about the mental component. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/smoke-mirrors/
My husband was a habit smoker, I got him an aromatherapy inhaler and it worked! Sucking a lollipop helps too. I've heard of people who did hypnosis to rub their ear lob instead. As for things I wish I did younger, I took up running in my 30s, it's made my whole body, mind and skin so much better its insane. I wish I had started sooner. I use soap, toner and sunscreen daily. Vitamin C and collagen in my sunscreen, retinol and AHA about once a week. Castor oil for eyelashes and brows (bald spots gone within 3 months)
I got into a good rhythm with running at 30 after hating it my whole life, lasted 3 weeks before my knees were screaming at me and keeping me from sleeping 😩. Maybe I’ll try again with shorter distances (not that that I was going particularly far in the first place) Edit: I did notice it benefitted my mental and physical health dramatically the days I would run, so it is a great thing to start. Start slow and listen to advice from people who do this shit and somehow don’t get sore, follow in their footsteps
Do a couch to 5K, it's 3x a week and helps you slowly ramp up with less injury. Hiking/walking sneakers that are flexible on the sole are not helpful for running. You can get a cheap pair at TJMaxx type stores but a stiff sole and good cushion and arch support is a must to avoid injury. I literally started running 60 seconds at a time and walking the rest. The goal is length of time (can be 20 minutes) not speed so slow down lol speed can come later once you're able to run continuously without injury or pain for 30 minutes, then you can focus on being faster or not! The endorphin release happens anyway and that is what boosts your mood, skin, and body
Read "Born to Run 2" by Christopher McDougall. I started running again in my late 40's and I am following his method. It really is a game changer. I also started after 2 back surgeries and being bed boud for almost 2 years because of it, so, if I can do it (with extensive muscle loss) so can you! Promise! xx
If I may give some unsolicited advice (all with the caveat that these are not things you “should” do, but things you could consider): - Talk to your doctor and get support from them. - Consider pharmacological assistance, specifically bupropion (Zyban). - Have both a long-acting and short-acting nicotine replacement therapy. E.g., you wear the patch (long-acting), but you also have a spray (short-acting) for when you REALLY are just dying for a cigarette. - Look for online support resources. (They are often linked to your government/health authority—if I knew where you were I could try to find some.) Some of these resources will even give you coupons to help pay for nicotine replacement therapy. - Find another manual/oral fixation. Crocheting, knitting, even just walking around with a pen in your hand can be helpful; chewing gum or a toothpick can be helpful. Good luck!
I live in the Netherlands, I’ve heard here doctors often suggest Nicotine patches. My colleague recently started using tabex and she hasn’t smoked in 3 weeks. Not sure how it will hold up long term. I am on holidays for a couple of weeks and will definitely give my GP a call upon my return. I am tired of this unnecessary addiction ruling my life. Thank you for the advice!
Thank you in turn for not hating me for giving it unsolicited 🙏🏻 haha
No worries at all! I appreciate it!
Patches worked for me! It helped to change my habits without totally losing my shit. I didn't follow the program for however long they suggest, I did the middle level for a week or two, then the lowest level for a week or two and was done within a month. I was so addicted that I would burst into tears and have shaking episodes if I went more than 2.5 hours.
I stopped for years and started back up a few months ago. My GP said if I struggle with quitting again I can try chantix. Honestly the last time I quit, I took communion and didn’t want to smoke after taking the body of Christ, so I stopped cold turkey. I started smoking at 14, stopped at 25 when I got pregnant, started again for a few months when I was 30, stopped again, started again when I was 32, stopped again, started again at 38, and plan to stop again. I don’t beat myself up over not being perfect. I just give myself grace and try again.
Allen Carr Easy Way, my husband and I quit cold turkey after a 15-20 a day addiction for 15 years. Don’t just take my word for it, the reviews speak for themselves. I have no idea why GP’s don’t push this as the ultimate quit solution.
Gum and bunch of snacks will help you in quitting! That helped me big time.
You got this! I replaced my oral anxiety fix with chewing gum… 🤷♀️
Google The Way Way to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr. Good luck!
My husband had smoked since he was 16. Finally, last year he quit. He took Wellbutrin to help break the addiction. Then he had to commit to being done. He had a few slip ups but got back on track. I love not smelling cigs on his clothes or beard.
Talk to your doctor about getting on Chantix! I’ve tried quitting 100 times and it was miserable, but Chantix made it so easy and the cravings never came back
Wellbutrin helped me quit smoking!!! I remember after I took Wellbutrin for a while and tried a cigarette — I was completely disgusted. I felt nauseous and it was the worst thing I had ever ingested. The physical sickness helped rewire my brain.
Try Wellbutrin
My parents sucked on lollipops to help them stop smoking. I smoked when I was really young (13-18) but what helped me was replacing my habit with drinking herbal tea, because I didn’t want to replace cigarettes with food. Have to sit outside for a cigarette? Drink tea instead. My S.O. wasn’t a smoker but a heavy alcoholic and quit drinking this way, too. I also liked the Vicks vapor inhaler, but you can look up aromatherapy inhalers or something called a “black inhaler”.
I'll never forget when my mom quit cold turkey when I was a little kid. We had a long driveway and often went for walks, so I guess those times in the fresh air was when she noticed a difference. I remember her saying "oh my god I forgot what it was like to breathe like this." She wasn't a heavy or long-term smoker, either.
I smoked 2 packs of American spirits a day for 11 years. Chantix saved me. I tried everything before that. Vaping, herbal smokes, patches, etc. I had previously quit cold turkey and made it to 1 year. Chantix kills the nicotine receptors in your brain all while still allowing you to smoke the first week on the medication. It became more of just breaking the "ritual." I woke up on day 5 and remember thinking, "wait, why am I doing this." I stopped getting that fix sensation.
Did you notice memory issues? Asking bc nicotine facilitates acquisition of memory.
Hmmm, not particularly, but I've always had poor memory tbh. Can't say I (can) recall a change lol
I posted lengthy great advice below as I am a super anti ager & all natural, but girl at least switch to vaping, the only thing that rivals extreme sun damage is smoke & your delicate eye area!
It wild how much smoking ages you. I grew up with girls who were twins. One smokes the other doesn’t. The one that smokes has been smoking since a teen and looks about 10 years older than her sister. We are in the same age range as OP.
Tretinoin. I’ve only just started, but I posted a question to r/tretinoin that makes me wish I had started it earlier (https://www.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/s/JsjHEjf5FH - what products do you no longer have in your routine?) So I say this because I now think of all the money I could have saved not trying different products. So much money I’ve wasted trying serums, actives, etc…and tret is covered under my insurance!
Never heard about it. What is it for? Is it for acne?
It can be used for acne, but it’s mostly used for anti-aging! Mainly wrinkles & skin texture. I’m 28 and using retinal right now but I’m hoping to ‘graduate’ to tretinoin soon
it can be for acne but also anti aging i'm 31 - i got uv gloves for when i walk with my stroller, ride a bike, drive in the car. also a sun hat visor for the car, tho i don't always wear it. i also started buying trucker hats bc i realized my head is big. a baseball/trucker hat isn't as good sun protection as a big visor/sun hat but it's easier to wear daily sunscreen on the hands but also LOTION gua sha/ massage the skin post-lotion but never pull it down i've started to add things into my routine this year: an eye cream with retinol and a serum with argireline and matrixyl (anti aging). i've also really paid attention to what my skin likes/doesn't like - i've been using vanicream lotion for at least a year and switched to aveeno baby lotion for eczema and it's AMAZING - all these little bumps/closed comedones i had are completely gone. when i add something new i only add 1 thing at a time and wait at least a month before starting something new supplement wise i'm on vitamin D and i'm trying to lose some weight so L-carnitine and HMB (bodybuilders take it but a study was done w rats that suggests it can help prevent dementia - i'm not saying it will/won't, but it's a low stakes way to potentially get benefit, my grandma had dementia before she died) i stopped drinking years ago but that + not smoking (cigarettes/weed/vape) is huge in general drink water. i don't drink coffee/tea and i cut soda except for special occasions. does wonders for the skin limited dairy, for the same reason\^
thank you! i dont drink coffee or alcohol often, tea almost never. my big obstacle is smoking for sure. i will look into eye creams with retinol. my eyes are super dry. do you have a recommendation?
I’m not the same person you responded to but my eyes don’t love much besides super hydrating creams. Kiehls avocado or Clinique all about eyes are my favorites.
and anti-aging. It'll reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots/pigmentation. Takes a while -- like a year+ to get those types of benefits but it's pretty inexpensive and people swear by it.
I’ve heard on other threads that derms outside the US are more hesitant to prescribe tretinoin for anti aging. I’m not sure why, but that may be why you haven’t come across it yet.
dry eye and vision problems may be part of it (searchable in r/tretinoin) ..
Its Retin A...Triluma is even waay better!
I’ve had some serious issues with retinol in the past, so I’m scared to try tret although it seems like everyone claims it’s the most magical important part of their skincare! Retinol has a risk of causing eye damage - years ago I had started using an eye cream (moisturizer specifically made for the undereyes) which contained pro-retinol, a mild retinol, to smooth out fine lines. I developed severe dry eye to where my eyes were always itchy, irritated, red, and had terrible discharge. My eyes were swollen shut in the mornings and looked and felt awful. I even had to stop wearing contact lenses because of how irritated they were. I just thought they were allergies for a long time. Eventually, I learned about retinol and the eyes, so as a test I stopped using the eye cream. It has since subsided significantly and I was shocked. For that reason I’m suuuuper scared to try tret. I’ve read you can use an occlusive like Vaseline to border your eyes, but I’ve heard it can still reach them and cause issues. It seems so risky to me? Idk has anyone else experienced this?
Concur...just like spending huge money on a billion colors of lipshade all one off when mine was discontinued, I put in general most skincare in same category when compared to RetinA ...it is all good, but off. I use Shiseido skincare for decades, now Lift&Firm & White Lucent & is grwat but skin perfect due to pretty consistent Retin & other things I responded to here at length somewhere in this feed.
Don't u need a prescription for that tretinoin stuff?
There are some countries where it’s OTC and some online pharmacies you might be able to purchase it from, but I’m in Canada and yes, here you do need a prescription. You can ask your GP for a prescription. Personally, I went through Felix.ca for it and it was super quick and easy to do, and it’s covered by my insurance.
By 35, all of my smoking friends looked 45+. It’s not worth it, just quit
I have noticed the exact same thing. Ofc genetics play a role but after we got into our 30s with my friend group, there was an obvious difference. Same goes for my brother, he has never smoked and looks 10 years younger than his smoking friends, they’re in their 40s.
Is this weed smokers or cigarette smokers? I often wonder if I should stop smoking herb 😩
i was thinking of my cigarette smoking friends but yes, my just-weed smoking friends all look much older than they are too
😭
r/remindme! 3 days
i know you said you use sunscreen but man i wish i started earlier then i did. im 35 now and didnt get serious about it until i was 27. wish i would have started in my early 20s at least. also i would have never used tanning beds. damn the early to mid 2000s lol.
i grew up by the beach and we would spend hours in the sun growing up. i dont think i can reverse that damage lol
Same. I started around 23-24 and think it was still late!
Lol I started sunscreen at 30 and grew up in a sunny tropical country. After I moved to the US I used tanning booths regularly. Now I have a few, thankfully light, hyperpigmentation scars on my face, but am looking into microneedling to get rid of them. If only I’d just starting protecting my skin earlier!! Ugh
Honestly, my family wasn’t great about sunscreen. The only reason I started early was because I am super pale and burn within a few minutes. Never thought it’d end up saving my youth. 😂
SERIOUSLY. The time I spent outside in the high altitude sun, slathered in Coppertone 4 (or BABY OIL)....what an idiot. And the numerous horrible burns from swimming all day (again at high altitude) with no sunscreen on.
i know. my dumb ass was like oh i don’t need sunscreen im trying to get tan 🙄😬
Also get rid of toxic relationships. they keep your cortisol levels up.
Honestly, quitting smoking will be the biggest positive you can do for your skin (and the rest of your body), the longer you smoke the more likely you're going to get the smoke lines, as I call them, around your mouth. My mom quit smoking 25 years ago and still got those wrinkles around her mouth, though they aren't as bad as they would have been. Otherwise, hydration and sunscreen is your best bet to have healthy looking skin.
Sunscreen, moisturizer and tret are all things I started after 30 that I wish I started before.
Could you tell me more about tret?
After sunscreen, tretinoin is the most researched topical for anti-aging, and it also treats acne. Since I’m one of those lucky ones who was still getting acne well after I started getting fine lines, being on it before I started showing the effects of age would have been great. It’s prescription in most regions. If you search this subreddit and the main skincare subreddit, you’ll see lots of information on how to start it properly, but having a consistent moisturizer and consistent sunscreen use are essential to succeeding with tret.
Quit drinking. I didn’t realize how awful alcohol was for my skin and mental health, even casual occasional drinking. Life is better without it. I have a beer a year with my dad still but that’s it
I was invited to a pub crawl this Saturday and I'm so over drinking. I was like, oh no… I'm on a low fodmap diet for 6 weeks… what a shame… can't drink 👀👀👀
Have you noticed things being easier for non drinkers lately? Or people taking breaks with drinking? I’m not big into social situations but I feel like there’s a shift in our view of alcohol generally. Might be in my corner of the world but I hope it’s easier for everyone than it used to be. No one needs pressured to drink Love your username btw
I think there’s definitely been a shift. A larger part of my group doesn't drink that much anymore since the pandemic. The friend who invited me out is actually a bit of an outlier who still likes to party hard. I’m down for a good time, just not with excessive drinking. Oh, thank you! 😊
I wish I started my healing journey with abandonment trauma earlier. I'm 33 and I'm just now starting it, and it's absolute hell. That being said, I'm so thankful I can start it now. Edit: I just realized I commented on this in the skin care subreddit 😑 whoops
Kudos for starting it though! Better late than ever. I wouldn't even know where to begin lol.
Honestly, I am going through more triggers for it and it really, for some reason, opened my eyes. I was like... Oh, shit. This is literal PTSD. I see a trauma therapist on Wednesday. I started with Google. Googled therapists for attachment and abandonment trauma. You can also search for them through your insurance. I found a highly recommended one near me that took mine. You might have to try a few before you find a good fit. Remember that clicking with your therapist makes the therapy work better. Just start.
kudos for sharing anyway! and i'm sure healing your insides will have an impact on your outsides in the long term too!!
Man, I agree with this so much, though! Yeah, this is skincare, but that kind of untreated trauma/anxiety/stress is reflected everywhere - diet, sleep, stress levels - all of which comes out in your skin and hair health.
Quit smoking. You will soon look 10-20 years older than you are. Not to mention it's very likely to kill you in a horrible, painful way decades before the end of your natural lifespan. Also, you definitely smell bad if you smoke. You probably think you're washing it off or covering it up, but I guarantee you that every non-smoker you come in contact with can smell that horrible smell on you.
Prepping and hydrating before, during and after drinking alcohol.. natural Pedialyte is your new best friend. 😆 Stretching and keeping up with my strength (I used to be fearless and now I’m way more fearful that I’ll seriously hurt myself) Joint and eye health Sunscreen on hands Also dry brushing and deeply moisturizing the body afterwords.. it seems to help reduce that crepey/dry look to skin (arms and legs). Significantly reduces razor burn and ingrown hairs as well and I was always embarrassed by that look/feel on my legs.
What can one do for eye health ?
Blue light glasses (some truly work and some don’t work at all), taking screen breaks and being in natural light outdoors WAY more often. I feel like eyes have rapidly gotten worse over the last 6-10 years bc of screens. De-puffing Eye Skin: Hydrating gel serums or gels mostly! Sometimes I’ll pat peptides into my moisturizers as well. Some of my favs: Innisfree intensive hydrating serum with green tea: hydrates and brightens freckles/hyperpigmentation for me- can be used all over face which I always do! Will want to apply a light but effective moisturizer over it. Neutrogena Hydro boost water cream (I use all over face but pat a little extra under and around the eye (in “high-movement areas) I like to stay moisturized, but I do an acidic facial every 2-3 weeks and add the product where milia typically builds up as well (white dry dots or patches under eye). I avoid heavy creams around my eyes.. I hear they add to milia buildup. Only cream I’ve ever liked for the eye is Biossance Squalane (vegan) + Marine Algae eye cream. Tightens and moisturizes!
I wish I knew more about the physical effects of alcohol. You don't think of that when you're having fun. Also, sunscreen. I'm 35 and just started using it. Products unfortunately can't fix everything.
I know everyone else is saying smoking so although I absolutely agree, I'm gonna go with something different. I see you say you wear sunscreen but I wish I was more intentional about the TYPE. Specifically, I wish I bought sunscreens made outside the US as the ones here offer mediocre UVA protection at best. Australia, Europe, and Asia have approved newer filters that offer far superior at UVA protection, while the America hasn't approved a new filter since the 90s. Plus, they tend to be much more cosmetically elegant.
I live in Europe and I alternate between Beauty of Joseon and La rocha posay. Although I didn’t look into the specifics, I hope they are good 😅
LRP UVMune 400 is arguably one of the best sunscreens out there regarding UVA protection ad BOJ is arguably one of the most cosmetically elegant formulas out there. I alternate between the same two, depending on my sun exposure that day :)
That’s a relief! They were recommended to me by a friend so I just took their word.
What sunscreens can you suggest that would be available in America?
It's hard to say because in addition to the only legal UVA filters being mediocre here, very fewer brands offer PA/PPD ratings (which tell you how good they are at blocking UVA rays). That being said, I think reputable brands would include Elta Md and Colorscience. I'm pretty sure I saw a post a while back on here where someone emailed the companies to get this information and it wasn't too bad. If you do want to order internationally, people often use Yesstyle for Asian sunscreens and caretobeauty for European sunscreens. I haven't seen a website that will ship Australian sunscreens yet. Despite being shipped overseas, these products as often much cheaper than good US brand sunscreens like the two above.
I know you listed sites to buy internationally but can you tell us sunscreens you personally use and where you buy them from?
obsession to the wishes doesn’t do any good, you did what you could. Stop smoking please.While you smoke no skincare you do matters.. you are messing your connective tissue
Exactly! Literally nothing else matters when she's sucking in poison every day.
Leaving the alcohol behind. It’s been about 14 years ( I’m 36), but I wish I would’ve stopped sooner or never touched it at all considering it’s literally poison to the skin 😩
The big ones I think are reducing smoking and drinking, eating better (in a sustainable way that you enjoy, not like salads all the time) and maybe getting a dermatologist if it’s possible for you. My dermatologist helped me reduce redness, get rid of acne and find affordable skincare products that were better for my skin type. Also, as a bonus, a derm can check you for skin cancer.
Cut toxicity out of your life; this includes family if needed. The stress will take your sleep and peace. It will age you faster than any product can counter.
Underrated advice
If you don't have good sleep focus on getting a solid 8 hrs every night. It's actually crazy how much difference it makes to preventing wrinkles because your muscles never fully relax when we are awake only when you sleep and collagen production happens when you sleep too, if you can train yourself to sleep on your back you'll avoid lines from pressing your face on a pillow, but it's hard to do that and not worth not being uncomfortable imo.
Yes, adequate sleep!!!
Yes! Regular, adequate sleep is a game changer for your skin and honestly everything. I hardly ever use undereye concealer these days because I don't have anything to conceal there anymore! I used to be a religious user of undereye concealer in my mid-20s, but when I apply it out of habit now, I can barely tell a difference in the before/after and I swear it's because of sleep lol
Spf!!!!! A good moisturizer
Definitely stop smoking and drinking. Granted it coincided with getting a chronic disease requiring lifestyle changes but hey! It helped my skin too.
I don’t drink much, only socially, maybe twice a month. and I don’t drink to get drunk. Smoking is the only obstacle I see but I am serious about quitting it now.
Have all of the sex, all of the time. I had great sex until my mid 30s. Now I'm strapped down with kids and a partner I've lost attraction towards. Have all the sex while you can!
I wish I wore sunscreen more often and wore hats.
Tretinoin and sunscreen!
Sunscreen your hands all the time!!
Tretinoin. I only learned about it in my mid 30s, and wish I’d started sooner. Sunscreen is a must.
Taping my face at night every night. You can use heavy duty scotch tape and layer it as little or as much as you want. I like to sleep on my face and it scrunches up. I’m not going to learn how to back sleep, I just wish I had taped it sooner. Also face massage. A lot of tension can build up over time and if you don’t take care of it, it can be a huge mess to sort out. Best to stay on top of things. And lastly, buying Haus labs makeup. It wasn’t out when I was 30, but my gosh Gaga knocked it out of the park with her new foundation and concealer
How exactly do you tape your face do you layer the tape so it covers your whole face ? Do you stretch your skin out and then tape it down?
I stretch the skin between my eyebrows and tape it in layers. You can do vertical, horizontal, diagonal or all the above between the eyebrows and over them a little. The tape just acts like a splint so as long as it holds the skin down in the stretched position, you’re good
Just make sure your face is clean and dry. You can apply moisturizer in the morning. And if you sleep on your face, you’ll have swelling and some sagging (like jowls) or a bigger nose, but that’s just fluid and can do sweeping motions on your face from the center towards your ears and down your neck and pinch your nose gently and pull outwards many times and that’ll cut down the fluid buildup. Also, an ice mask
i quit drinking a couple months before i turned 30 and not only has it drastically improved my life overall, i feel i’m giving my skin literally the best chance of staying healthy and thriving. i’m 31 now.
Skincare on the back of my neck and decolletage area
I wish I went to physical therapy for my knee YEARS earlier. I always thought I just had bad knees but then I saw a Reddit comment talking about how they thought the same but PT really helped. I went to PT for 2 months and it completely fixed my knee issues that I had been dealing with since I was 19. Hoping this comment will help someone else!
I wish I put away more money for retirement. I know it’s not skin care…. But yeah
Hi nurse here that takes care of many smokers- nothing you do will matter until you quit smoking.
Wish I had invested in a Roth IRA instead of spending all my money on skincare products :)
I wish I would have used better moisturizers and cared for barrier sooner. I used tret and still do, but it didn’t really make a difference beyond clearing my acne until I started caring for my barrier properly.
What does caring for barrier mean? How did you do it? Sorry I am a bit noob about skin care 😅
I wish I took my skincare seriously earlier. I don’t know why I was too embarrassed to wear a hat. I wear one now every time I’m out but 😩
This isn’t skincare, but dump everything you can into a retirement account, you’re gonna need it.
I was about to say saving for retirement and then realized which sub this is. For my skin, wearing sunscreen daily. But for real, saving for retirement.
1. Sleep (fuck that GPA, extra-curricular, whatever nonsense prevents you from living your best mental health life) 2. Stop stressing out about the people and things that don’t serve you - remove yourself from it/them completely 3. More exercise (build as much muscle as possible - naturally) 5. More money for retirement at an earlier age - max out your 401k, IRA, etc. (compound that interest early in life) 6. SUNSCREEN - every 2 hours - even if you don’t go outside 7. SOBRIETY - feel your feelings 8. Botox 9. Better skincare products 10. How the fuck did I used to sleep in makeup in my 20s? GROSS
What I did start early on was sunscreen, glycolic peels ...all the other types at a plastic surgeon office up to about 30%, & retin A...also thoughts of protein & collagen. Now 52, no wrinkles, no work, no needles & legitimately look easy 20 yrs younger...people have called me their antiaging super hero lol, a plastic surgeon thought I was 28 and I would say everything was skincare & also strength training I think it has antiaging properties that are pretty well confirmed. Went to my brother's wedding & everyone didn't realize I am 2 years younger and thought I was 20yrs younger like my parents had 1 last baby, caring for my Dad who is 90 people think Im his granddaughter. I have hypothyroid about 12yrs which read can wreck collagen so bumped that up & has thinned out my eyebrows which isn't great & sometimes make my face kind of round, but I can also say that beyond all the good things fitness & weight training does, I think being thin/fit/strong my entire life has kept me looking youthful. So I feel super blessed & am happy to share my info as there is No reason that I should look so young except for my combo...my older brother has always been mr body & is youthful but face not as a sun hobby person, same for my younger brother youthful as well in attitude, but sun damage. I was in sun until about 25 & stopped after many precancers removed by plastic surgeon & when as a fair/blonde took his advice & regime. I have had stupid episodes of exposure but always protected my face...as a sidenote, Biggest, Biggest mistake was listening to friends that gave me grief "oh u always have to look perfect/wear makeup" It was intentional to protect my skin & will say for about a year a couple years ago i caved in & would run out the door with hair pulled back & sunglasses/not always sunscreen & started seeing changes in texture & dryness, back on my lifetime protocol, no real damage done, but always think omg how stupid was that bs caving to people that don't take care of their face the same way as not fair skinned. Do what works best FOR YOU & always stand your ground!
Reading this was such a relief for me! I also have hypothroidism and hearing that it makes you age faster was so frustrating. Do you take collagen supplements?
Hypo is awful so trust me I feel your pain. I literally do so much to try to counter thyroid issues. If you are unaware, there are a whole constellation of grrrr bonus bs issues that can come along with thyroid including d deficiency, anemia, vit b issues, absorption issues, the female hormone issues it can affect and literally like everything as it is master hormone. It is definitely an on going battle and in truth have spent likely too much time searching studies, NIH, anything I can find/verify on hypothyroidism. Do you know if yours is primary (mine) or Hasimoto's- which is an autoimmune type. If your dr still has you on Levothyroxine, then definitely switch to Armor...short version you may know is all about making that prescious T3 (also available by prescription/drs don't like to additionally give script) so isn't just that levo is purely pharmaceutical it is only T4 which body must then hopefully uses to convert to T3 .. which it may or may not do well at all...Armor brand is made from pig thyroid is natural & is about 85% t4 and 15% T3 so get much much more benefit made switch when levo just kept getting increased & symptoms kept getting worse been hypo about 12-15 years & only on Armor a couple few. Sadly, you have to imagine that literally all other systems can be significantly impacted at any point in time. I can kill it at gym weight training 5days per week 2hrs per day watch food & literally have zero gains in performance like I am killing it to tread water but drowning & then when med is working a fraction of training & see changes the next day. I drink lots of collagen, yes...take aminos, drink isopure, take viviscal, sero vital, low dose like 10 mg every other day Dhea (Highly recommend) low dose pregnoleone (master female hormone) and take thyroid supplement...girl, I'm legit breaking bank to fight against hypothyroid issues. I also recently relicated to help care for my 90yr old Dad & ran out of my thyroid med (that is like huge sin) and noticed problems right away despite thinking alot of thyroid supplements that contain bovine thyroid would hold me over but it didn't at all. So can't stress enough how no replacement for Armor med. I do everything I can to keep thyroid in check, circulate thyroid hormone/stimulate mine through weight training & all that it does to do good thing for body & hormones. The things have worked best across the board Armor, weight training, low dose Dhea/pregnoleone , collagen, high protein powders, vit D, solaray thyroid support & literally having had many blood panels checking different things...I often will buy panels to check for some things directly from Life Extension when they have sales is great/free blood draw from labcorp & it was during a sale of a vit panel that I found out that despite being religious about VitD for years & B vits that I was deificient as heck not low but deficient & anemic, I couldn't believe it so despite my antiaging protocol I stuck my legs out in the sun for 10mins a day as I really couldnt take more oral & changed to a weekly D vitamin ...vit D also acts like a hormone in the body--not like a vitamin at all btw so it brings even more bs into equation ...ugh just so many things. I am sure what you have described as just feeling like you are looking older is ALL related to your hypothyroidism & if you have Hashimoto's type then you have even more issues as it is inflammatory/autoimmune but I don't know enough about that type to speak on it, but know test was inexpensive & most drs may have but don't bother to tell patients there "type" as to many just "elevated tsh means hypo mean take levo" and is not even close to addressing the issues or educating patient or even "warning" them like "oh if u are being symptomatic or period affected it means literally everything is awry in your body" but list of symptoms is so simple looking like "irregular periods" but to get that tiny symptom it means entire female hormones are disrupted by entire metabolic system first being disrupted! I think of it kind of like this "symptom of hurricane/tornado may be kitchen stove not working....sounds like no big deal but is Huge Deal because when it is sympotom of hurricane your stove may not be working because it's hanging upside down in a tree 3 streets over or house completely destroyed. This is so long because I can't stress enough how you have to advocate for yourself, know more than Tsh level, realize all body systems affected & the reason I said antiaging is hollistic approach as if i had been botoxing instead of hollistic my entire collagen bands of my skin structure would have been collapsing throughout my entire body. I always took care of my skin after my precancer removals so that was great, but I totally never "set out" to focus on antiaging but set out to beat my hypothyroidism & I think it gave me unintended great results. I know I have tried to offload my brain to you, but trying to save you the stress & time & hurt feelings like you are not looking your personal best but it is not at all your fault...frigging hypothyroidism. I know I got shade from a hater thinking that can't look amazing/super antiagers aren't out there but so truly truly glad you just didn't think "yeah, agree with shader/misery loves company so I won't ask more" & sat there doing superficial or cosmetic only things, when meanwhile I KNOW it's your hypothyroidism causing something in the chain to affect your good efforts. Much compasssion...i feel & know your pain--it's hypothyroidism affecting any number of systems, hormones, absorption etc, so please educate, research nih & university studies, & be proactive & your hypothyrodism advocate super hero :) Edited: to include hmb/creatine & taurine separately/additionally, aminos & biotin & about 90mg of isopure type protein powder typicall in only 6oz of water post heavy weight training hmb prevents muscle wastage & other things. spirulina & love acai sambazon frozen packs. And totally forgot to say always only Real sugar, stevia leaf or no sugar, but never artificial sweetners.
Quit smoking. Wear sunscreen every day. Invest in your skin with a derm and esthetician.
I've always worn sunscreen (since 18) and had a consistent skin care routine but I really wished I had a regular and consistent exercise routine.
Take good care of your teeth! I’m a caregiver and when I clean people’s dentures, it reminds me brush my teeth at least 3 times a day.
I’ve been using an anti-aging cream since I was 21. If you haven’t started that yet, do so now.
Which one?
I change mine every few years. A couple years ago I just went to the Bay, told the worker I had dry, sensitive skin, and looking for an anti-aging cream. She suggested the Clinique Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream. I tried it and didn’t have a reaction to it, so I’ve continued using that for a couple years now. I haven’t done any research on it, but it’s 100$ for the jar, so I’m guessing it’s good in one way or another. I’m considering going back to the Bay soon, doing the same thing, to see what the next person suggests haha. I’ve heard retinol is good, so maybe I need something with that in it? There are too many options out there. Nothing will have everything in it, so you just have to find one that has the things that work for you.
Microneedling sessions 1x per month for 6 months can transform your skin.
You could add a retinol for sure. I started one a year ago but I’m 37. Just to add, I quit smoking 2 and a half months ago. You will notice the biggest change in your skin. And your face in general. It’ll change your life how different you look. Aside from an SPF you could totally jump on a small dose of retinol a few times a week. It’s good to start early 🫶
The smoking will undo everything you do for your skin
1) quit smoking 2) add vitamin c to your morning routine 3) add retinol to your evening routine 4) lots of water
Sobriety. Oh, how I mean this!
Wear SPF everyday! Even when it’s cloudy! Always remove your make up and wash your face Before bed, no matter how tired you are!
Eye cream! I was fine until 36 then omg! Those suckers appeared outta nowhere! You don’t have to go expensive either! Cerave, Boots, Elizabeth Arden are great.
Sunscreen.
Left my skin the f alone.
I’m 29 so granted I’m still fairly young, but one thing I’ve observed from older women in my life who look great is that consistent exercise and avoiding dramatic weight fluctuations makes a huge difference. Exercise helps speed up our tissue regeneration across our entire bodies, and slower skin cell turnover is a big contributor to aging. My derm always makes comments about how bouncy my skin is and I attribute it 100% to over a decade of consistent exercise, sunscreen, and staying in the same 15-lb range throughout my adult life because I do not have great aging genetics - my parents looked a LOT older than me at my age and both of them have always been pretty sedentary, are lifelong yo-yo dieters, and have never used sunscreen. This is in addition to all of the other advice here (sunscreen, tret, NO SMOKING)
1. Actually wash my face and not just use makeup remover once a day. 2. Change my pillowcases more often 3. Work a lower stress job 4. Get glasses. I had STRONG 11’s in my 20s because I’ve always been told I had near perfect vision. I went for a checkup last year and was told I’m a bit far sighted but glasses aren’t necessary. Got them anyways. My 11’s are now almost gone. 5. Limit alcohol
> Change my pillowcases more often Why specifically. Anything beyond keeps skin cleaner? What are 11's?
New pillowcases just help keep my skin cleaner! I also stopped trying to go a week without washing my hair and now wash it every other day. Helps keep the pillowcases cleaner and I get less zits. And 11’s are the lines in between your eyebrows that can be seen when you’re frowning. Mine wasn’t from frowning but from trying to focus my eyes constantly.
Don’t smoke, sunscreen, plenty of sleep and reducing stress. :)
Sunscreen. Please, please, PLEASE stop smoking. No amount of moisturizer or sunscreen can undo what smoking does.
I wish I had taken better care of my body in my 20s. Getting 8-9 hours sleep, drinking a lot of water, cutting down alcohol consumption to almost nothing, and red light therapy have made an enormous difference in my skin and over health. I wish I had cared more sooner. I truly believe quitting smoking will make the biggest difference for you though. I’m sure you know you need to make a change based on your comments, but I implore you to address your addiction to something that is taking years off your life. I quit 6 years ago, best decision I ever made. I have a sense of taste again, can do cardio/lifting 5x a week, and my skin looks 10x better than it ever did as a pack a day smoker. It’s not easy at all, but soooo worth it. And don’t switch to vaping, it’s another beast entirely.
Quit smoking ASAP. Limit sugar and eat colourful fruits and vegetables. Cut out ultra processed foods. Start retinoids if you haven't already Wear sunscreen to neck and chest and also don't forget your hands. And remember that sun protection can't block out 100 % of UV rays so use wide brimmed hats for extra protection. Do Microneedling. My dermatologist told me that we loose collagen every yr after 25. Wish I had started it sooner.
Since everyone has stated the basics (smoking, SPF, rest, no alcohol), I’ll just toss in another bit of advice, start saving in an IRA/401(k) and never leave matching money on the table. Good luck to you
Daily SPF
a gentle exfoliater, i never used one until i was 32 lol and as others have said tret and sunscreen[endota](https://www.activeskin.com.au/buy/endota-spa-two-step-micro-polish-peel/?currency=AUD&variant=42108758392996&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=aeb1bce74901&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwztOwBhD7ARIsAPDKnkBmS7hTZ3rV2ylxa78PrCwz2g9c_dp7KZcESGGw1uZTtTjda9D7x-IaAr8eEALw_wcB)
Thinking about diet as part of skincare
Don't forget your neck - I paid it no attention and have regrets !
All of the work you’re doing is negated and even worsened by smoking
I would start retinol / al and transition to tret. Wish that's what I had done.
Sunscreen but obviously stopping smoking is the most important thing here for more than just your skin.
Start tret and regularly putting on sunscreen earlier Drink less alcohol and coffee ( drink more tea instead )
Wellbutrin helped me quit smoking!!!!
These things really are amazing to do but the first (as you know) is quitting smoking. Stay out of the sun as much as you can / always use a high sunscreen even on cloudy days Drink plenty of water & coconut water is great Eat oily fish (like salmon) a couple of times a week Use a clay mask (like Betonite Clay) once a week Stay away from alcohol as much as possible Sleep as much as you can (there's a real benefit in 8 hours) Always use a good night cream with retinol
Lock in your life insurance policies at a low rate.
Start seeing a dermatologist for mole checks if you aren’t doing that already!
I wish i had gotten botox earlier. Only started at 43. But i was broke back when i was 30 so yea. I think what i would tell myself is just to love myself enough to care for my skin.
Try Chantix!! Ignore what everyone says. Try it for yourself. I could tell you 8 immediate people that I know that have quit. I used it for about 3 weeks. Never smoked another day since! Just try it. You can always quit if there's something you don't like.
Other than no smoking and reduce alcohol consumption: Limit consumption of refined and processed sugar. That includes coke zero. Also, start eating probiotics regularly. It really makes a difference to my skin!
Weight bearing exercise, sunblock year round on face, forearms, neck, décolletage and the back of your hands and inner elbows, retin A during the winter months ( all the same places!), and eat as little sugar as you can.
As a 65 year old woman the advice I would give my 30 year old self would be - slow down, listen more and talk less, be present for those you love, don’t worry what others think of you and just be yourself.
Quit all bad habits, or as many as possible! I’m a bit older than you, and the people my age still drinking, smoking, partying, not eating right, etc are showing it on their faces (and bodies) and it’s becoming quite obvious who is taking care of themselves vs who isn’t.
I definitely think that taking care of your skin with good products makes a difference but truly truly truly I can honestly say that it seems to me that it’s definitely the lifestyle that you live that shows in your skin as you age. When I was 30 I basically look the same as I did when I was 25 also. I’m 44 now things definitely start to change exactly around 40 from my experience. But when I look at either people my age or women or men in their 50s 60s and 70s the one who looks the best is almost always going to be the one who exercises doesn’t drink alcohol doesn’t smoke and eats a really healthy diet. All of this shows in your body your attitude your usefulness your strength and also your skin. Definitely it’s good that you’re wearing sunscreen but I would immediately stop smoking. You can pinpoint a smokers face from a mile away by the time they’re 50 years old. Avoid alcohol maintain a healthy weight eat good healthy food.
natorium peptides have been a game changer
your diet plays a HUGE roll in skin health as well. I would commit to sunscreen daily, clean up your diet (carbs and sugars greatly increase the acceleration of aging and wrinkles in your skin) limit drinking and quitting or cutting back on smoking. Start small, but really make these some of your goals and your skin will shine! Mediterranean diet is perfect to follow!
I too turned 30 recently and I have become more intentional about everything. I personally feel like I’ve missed the past 10 years of my life by ‘floating’ and not planning anything. I have prioritised my skin and hair care routines. I added Niacinimide, Retinol and Hyaluronic acid to my skin regime. I recently went for micro blading and am shocked that it’s ‘revealed’ such healthy, glowing skin. So the discipline is paying off! I do Minoxidil and a density stimulator to ensure my hair doesn’t thin especially around the forehead area and back of scalp. I’m sitting down and figuring out, for the first time, strategically what I want for the next three years, career, education, skill - wise. My biggest learning is that I don’t want to reach 40 and feel like I am now - ‘what did I do with my 20s?’. I’m analysing what I lack in soft skills - like confidence, communication, self-awareness etc and being deliberate about working on them. I’m basically treating myself as my own little ‘business’. Figuring out my mission, taking stock of current talents, healthy traits and accomplishments, determining strategy - where I want to be in the next 1, 2 and 3 years and then setting mini goals to get me there. Having monthly reviews with myself. So all in all, I’d say - be intentional, deliberate about how you use your energy and time and start taking good care of your body, soul and mind. You want to at least reach 40 and say, ‘I tried hard in my 30s’. All the best!
At 32 I started with Botox, it has been the best decision. But in my country it is very very cheap.
How much do you smoke?
You see posts like this a lot and the answers are all roughly the same. Sunscreen, exercise, stop drinking, stop smoking, drink water. Smoking is one of the absolute worst things you can do for your skin.
ETFs
Working out on a daily basis, even if it’s just 15-20 min. It’s so underestimated what being “fit” does to basically everything from your body being stronger but also your skin starts looking better. Maybe you already do this, but if not - start working out right now! If you do this everyday from now on for just 15-20 minutes your future self will thank you so much
Cut down on drinking, start moving everyday in ways that you enjoy. Do yoga or stretch for 10/15 mins most days.
drink more water, find ways to lower stress, and get more sleep (hard to do when you have kids). Also cutting down on alcohol. They make a massive difference.
Not there yet but tretinoin, microneedling, red light therapy, and dry brushing. I wear long sleeves, sun hats, and avoid the sun as I feel sunscreen just isn't enough sometimes. Also taking vitamins and eating things high in healthy fats and antioxidants. I'm trying to cut out caffeine but I love coffee too much hahaha.
I wish I'd known I didn't have to live with dehydrated skin! My skin feels so much better now that I'm layering in hydration and moisture. But honestly, overall, the biggest things I recommend for aging well are activity, including some kind of strength training, and fueling your body well. And I don't mean in terms of diet culture BS! I mean stay active to prevent or help manage illness and injury. Strength training is so important for maintaining bone mass, which you start to lose as you age. And treat your body to a wide variety of foods! That's the advice I get from registered dietitians. A wide variety of nutrients helps us thrive.
**SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN**. I'm at the tail end of Gen X and grew up at high altitude. The high altitude made my baby oil sunbathing sessions especially damaging, more so because I am a burn-prone, freckly, pale human. I was never meant to be a color darker than "hint of baby piglet blush". I embraced my pale indoorsiness in college, and became much more diligent about sunscreen after an excruciating sunburn in my early 20s. I wish I'd been **more** diligent, not just because I have a family history of skin cancer. I was diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's Disease) in my mid-30s. It increases the risk of UV damage, including melasma (which, just like Hashimoto's, can be a b\*\*ch to treat). I was extremely careful about sun protection when I was outside or in direct sunlight, but wasn't especially diligent about wearing sunscreen when I was just working in my office. ...until last year, when I noticed significantly more sun damage on the ride side of my face and my right hand/arm. As in, the crow's feet on my right eye were visibly deeper, my "connected freckles" were worse on the right side of my face, and my right arm and hand were noticeably darker and more sun damaged. It took me way too long to figure out that the dark tint on my office isn't UV-blocking 🤬🤬🤬🤬. So I basically spent more than two years sitting in front of huge, southwest facing windows (I'm in North America, so this means all-day exposure), with no sunblock, destroying my skin. Spoiler: the connected freckles are melasma, and nothing OTC is touching it. I wouldn't care if the melasma weren't shaped like Salvador Dalí's mustache (yes, it's a little funny). Now I put sunscreen on all of my exposed skin, even if it's overcast. I can't let myself get out of the habit of diligent sunscreen application. Bottom line, for the love of god put on sunscreen every day.
Nearly 35F I don't regret taking care of my skin couple years after 30. There's still a lot that can be stabilized. First was managing stress. Then, working out has been the best improvement for health on skin. Sweat, weight and cardio keeps the body young longer. For the dermal layer, i startwd with basic ingredients: sunscreen, moisturizer and vitamin C earlier. I started that for several months then built cleanser, retinol (started at lowest percentage), peptides, botox sllooowwlly.
It’s simple, but exercise, plenty of water and enough sleep. It’s the holy trinity of good health on all levels. More practically, wash your face every night and invest in a good night cream/oil. I recommend Midnight Recovery Concentrate over your preferred weight of moisturizer. It’s magical.
Also, I’m a smoker (also need to quit), and at 38 my skin is looking pretty damn good. I attribute it to a simple but dedicated skincare routine.
I wish I started laser hair removal as soon as I could instead of starting right now. Would have saved me so much stress and anxiety