From infancy to elderly age, skincare has been an important element of self-care throughout the ages. From Cleopatra’s milk-based beauty rituals to modern day retinoid creams, generations of people have discovered different tips and tricks to help them look and feel their best. In this article, we explore skincare through the ages, looking at the historical and traditional approaches, as well as recommending modern day strategies and products to help us look our best at every stage of life.
1. Protecting Your Skin from Cradle to Grave
Understanding Your Skin
The skin is the body’s largest organ, and it is the most important protective barrier protecting this largest organ from external environmental and internal bodily insults. It is also the most visible reflection of age, health, and lifestyle, making good skin care important at every life stage. To keep your skin healthy and glowing for life, let’s take a look into what you can do to prevent damage and protect your skin from cradle to grave.
Early Care: Prevention
The best way to treat skin problems later in life is to prevent them in the first place. This requires looking at early skin care habits that help protect the skin in its formative years.
Here’s a few good habits to set in early:
- Use sunscreen every day to prevent UV damage. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation breaks down the skin’s collagen, causing wrinkles and skin dryness.
- Keep hydrated. Skin cells are composed largely of water, and need to stay moisturized for a healthy glow.
- Eat healthily. Lots of vitamins and minerals are needed to keep skin healthy. Focus on getting enough of Vitamins A, B, C, and E.
These habits will help set the stage for a lifetime of healthy, glowing skin.
Middle Age: Learning to Balance
As skin ages, it starts losing collagen, which leads to dryness and wrinkles. To maintain a glowing complexion during middle age, you must learn to balance skin care routines. Cleaning and moisturizing keep skin healthy but should not be overly done. Too much of either can be the different between well-hydrated skin and over-stripped, irritated skin.
Find a balance between cleansing and moisturizing to protect the skin’s natural barriers, while adding moisture. Learning to balance will be key in keeping skin hydrated and glow-y during middle age.
Older Age: Taking Care of What You Have
By older age, the skin has accumulated much sustained damage throughout the years. While prevention is important, taking care of what you have becomes the most critical step in skin care.
This can be achieved with a combination of:
- Gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells.
- Plenty of moisture to rid of dryness.
- Advanced anti-aging products that promote collagen production.
- Proper sun protection to minimize UV damage.
These steps will help protect the skin and prevent further damage from occurring.
2. Skincare Advice: A Timeline for All Life Stages
Baby: Even newborns need pampering – just not too much or too harshly. Cleanse your little one’s skin gently with a mild, baby-safe body wash and shampoo. Lightly dab the skin dry, then apply a moisturizing baby lotion or cream.
Child: As your toddler moves into a more active lifestyle, keeping up with hygiene and moisturizing is essential. Kids will often need a quick shower every morning, and a thorough one every evening. During the day, if needed, apply a moisturizer or sunscreen to keep skin hydrated and protected.
Adolescent: With age, our skin may become shinier and produce excess oil and sebum. Teenagers should keep up a regular skincare routine:
- Wash your face twice a day with a mild cleanser.
- Apply a toner to remove excess oil and dirt.
- Exfoliate 1-2 times a week to keep skin healthy.
- A light daytime moisturizer, and a rich night cream.
Adult: Once in adulthood, it is important to make skincare routine a part of your daily life. Use products geared to your individual skin type, and do a thorough steam facial at least once every two weeks.
3. Infancy: Setting the Foundation for Lifelong Skin Health
In the first few years of life, healthy skin care habits should be established to provide for a lifetime of skin health, protection, and beauty. It is important to be familiar with your baby’s skin type, and adjust skin care products accordingly.
A newborn’s skin is incredibly sensitive; so, use only plain water and gentleness when bathing your baby. During this stage, it is not necessary to buy special products. If you feel the need to protect them, use a mild soap with warm water. You may wish to use a washcloth, rather than a sponge, on the face.
Feeding plays an important role in promoting good skin health. Breast milk contains essential nutrients that are unrivalled and is known to improve overall skin health. A balanced diet of full fat milk, carbohydrates, and protein also supports healthy skin.
- Limit Sun Exposure: It is important to protect young, delicate skin from the sun. Dress baby in lightweight, loose-fitting clothes and avoid using sun screens in this age group.
- Keep Temperature Balanced: Ensure your home temperature and humidity are set at comfortable levels. Investing in a humidifier can help reduce the potential of skin problems caused by dry air.
- Careful Diapering: Change diapers regularly and use diapers made of breathable materials to reduce the risk of diaper rash.
By taking all the necessary preventive steps in the infancy stage, you are setting the foundation for healthy, beautiful skin, now and for life.
4. Dealing with Puberty: No Scope for Neglecting Skincare
Going through puberty is an exciting but sometimes tender age in a teen’s life. Emotions are all over the place and with the dizzying array of changes our bodies go through, it can be tough to know how to care for ourselves both inside and out. One area of self-care not to be neglected is skincare.
At puberty, we can see a significant change in our skin. It’s common to experience dryness, oiliness, sensitivity, blemishes, and inflammation due to the hormone surge. With all this going on, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed! Regardless, skincare should be a priority.
Here are 3 tips for teen skin care:
- Cleanse. Keeping your skin clean is the best way to help it manage the changes that puberty throws at it. Learn how to properly cleanse your skin, using a gentle, mild cleanser with lukewarm water.
- Moisturize. Even if your skin feels greasy or oily, it needs to be moisturized. This will help your skin better adapt to the sudden bursts of hormones, helps skin cells regenerate, and helps hydrate your skin.
- Don’t forget to wear sunscreen. With all the UV light our skin absorbs, it’s important to put on sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 20 or higher.
It’s essential to start early when it comes to taking care of your skin. After all, a good skincare routine is a great foundation for healthy and glowing skin, no matter how teeny-tiny or burly the changes puberty throws at you!
5. Healthy Habits for a Glowing Post-Adolescent Skin
As the years roll by, your skin isn’t as resilient as it once was. Adolescence presents its own challenges to skin care, but the secret to a glowing complexion after that is to form healthy habits which will stand the test of time.
Bearing that in mind, here are five helpful habits to consider:
- Cleanse, Tone & Moisturize: Create a daily routine of cleaning, toning, and moisturizing your skin. After all, a little TLC can go a long way and will make your skin look and feel great.
- Don’t Over-Cleanse: Cleanse twice a day, but not more than that — if you over-cleanse, you risk drying your skin out.
- Protect Your Skin: Protect your skin from the sun. UV radiation can be damaging to your skin, so make sure to wear sunscreen when you’re out and about during the day.
- Hydrate From the Inside Out: Drink plenty of water. Hydrating your body from the inside out will make your skin look and feel that much better. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
- Stay Away from the Sun: Try to limit your exposure to sunlight. The sun may give your skin a glowing, tanned look, but it also exposes you to harmful UV radiation. If you’re going to be in the sun, make sure to put on sunscreen and wear protective clothing to protect your skin.
By following these steps, you can keep your skin looking and feeling great well into the future. Taking good care of your skin now is worth the effort, as you’ll thank yourself for it later!
It’s incredible how skincare has evolved over the years and how developmentally appropriate skin health practices can make all the difference in the long-term health of your skin. Hopefully, this article has given you the knowledge and tools you need to start navigating your skincare needs no matter what stage of life. Skin-velope away!
