Your Skin Starts Ageing in Your 20s — Here’s What You Need to Do Now

Fact: ageing isn’t really about age. About 90% of our fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and hyperpigmentation is caused by sun damage, pollution, lifestyle, stress and even genetics. In fact, collagen production and cell turnover starts slowing down by the time we’re 25.

Here are the best anti-ageing tips for everyone, at any age. Start protecting and nourishing your skin now!

Use sunscreen religiously

You need a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection, with at least SPF 35. Apply every day, at least 30 minutes before going out to give your skin time to absorb it. And don’t skip it just because you’re staying at home the whole day. UV rays penetrate windows and clouds. “The only time you don’t need sunscreen is when you need a flashlight to see,” says celebrity Beverly Hills dermatologist Harold Lancer.

Beauty Insider recommends: 365 White UV Screen. This multi-purpose sunscreen helps prevents several signs of ageing. It has SPF 50 which shields you from UVB rays (which cause darkening or tanning) and PA++++ to filter UVA rays (which damage skin cells and leads to wrinkles, sagging and hyperpigmentation).

This sunscreen contains brightening ingredients, plus a unique Soft Touch Complex to moisturize and nourish dry skin. It also defends your skin from pollution!

The light formula won’t feel sticky even on hot days. You can wear it under makeup. One of the best sunscreens for every day use!

Get makeup with skincare benefits

Start looking for makeup products that can protect your skin. Look for one that sun protection, antioxidants that fight free radical damage, or natural plant extracts that can revitalize your skin.

Beauty insider recommends BSKIN Smart Skin (SS) Cream. It’s the perfect makeup base for busy women! It has SPF 50+ and PA++++ for potent protection against UV rays. It also acts like an anti-ageing moisturizer!

“I have oily skin, so I don’t like applying a lot of products on my face. This feels so light, it absorbs so quickly, and when it dries my skin feels silky not oily!” says one beauty review.

Other reviewers say that it makes their skin look brighter. Plus, it doesn’t oxidize or look darker by the end of the day — a plus for people with acidic skin!

It’s also packed with plant extracts that nourish your skin: ginseng, mondo grass, bellflower, liquorice, milk vetch and ginger roots. These natural anti-ageing ingedients help reduce wrinkles, even out skin tone, and speed up cell generation.

Get a hydrating day cream

Dry, dehydrated skin is more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. And yes — even oily skin can be dehydrated!

“Dry skin is a skin type. Dehydrated skin is a skin condition: your skin feels tight because it lacks water. Even oily, combination or normal skin can be dehydrated because it produces oil, but fails to retain moisture,” explains dermatologist Annie Rayes. “It can also be over-producing oil to compensate for the lack of moisture in the skin, which is why dehydrated skin can be easily mistaken for oily skin.”

It’s best to apply hydrating products in the morning, since the moisture can also help your makeup look better and your skin more dewy.

Beauty Insider recommends LaCure Beaute Multi-Benefit Rose Cream Gel — one of the best hydrating creams we’ve ever tried! It’s made of special water that’s full of minerals that revitalizes and detoxifies the skin:

• Water from de Salies-de-Béarn, which has 26 trace elements that strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier and help fight ageing
• Rose water, which instantly refreshes tired skin
• Chamomile water, which relieves redness, irritation and inflammation

This also contains two of the best anti-ageing ingredients: glycerin (for dramatic moisturization) and argan oil (rich in Vitamin E and antioxidants).

Get a serum with peptides

Peptides are one of the best ingredients for preventing wrinkles and fine lines. They signal the skin to produce more collagen, repair damaged tissue, and even relax wrinkles.

You can find peptides in many anti-ageing products, but they’re most efficiently delivered in serums. A serum has a thinner consistency that allows it to be absorbed by deeper skin layers. So, your peptides go where you skin needs them — instead of just sitting on the skin surface.

Beauty Insider recommends S Aesthetics Clinic’s Peptide Rejuvenation Serum.

Developed by one of Singapore’s leading skincare clinics, its a medical-grade serum that will gently but effectively keep your skin firm, smooth and younger’-looking. It is safe for all skin types, and doesn’t feel thick or greasy. After all, it was made by Aesthetic and Skin doctors who understand your skin -and the Singapore climate!This is one of the bestsellers in S Aesthetics Skincare Series. They have product lines for Ageing, Acne and Pigmentation — check it out on their website!

Invest in a good eye (and lip!) cream

The skin around your eyes is thinner than any other skin on your face and body. Unfortunately, it’s also the part that gets the most exposure! We don’t usually apply sunscreen near our eyes, so it gets barraged by UV rays. We scrub it vigorously whenever we take off eye makeup. It’s also exposed to blue light from phones and computer screens!

That’s why any anti-ageing routine needs a good eye cream. Beauty Insider recommends: Elevatione Time Stops By Salvador Dali.

This premium eye cream is made by luxury skincare brand Elevatione, which was inspired by Salvador Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory, which has images of a melting clock. This represented their mission to stop and defy time — by either preventing skin damage, or reversing it.

Their eye serum contains their patented Tightox complex, which helps the skin regenerate itself. It has hyaluronic acid to improve skin elasticity, and a handmade herbal infusion of hibiscus, raspberry and rose. These are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, to hydrate and brighten the eye area.