6 Things I Changed About My Skincare Routine When I Turned 30
This story is part of the Healthyish Guide to Your 30s, our best advice for how to cook, shop, date, and generally survive your best (or maybe worst?) decade yet.
One day I woke up and I was 30. My skin was blemish-free, clear, and wrinkle-resistant like those J. Crew men’s shirts. But things were about to change. There’s less skin cell regeneration in your 30s and beyond, which means...sadness in the facial region. Some dullness, blotches. Extreme dryness coming outta nowhere. My hair took on the texture of a witch’s broom. My whole skincare routine got a revamp to get as much moisture, collagen, and hyaluronic acid pumped in there as possible. Honestly I used it as an excuse to buy myself some stuff. And it turned out, it worked. Here’s my new skincare rundown.
All products featured on Healthyish are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Chelsie Craig1/6The Cleanse Routine
After a life-changing interview with esthetician Kate Somerville, I now ALWAYS steam my cleanser off in the shower with a hot washcloth. It opens the business out of your pores and I immediately noticed my skin tighten. (Must rinse with cold water after for full magic effect—but there are a lot worse rude awakenings in your 30s.) I use a gentle, vitamin-packed cleanser because anything else will dry me out: Youth to the People’s Superfood cleanser with kale (lol), spinach, and green tea. I don’t even drink green juices, but apparently my face does. It has a rich gel texture and makes my skin feel quenched afterward (yeah I said it) and gives it a slight glow. The glass bottle gets bonus points in this plastic-ruined world.
Buy it:Youth to the People’s Superfood cleanser, $36.
Photo by Chelsie Craig2/6What’s Happening Around My Mouth?
Hormonal acne can show up around your mouth in your 30s, or if you change up your birth control pill routine. Lo and behold, I have these little bumps around my mouth every few weeks. To keep them from becoming full-on breakouts, I make sure to exfoliate twice a week. In my 30s, I also really warmed up to Gwyneth Paltrow because her Goop skincare line by Juice Beauty is VERY GOOD. The Instant Facial is like getting rebirthed every week. WAHHH I cry when I see my face shining bright red after rinsing it off. But within 20 minutes, a clear new face beams out. Who’s sheeeee? It me. Then I serum it up with hyaluronic acid (which helps the skin retain water/plump up a lil), like The Ordinary's or Sunday Riley’s Tidal moisturizer.
Buy it: Goop Exfoliating Instant Facial, $125, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2%, $7, Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream, $65.
Photo by Chelsie Craig3/6My New Nemesis: The Sun
The sun. It’s out to get me with its wrinkle-shooting rays. I shield myself with minimum SPF 30. A friend at Allure introduced met to Image Skincare’s PREVENTION+ moisturizer, which smells fresh and clean and doesn’t have a sticky, sunscreen texture or odor. I slather it on my face, my neck, my upper boob region, and back of the neck, before I confront my enemy. On top of that, I wear a sporty ball cap to the gym, the farmer’s market, and especially the beach. Go Tigers!
Buy it: Image Prevention+ Daily SPF, $40.
Photo by Chelsie Craig4/6Whose Hair Is This?
I used to have this shiny, fine mermaid hair that felt like silk when I rinsed it with conditioner in the shower. Now it feels like a wet knot of twigs. It’s dry, heavy, brittle, and on top of that, the dandruff! A dermatologist told me to start massaging my over-the-counter dandruff shampoo into my scalp before I get in the shower to allow the chemicals to activate, so I do that now, and it might be working. Another Goop product I fell in love with is this salt scalp scrub, which I massage in once a week for a sense of renewal, hope, and control. But the dryness is no joke. So I’m a hair mask person now. I like Herbal Essense’s argan oil mask, which comes in an annoying pouch but smells amazing and softens my sticks for under 3 bucks in 5 minutes while I shave my legs. But when I’m feeling like a spa day, I sit in the bathtub and read thrillers with Christophe Robin’s prickly pear regenerating mask soaked into my strands, an absolute luxury product (but you only use a quarter size at a time—it lasts a while).
Buy it: G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub, $42, Herbal Essences Bio:Repair Hair Mask, $2, Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask, $71.
Photo by Chelsie Craig5/6The Night Shift
I go hard on the night routine now, trying to cram in as much as I can while my skin is just sitting there, doing nothing. Of all the overnight serums I’ve tried, which is a lot, I always go back to Kiehl’s midnight recovery serum, which has a relaxing, sexy lavender smell, but more importantly, legit plumps my skin with Squalane while I have nightmares and get up several times to pee. I wake up with glowy, soft skin that doesn’t even need a morning wash. In the retinol department, I got into Allies of Skin’s overnight mask, which immediately makes my skin feel like it shrunk in the dryer—in a very good way.
Buy it: Khiel’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, $49, Allies of Skin Overnight Mask, $109.
Photo by Chelsie Craig6/6What's for Breakfast
I’m trying to get more fatty fish in my diet, for my brain and heart and, hopefully, skin, so—and I know this sounds crazy—I got into having omega-3-rich tinned sardines for breakfast. I’ll do a slice of sourdough, a thin layer of mayonnaise, sardines, squeeze of lemon, chile crisp, and flaky salt. Trust me it is a DELICIOUS way to start the day. And, if nothing else, an excellent source of protein. You like smoked salmon on bagels, right?! Same idea, folks.
Buy it: Roland Sardines, $20 for a 10-pack.
