Skincare in your 20s can be a challenge. Your body is in a state of flux and you may still be experiencing hormonal fluctuations. Stressors like college, employment, partying, alcohol consumption, and sometimes even nightowl tendencies can take a toll on your skin and affect how it looks from day to day. Some women develop or experience hormonal conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, and others yet struggle with adult onset acne, rosacea, or even eczema.

That being said, the 20s are also the first time a woman has the expendable income to spend on skincare solutions and truly address her own concerns. It’s the age of experimentation and setting up a routine that truly works. It’s also the age to begin practicing prevention to avoid future wrinkles.

Skincare in your 20s is a unique mix of figuring out what works for you and also keeping up with the changes your body and lifestyle demand. Here are some tips and ideas to create a 20s skincare routine that will put you on the path to a lifetime of beautiful skin.

Practice Hydration

Skin is not only the body’s largest organ, but also the largest organ involved in detoxification. Detoxification describes your body’s ability to rid itself of toxic molecules through your sweat and the pores on your skin.

In order to do this job well, your body needs to be well hydrated. Being optimally hydrated allows your body’s processes to clear out toxic molecules and get rid of them through urination and sweating. Further, a well hydrated body typically results in well hydrated skin.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the building blocks of beautiful skin. They contain the vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber to keep your internal and external health optimal. The USDA recommends 5 servings of vegetables and 5 servings of fruits and if you manage to follow this recommendation you will reap the glowing skin benefits.

Not only may nutrition in the fruits and vegetables keep your skin bright and elastic, the fiber in them will help keep your digestive and hormonal systems healthy.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is a great way to get your blood flowing and work up a sweat, and these two things are extremely important to the health of your skin. The health of your skin is dependent on the health of your body and working up a good 30 minute sweat is just perfect to keep you glowing and beautiful.

Choose Gentle Skin Cleansers

Your skin is extremely absorbent and is prone to becoming damaged on a microscopic level. When you use harsh cleansers, you could be causing damage at a level that is not seen by the eye. This damage will show itself after years of use, so it’s a good idea to avoid harsh physical or chemical exfoliators, and choose gentle skincare products.

Wear Sun Protection

Sunscreen is recommended by all doctors and you should wear it anytime you expect to be outside. A minimum of SPF 30 is recommended to be reapplied throughout the day.

With that said, some people experience sensitivity to certain sunscreen ingredients. If you find that you break out in a rash when you wear sunscreen, you should speak to a doctor about what kinds of sunscreens you can use or what you should do instead. Sometimes, it is enough to switch from a chemical sunscreen to a zinc or titanium oxide based physical sunscreen, but other times you may have to have a more in-depth consultation with a physician.

Sunglasses, hats, and parasols can also help you protect your skin from sun damage and unwanted wrinkles.

Consider Prescription Skincare

If you experience chronic acne, skin discoloration, sagging skin, or premature wrinkles, you can always opt to speak to a doctor about a prescription skincare plan to help combat these issues. Starting in your 20s will help arrest any damage before it becomes widespread or noticeable. Further, taking charge of your own health will set a good precedent for taking care of yourself and being proactive about your health.

Commit to a Routine

The most difficult part of the 20s is getting into and staying in effective routines. There’s just too much fluctuation in schedules, and with a heavy college or employment workload it can be difficult to work up the motivation to keep up with a routine day in and day out.

To combat this inertia, it’s a good idea to choose a streamlined, easy to do routine and to set multiple alarms to get you into a habit. Once you are in the habit of taking care of your skin, the inertia will work for you and not against you.

If you start taking care of your skin by hydrating, exercising, following a gentle cleansing and moisturizing routine, and using prescription care when necessary, you’ll be set on the path to gorgeous skin in your 30s and beyond.