6 Things You Should Know About Skincare in Your 20s

Hey, 20-somethings. We see you over there, learning how to adult. As you blossom into a real-life grown-up, one bit of advice: don’t forget your beauty routine. Your skincare needs to grow up, too!

Right now, you’ve got the advantage — your skin is still vibrant and young. To keep it that way, the most important thing for your complexion is protection. The perfect skincare regimen in your 20s should focus on defending your natural beauty.

Luckily, finding the right skincare for your unique skin doesn’t have to be tricky. With these 6 tips, create your own essential 20s beauty routine and keep glowing for years to come.

1: Leave Teenage Products Behind

You may have spent recent years dabbling with teen-targeted skincare products, especially if you deal with issues like acne. (Oh, the countless bottles of Noxema and Clearasil…)

Unfortunately, these products won’t serve you well in your 20s.

Skincare designed for teenagers tends to be extra severe because teenage skin is more resilient. But as your skin adjusts to adulthood, it becomes thinner and more sensitive. So those nuclear-strength teen products are going to do more harm than good, stripping your skin of vital hydration.

To live its best life, adult skin needs gentler formulations. Seek out natural products that focus on nourishing and protecting your complexion, rather than blasting away teenage imperfections.

Still struggling with acne into your 20s? Clearly, something isn’t working. Find out what’s causing your adult breakouts and how changing your routine can make all the difference.

Averr Aglow was designed by a woman who lived the acne struggle. After 16 years of breakouts, she created our Clear Skin Kit andfound the luminous complexion of her dreams.

2: Set Good Skincare Habits

It can be a little too easy to skip your skincare routine. Stop us if any of these scenarios sound familiar:

Already in bed? Whatever, you’ll get to it in the morning. Running late? Do the bare minimum as you dash out the door. Lazy weekend? All your products will still be there on Monday.

We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, our skin doesn’t take the same break.

When you skip cleansing, your complexion is still shedding skin cells and trying to fight off environmental stressors. The pile-up of dead cells leaves your face looking dull and tired, while harmful impurities use your cleansing hiatus as a chance to run wild and damage your precious skin.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Your 20s are the perfect time to make healthy lifestyle changes and start setting good habits, skincare included.

Maybe you haven’t been reliable with your routine in the past. That’s okay! Here’s your opportunity to get into the groove. Commit to a regular skincare regimen and actually do it.

Make things easier for yourself with an all-in-one routine like our Clear Skin Kit. The kit covers all of your essential skincare needs: hydration, cleansing, and deep purification. With 40+ active botanicals, the products work together to defend and rejuvenate your skin.

Best of all? There are just four simple steps, making the Clear Skin Kit fast and easy to use. So next time, you won’t be as tempted to skip a day (or three)!

3: Balance Your Oil Production

It’s totally normal for your skin to produce oil. In fact, it’s a vital part of your skin barrier and helps keep you moisturized. But too much or too little will get your 20s skincare goals off to a bad start.

Dry skin?

This is going to send you down a lonely road to fine lines, wrinkles, and premature aging. Your skin is clearly crying out for hydration. Use a quality moisturizer to rejuvenate parched skin and help prevent those creases and crows’ feet.

Oily skin?

Not only will you look (and feel) greasy, but excess oil can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. If you’re dealing with lingering acne from your teenage years, an oily complexion is probably the reason. You need to calm your oil-producing glands and stop the flood. Adding some external hydration signals your skin to reduce your overall oil production.

Our Flawless Nourishment Cream can handle either issue! Packed with nourishing rosehip and camellia, this cream delivers luxurious hydration that helps refresh dry complexions and calm oily ones. So no matter your skin type, you can show off a healthy, dewy finish!

4: Always Remove Makeup Before Bed

Raise your hand if you’ve ever woken up to an eyeliner nightmare smeared across your pillow (and face). Guilty as charged!

When you’re feeling super tired after a night out, removing your makeup seems like one more obstacle between you and your bed. But sleeping in your makeup isn’t just messy and uncomfortable — it can also be bad for your skin.

Makeup clogs your pores, practically begging for an acne breakout. Plus, it increases inflammation, so you’ll wake up to some nice, puffy eyebags.

Worst of all, sleeping in makeup can diminish your skin’s collagen by trapping impurities beneath the surface. Usually, collagen keeps your complexion looking young and springy. But those makeup-trapped impurities can contain free radicals that damage collagen, triggering premature aging and saggy skin.

Five minutes to remove your makeup now, or breakouts, puffiness, and wrinkles later. Do the right thing, for your own sake. Go to bed with a clean face.

Gettinga fresh, bed-ready cleanse has never been easier! Our Completely Clear Gelee Makeup Remover is strong enough to sweep away makeup without irritating your delicate skin.

5: Wear Sunscreen Every Single Day

You’ve probably heard that sun exposure can lead to gnarly health problems like skin cancer. Did you also know that it can be prematurely aging? UV rays are the #1 cause of wrinkles.

And despite rumors that sunlight is good for acne, the truth is that too much UV exposure can lead to more breakouts down the road.

Yes, your tan is cute. But no, the sun is not a friend to your skin!

Protect your gorgeous young complexion by wearing sunscreen every single day, even if it’s chilly or overcast. Ideally, choose a sunscreen with SPF30 or higher.

Pro tip: If you have sensitive, breakout-prone skin, a water-based sunscreen will be less likely to clog your pores and trigger additional acne.

6: Defend Your Skin with Antioxidants

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: your 20s skincare routine should be all about defense. And when it comes to protecting your skin, you definitely want antioxidants on your team.

Antioxidants are magical because they neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can be caused by environmental pollutants like smog and cigarette smoke or by UV radiation (that you’re hopefully fighting with sunscreen).

Left unchecked, free radicals undermine the health of your complexion and damage your skin, even causing premature aging. That’s where antioxidants come in, stopping free radical damage before it starts.

To incorporate more antioxidants into your 20s skincare regimen, identify products with vitamin-rich ingredients like Kakadu plum. We use Kakadu plum in our fan-favorite Luminous Complexion Toner, paired with soothing comfrey and purifying black clay to thoroughly brighten and protect your skin.

You can also work antioxidants into your diet by consuming antioxidant-rich foods or drinking antioxidant-rich teas. It’s a tasty and effective way to give your skin a boost from the inside out!

If this seems like a lot, just take a deep breath. Becoming an adult has a tough learning curve, but you’re doing great, and we’re proud of you.

Ultimately, your 20s should be a time of growth and excitement as you look towards the future. When 30 hits, you don’t want to regret missed opportunities. Take advantage of these fabulous years, and of course, take care of yourself. You deserve it! xx

Bidding your 20s farewell?Learn the5 steps you need to Transition Your Skincare Routine for Your 30s →