The Best Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine for Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

Who says you have to act your age? When it comes to your skin care routine, it’s all about caring for your complexion in a way that can help keep you looking youthful. It’s never too early to start following a consistent anti-aging skin care routine that includes moisturizers, serums, face masks, and more. Here, our best anti-aging skin care product recommendations for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

5 SKIN CARE PRODUCTS TO TRY IN YOUR 20S

If you haven’t already, now’s the ideal time to adopt a regular skin care routine. Nope, it’s never too early to start paying better attention to your complexion. That’s because how you care for your skin now will have an impact on how it looks in the future. 

1. Clay facial cleanser

You’ve probably (hopefully!) been washing your face twice a day since your teen years, and in your 20s it’s time to upgrade your facial cleanser. Cleansing is important because it helps rid your skin’s surface of dirt, excess oils, and makeup. Look for a facial cleanser that’s formulated with clay, like the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refine Cleanser. All three lift dirt and impurities without drying out skin—just what you need.

2. Lightweight moisturizer

This one is key! Need help finding the right moisturizer? Look for one that’s formulated for your skin type and apply it onto damp skin to help lock in hydration. Whatever skin type you have, the overall goal of a moisturizer is to moisturize skin, so look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. The L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Oily Skin, L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Dry Skin, and L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Extra Dry Skin are formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera water and help provide long-lasting, yet lightweight, hydration to your complexion.  

3. Moisturizer with SPF

You should always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen during the day, rain or shine. That’s because when you spend prolonged periods of time in the sun without protection, it can lead to skin damage, which can lead to visible signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles and dark spots, down the road. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everyone, of all ages, shapes, and sizes, wear sunscreen daily. We get that you’re constantly on the go, but that doesn't mean you should skip out on SPF. Rather, you can use a moisturizer formulated with broad-spectrum sunscreen, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Bright Reveal Brightening Day Moisturizer SPF 30, to save time. Make sure to take other sun protection measures as well, including limiting your amount of time in the sun, seeking shade, and covering up exposed areas when you’re outside.

4. Eye cream

It’s all about prevention at this age! Keeping the delicate skin around your eye area hydrated is key to preventing fine lines and wrinkles down the road. Use a nourishing eye cream, such as the L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey Eye Gel, which will also help with any puffiness or dark circles. For a cool treat, pop your eye cream in the fridge!

5. Antioxidant serum

In your 20s, add a skin care product formulated with antioxidants into your skin care routine. One antioxidant to look for is vitamin C, which can help protect skin’s surface against free radical damage. Serums are a great skin care product to look for because they are often formulated with antioxidants. Try L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum, aiming to use it twice a day, all over your entire complexion.

5 SKIN CARE PRODUCTS TO TRY IN YOUR 30S

Once you hit your 30s, you’re going to want to continue to maintain a consistent skin care routine that includes cleansing, moisturizing, using a facial serum and eye cream, and wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen. However, you’ll also want to incorporate a few new skin care products into your regular regimen to help address signs of aging that can show up in your 30s.

1. Night cream

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you may start to notice wrinkles in your 30s. Say it ain’t so! While moisturizing twice a day is vital, you may also want to use separate products for morning and night. For night, we recommend the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream, which is formulated with Pro-Retinol and can help make your skin look smoother with continued use over time. If retinol isn’t for you, try the L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Honey Night Balm, which will keep your complexion hydrated and nourished all night long.

2. Dark spot corrector

In your 30s, you may also start to notice dark spots, which can be caused by UV exposure (hence one of the reasons why wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen daily is so important!). The L’Oréal Paris Youth Code™ Dark Spot Correcting & Illuminating Serum Corrector can help make your skin look more luminous instantly and help diminish the appearance of dark spots with continued use over time.

3. Peel pads

In addition to wrinkles, dull, uneven tone can also make your skin look older than it is. Your skin’s natural ability to shed surface dead skin cells also declines with age, which can make dark spots and dullness more visible. That’s where peel pads come in! The L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Bright Reveal Brightening Daily Peel Pads are formulated with glycolic acid to help exfoliate dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. Wipe one across your face after cleansing. They’ll help make your skin look brighter and more even-toned with continued use over time. In the morning, don’t forget to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, since alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. 

4. Cica cream

Your skin’s moisture barrier weakens as you age, resulting in greater moisture loss, more prominent wrinkles, and loss of firmness. Enter cica cream. The L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Cicacream Face Moisturizer Pro Retinol & Centella Asiatica is a lightweight, protective cream that helps strengthen and repair the skin barrier to help resist visible lines, loss of firmness, and other signs of aging that a weakened barrier can accentuate. When it comes down to it, anti-aging skin care is all about replenishing lost moisture and keeping it there, meaning maintaining the health of your skin barrier is crucial.

5. all-over balm

It’s time to take your skin care routine past your face and show your neck and chest some love! After all, your décolletage is an extension of your beautiful face, so you’ll want to keep it hydrated and healthy as you age. To do so, before bed apply an even layer of the L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey All Over Balm – Face/Neck/Chest/Hands all over your neck, chest, and hands.

5 SKIN CARE PRODUCTS TO TRY IN YOUR 40S

When it comes to your skin, your 40s could very well be the decade that signs of aging become more noticeable. While you can’t turn back the hands of time, there are steps you can take to help keep your complexion looking youthful. 

1. Rosy tone Moisturizer

As skin matures, its ability to renew surface cells slows down, causing a buildup of dead cells on its surface. As a result, your natural pink tone can become hidden, leaving you with a less than youthful look. The L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Moisturizer gently exfoliates dull skin and revives the appearance of skin’s natural pink tone. Use in the morning, then reach for a night-specific moisturizer or mask, like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Intensive Overnight Mask, before bed.

2. potent Serum

In general, facial serums have formulas with highly concentrated ingredients that can help target specific skin issues, such as fine lines and wrinkles or dark spots. Are you in your 40s and dealing with visible signs of aging? Then you’ll definitely want a potent serum in your skin care routine! The L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Golden Serum is formulated with golden micro-reflectors and helps illuminate the appearance of dull, mature skin. Another great option is the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

3. Neck and chest cream

Make sure you don’t stop giving your neck and chest TLC in your 40s. Try moisturizing your face, neck, and chest. The luxurious balm is formulated with calcium and 10 precious oils and helps nourish skin. It can be used both morning and night, so work the balm into your morning and night routines. 

4. Eye cream

In your 40s, you'll be putting an emphasis on addressing signs of aging—and as you’re probably well aware, these are often most prominent around your eyes. The L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Eye Renewal Eye Cream can help hydrate your eye area immediately and diminish the look of dark circles, under-eye bags, and crow’s feet with continued use over time. Apply it after cleansing in the AM and PM, then follow up with a serum and moisturizer.

5. Face mask

Another way to help brighten the appearance of your skin in your 40s is by using a glow-activating face mask, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Face Mask. This face mask helps slough away dull, dead skin cells to visibly smooth skin’s surface. Use twice a week for best results. Gently massage the face mask onto your skin using light, circular motions to help exfoliate, then rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.

At this point, you might be wondering what about your 50s. Don’t worry—we didn’t forget you. Click over to our article, The Best Skin Care Routine for Your 50s.