Your 20s are a great time to start an anti-ageing skincare routine. While you may not see any signs of ageing yet, this is the decade when your skin starts to slow down its natural production of collagen and elastin, the proteins that give your skin its firmness and elasticity. By activating a skincare routine now, you can help to protect your skin from the signs of ageing and keep it looking its best for years to come.

As you hit your 20s, start Retinol at night and Vitamin C in the morning. Vitamin C promotes skin repair and even skin tone, while Retinol checks the oil secretions. You could add salicylic acid and Niacinamides if you have acne, open pores, and black/whiteheads. 

How do you incorporate these agents into your skincare routine? We got you sorted out. Read further for an anti-ageing skincare routine with dermatologist-recommended products. This regime is best suited for oily to normal skin type. 

MORNING REGIME

Step 1 Face wash

The objective of washing is to clean the face without making it dry or oily. Based on your skin type, you can choose from the following:

• Best face wash for oily skin
• Best face wash for combination or normal skin

Step 2 Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Apply it on your face after washing and pat drying your face.

Recommended Brands:

• Garnier Vitamin C serum for open pores, oily skin, and black/whiteheads.
• Sesderma C-vit serum for red and brown marks left after healing of pimples.
• La Roche- Posay Pure Vitamin C10 for open pores and uneven skin tone.

Step 3: Sunscreen

Sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, which can cause premature ageing, wrinkles, and skin cancer. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply it every two hours or more often if you are sweating or swimming. You can apply make-up on top of sunscreen.

Make sure to pick a lightweight sunscreen that does not occlude your pores. 

Recommended Brands:

• Bioderma Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30 fluid is a good option for those with black/whiteheads and open pores because it has AHA and BHA.
• Cetaphil Pro Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30 is for those with red or pus-filled pimples. It has Zinc gluconate that reduces acne.
• La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral One SPF 50+ for severe sun exposure, especially in sensitive skin types.

NIGHT REGIME

Most of you might be scared to start Retinol in your 20s. However, you might have already used more potent retinoids like adapalene and tretinoin for your acne. 

Regularly applying Retinol would check your oil secretion, reduce open pores and prevent acne. It also improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as hyperpigmentation and acne. 

Remove make-up with micellar water and wash your face. Put one of the following retinol-based anti-ageing products:

Recommended Brands:

• Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum is a combination of retinoid and niacinamide. This serum reduces oil secretion and keeps a check on acne.
• CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum also has both retinoids and niacinamide.

WEEKLY REGIME

Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells and reveal fresh, new skin underneath. This can help to improve your skin’s texture and radiance and can also help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can exfoliate your skin with a gentle scrub or chemical exfoliant, such as glycolic or salicylic acid.

One or twice a week, scrub your face and put a sheet mask or face pack with

• Neutrogena scrub is a great way to reduce oil secretion, exfoliate, prevent build-up and promote even skin tone.
• Mama Earth Vitamin C Sleeping Face Maskbrightens your skin with the help of Vitamin C, Mulberry extracts, Glycolic acid, turmeric, and aloe vera.

It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all anti-aging skincare routine. What works for one person may not work for another. The best way to find the right routine for you is to experiment and see what works best for your skin.