Best Skin Care Products for Your Carefree 20s

• This is the best time for you to take preventive action. Start using antioxidant-based serums and creams for their brightening and anti-ageing abilities. Studies show that topically applied antioxidants like vitamins C and E and polyphenols from grape seeds can help fight free-radical damage to the skin, boost your collagen production and help brighten the skin. While use of these power nutrients needn't be limited to the twenties, this is the age to get into the habit of using antioxidant skin products as part of your skin care routine.
  
  Our antioxidant skin care product picks:
  Garnier SkinActive Even & Matte Vitamin C Booster Serum for visibly more even skin in 3 days.
  Mineraline Rejuvenate Antioxidant Vitaserum with vitamins C, E and B5.
  Nivea Q10 Plus C Anti-Wrinkle Skin Sleep Cream combines two powerful antioxidants - Q10 and Vitamin C.
  Solal Healthy Aging C-Serum with stabilised Vitamin C and antioxidant Chromanol.
  Celltone Daily Moisturiser enriched with vitamins A, B3, C and E plus moisturising oils.
  SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, a cult favourite serum that is also suitable for oily or acne prone skins – it’s pricey but a little goes a long way.

• Treat your acne with salicylic acid (often combined with other fruit acids). They dry up the blemishes and exfoliate damaged and pigmented skin cells.
  
  Our anti-acne product picks:
  BioNike Acteen Hydramat Sebum Normalising Cream with glycolic acid, salicylic acid and alpha-hydroxy acids.
  La Roche Posay Effaclar K+ Oily Skin Anti Sebum with salicylic acid and zinc PCA.
  Clinique Anti Blemish Clinical Clear Gel with salicylic acid, seaweed extract and witch hazel to control oil, and sea witch extract to calm redness.
  Neutrogena Spot Controlling Oil-Free Moisturiser, a clinically proven formula with salicylic acid, aloe vera and chamomile that helps clear and prevent even stubborn spots.
  
  Read More. Here's How to Effectively Treat Every Type of Acne (And Hide Them Too!)

Best Skin Care Products for Your Active 30s

• Make exfoliation a daily habit. In addition to cleansing your face, you need to you need to exfoliate to help speed up your skin's cellular turnover. Force your skin to speed up the cell turnover by doing it yourself. When you exfoliate, you slough off all the old cells, exposing the fresh ones underneath.
  
  Our ingredients of choice – chemical exfoliators (AHA, BHA, fruit enzymes), because they melt the glue holding old, dead skin cells to the surface, without harsh scrubbing. Try Clarins One Step Facial Cleanser with mild fruit acids for daily exfoliation.
  
  Glycolic acid is a very popular fruit acid as it penetrates below the skin’s top layer to stimulate exfoliation. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, make pores smaller, and leave skin brighter and smoother. Try Bioderma Sebium Night Peel with glycolic acid and soothing, anti-ageing rhamnose, and Nip And Fab Glycolic Fix Pads.
  
  Enzymes are often extracted from papaya, pineapple and pumpkin. Try Solal Exfoliating Mask with payaya enzymes and Nutriwomen Dermaceutics Total Glow Enzymatic Mask with AHA’s and Vitamin C.

• The retinoids (vitamin A derivatives in the form of retinoic acid, retinol, etc.). The original anti-ageing powerhouse, vitamin A, is vital for healthy skin – it’s what they use in high doses in medical treatments like Roaccutane.
  
  Retinoids are used in lower doses in skin products to increase skin cell turnover, increase production of collagen, normalise oil production and clear pores, as well as reducing skin tone unevenness. BUT they also make your skin sun sensitive and may increase dryness and flaking, at least initially. It’s usually a good idea to start with a low dose and build up tolerance. It’s usually best to use retinoid treatments at night.
  
  Our retinoid product picks:
  Environ Original A and Focus Care Youth+: read up on their great advice on using retinoids.
  L’Oréal Revitalift Night Cream with pro-retinol A and firming ProLastyl technology.
  Endocil Retinol A-Anti Wrinkle Cream with retinol and rich emollients and moisturisers.
  Skin Republic Serum Pure Retinol 0.2%.
  CeraVe Blemish Control Retinol Serum helps reduce early-stage acne, enlarged pores, and dark marks. Includes retinol, licorice root extract, niacinamide and ceramides to promote a healthy skin barrier.
   

  Need to Know

  
  When using highly active exfoliating ingredients such as retinoids and hydroxy acids, daily sun protection is not negotiable as your skin will burn (with more premature ageing) and you will get pigmentation marks if you don’t.
  
  If you’ve heard a few opinions about retinoids and are hesitant about using them, it’s worth checking out all the myths about retinols and the truth behind them to put your mind at rest.

Best Skin Care Products for Your Fabulous 40s

• Using intense moisturisers and anti-ageing creams with intensive antioxidants, (vitamin C, polyphenols, green tea, vitamin E, resveratrol, etc.) in addition to a daily sunscreen with a minimum SPF 30 should be beauty staples of women this age.  You can also choose to continue using a retinoid - another powerful antioxidant derived from Vitamin A - that you added to your routine in your 30’s, even if you reduce usage to just a few nights a week.

• Lactic acid is the exfoliator of choice if you have a tendency to sensitivity as it’s much less irritating way than other acids. Gentle and effective, it softens lines and wrinkles. One of our favourites is REN’s radiance range, especially Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, with lactic and glycolic acid.

• Vitamin C (or usually one of its stable derivatives) is a powerful antioxidant against free-radical activity that also brightens skin and pumps up collagen production.
  
  Our anti-aging skin care product picks:
  Vichy LiftActiv Supreme Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Serum which combines 15% pure vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.
  Elizabeth Arden Vitamin C Ceramide Capsules Radiance Renewal Serum has long been considered the Rolls Royce of vitamin C serums. Also contains ceramides to help retain moisture.
  Vichy Liftactiv Collagen Specialist Night combines Bio-Peptides, Resveratrol, and Vitamin C to stimulate both collagen and elastin production to restore elasticity and firmness, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
  Olay Total Effects Moisturiser + Serum Duo SPF20 with antioxidants vitamins C, E and niacinamide.
  Nutriwomen Dermaceutics Total Glow Vitamin-C Serum also includes Rosehip, Jojoba and Blackcurrant oils to enhance radiance and restore skin moisture.
  SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, a potent mix of three antioxidants, including Vitamins C, E and ferulic acid, that is a huge cult favourite.

• Peptides are the building blocks of proteins. They have many different functions and actions, but basically allow the skin’s structures to communicate efficiently. They are scientifically proven to heal damage, stimulate collagen production and improve cell renewal. Some also block the message that makes muscles to contract.
  
  Try Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Ageing Micro-Sculpting Cream with skin-plumping Amino-Peptide Complex II, antioxidant vitamins E and niacinamide (vitamin B3), and hyaluronic acid.
  
  Read More. The Best Serums Will Help You Reach Your Dream Skin (Yes, Really)

Best Skin Care Products For Your Fantastic 50s + 60s

• Increase your skin’s moisture content and choose products with nourishing oils and the super moisturiser, hyaluronic acid (HA), which holds water in your skin, so it feels comfortable, hydrated and plumped up. This is the age when serums become an absolute must-have as they include much higher levels of active ingredients than moisturising creams.
  
  Our hydrating hyaluronic acid serum product picks:
  Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate; Vichy Mineral Booster 89; Bioderma Hydrabio Serum for very dehydrated sensitive skins; Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Pore Refiner Serum, and Avène Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum.
  
  Our nourishing oil serum product picks:
  Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil with blue orchid and patchouli essential oils to restore dry, parched skin; Eucerin Elasticity Filler Face Oil with milk thistle and argan oils plus Vitamin E; Bio-Oil Skincare Oil.

• Use products that counteract hormonal ageing. In the first 5 years after menopause, 30% of the collagen in the skin is lost. The skin loses its elasticity and wrinkles become deeper. There are many products which include a cocktail of ingredients (many of which include hyaluronic acid) which will help improve the look and feel of the skin at this age.
  
  Our anti-aging product picks: L’Oréal Revitalift Laser Renew Anti-Ageing Super Serum with ceramides and proxylane (hyaluronic acid); Dermactin Anti-Wrinkle Collagen Skin Serum and Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 Supreme and Cerave Moisturising Lotion or Cerave Moisturising Cream with hyaluronic acid and 3 essential ceramides to help build and support the skin barrier.

• Another problem that women of all ages battle with, but which increases with age, is hyperpigmentation, where patches of dark pigment appear on the skin. From the fifties onwards, you may see age spots appearing on hands and face. See the box below for treatment and product options.
  
  Read More. Everything You Need to Know About Choosing the Best Face Oil for You, Explained
   

  Best Skin Care Products for Every Age

  
  Slather on a moisturiser or foundation with added SPF. Broad-spectrum sunscreens (those that block the sun's burning UVB rays and ageing UVA rays) with a minimum SPF 30 should be the norm, even on cloudy days. To make protecting your skin even easier, plenty of moisturisers, and foundations contain broad-spectrum SPFs.
  
  Layer on a skin tone-evening dark spot treatment if you have patches of dark pigmentation. These are designed not for lightening your natural skin tone, but rather for returning areas of the skin that have patchy, darkened pigmentation to normal (a big problem in South Africa for all skin tones due to our sun and the use of contraceptive pills, among other things).
  
  If your problem is serious, see a dermatologist, who will give you the appropriate treatment for your case. It may be hydroquinone, which is still the most effective melanin lightener, but this is perfectly safe if used under dermatologist-controlled conditions.
  
  For less serious problems, there are over-the-counter options available, but be careful about what you buy. Stick to reputable, prestige brand names to be safe. Natural botanical-based bleaching agents – vitamins A and C, kojic acid, liquorice extract, mulberry and bearberry extract and the plant extract arbutin - are effective and mild. Studies show that all help lighten hyperpigmentation spots.
  
  It’s absolutely essential to use a complementary high factor sunscreen when you use these products to prevent further melanin stimulation.
  
  Our dark spot corrector product picks: Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector and Optimizer; Bioderma Pigmentbio C-Concentrate; Clarins Bright Plus Serum; Nutri Woman Dermaceutics Even-Derm Brightening Serum.
  
  The BioNike Defence B-Lucent range includes the Anti-Dark Spots Skin-Evening Concentrate for age spots and larger marks like melasma and the Anti Dark Spots Protective Cream SPF 50 to prevent further marks from forming.