The Best Skin Care Routine for People in Their 30s

Cleanse gently.

Once you hit your thirties, you want to remove your makeup and cleanse your skin without stripping your natural oils. Once you’ve removed your makeup, it’s time to follow it up with a gentle milk or cream facial cleanser that will leave your skin feeling clean, but not dry or tight. You should follow this routine at night for sure — but if your skin feels dry when you wake up, then just rinse it off with some lukewarm water to remove residue.

Hydrate your skin.

If your skin doesn’t have enough water content, it will look dry and dull instead of plump and bouncy. That’s why it’s essential to incorporate moisturizing creams and serums into your skincare routine in your thirties. Choose serums that feature ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and glycerin — all of which will attract water to your skin and boost your hydration. These products should be used in both your morning and nighttime skincare routine for optimal results.

Incorporate antioxidants.

Antioxidants help to fight free radical damage from UV rays and air pollution that can hasten the appearance of premature aging. If you’re not already using antioxidants, then you definitely need to add them to your skincare routine in your thirties. Vitamin C is the most well-studied antioxidant, but there are plenty of others to choose from as well. We recommend applying your antioxidants in the morning to protect your skin against environmental stressors throughout the day.

Use a retinol.

Your collagen and elastin production slows down as you age, which can contribute to signs of aging. However, applying a topical retinol product like our Advanced Retinol Treatment can help to promote the development of both collagen and elastin, slowing down signs of premature aging. For best results, apply the retinol treatment at night, since it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Retinol can cause dryness as you get adjusted to it, so don’t hold back on your hydrating serums and nourishing moisturizers!

Treat acne and dark spots.

In your thirties, you might continue to struggle with hormonal acne breakouts, making acne self care a must-have addition to your skincare routines. You might also see dark spots develop, either from healing acne lesions or from sun exposure. Incorporating a dark spot remover into your routine can help to lighten the appearance of existing dark spots and prevent new ones from forming.

Moisturize and nourish.

Our skin produces less sebum as we age, which means that you might notice your skin becoming rather dry in your thirties. That’s why we made the Nourish moisturizer the crucial final step in our Lancer Method 3-step skincare routine. You should be applying a moisturizer every time you rinse or wash your face to promote a healthy balance of natural oils, which will help prevent your skin from becoming so dry.

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Apply an eye cream.

Speaking of moisturizers, in your thirties you might want to start applying a dedicated eye cream if you haven’t already. While some moisturizers are safe to dab around the eye area, they aren’t really developed specially to treat the delicate skin around the eyes. Using a dedicated eye cream ensures that the skin around your eyes gets the nourishment that it needs, and also that any active ingredients in the cream won’t irritate your delicate skin.

Wear sunscreen always.

You should be applying quality sunscreen every single day as the last step in your morning skincare routine, no matter the season or forecast. You should apply sunscreen to all exposed skin, not just your face but also your ears, neck, and chest. You might even want to apply it to your hands if you are worried about getting age spots there.

Ready to get started on building the best skincare routine for your thirties? Grab a Lancer Method set today to start your new routine on a solid foundation. All of our products ship for free within the U.S. and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can buy with confidence.