Anti-ageing tips: Why you should change your skincare routine as you get older

Ageing is an invertible process and as it happens, our body including our skin shows changes that are new to us where an excessively oily skin occasionally becomes dry or new concerns like blemishes that were never there, start making their appearance. So as we age, our skincare should also change accordingly.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Anupama Bisaria, Dermatologist, shared, “In our 20s the main concerns that most people have are acne, comedones and pigmentation and products highly recommended are niacinamide, AHAs and BHAs.But as the aging happens skin starts to lose collagen, fine lines and wrinkles become dry and dehydrated and fine lines and dehydration start appearing. So that skincare should also be designed in a way that it addresses these concerns. Your sunscreen remains the most important skincare product but applying moisturiser also becomes important even if you have oily skin, as it hydrates and repairs your skin.”

She asserted, “Actives like vitamin C, Retinol, peptides and hyaluronic acid become an important part of the anti-ageing routine. Patients who can’t tolerate retinol can opt for Bakuchiol. Under eye creams should also be started and look for ingredients like caffeine and retinol. Always include your neck, ear and hands in your skincare routine as they are the first to show the signs of aging. Now some actives that you were using excessively during your 20s should gradually be tapered. Most important in them are AHAs and BHAs. As the oil production of skin goes down and skin tends to become thinner, overzealous use of these can make skin sensitive. In a nutshell you can choose whether you want to go for anti aging procedures or want to age naturally but even then who doesn’t want healthy radiant blemish free skin in our old-age.”

Dr Poorva Shah, (MBBS, MD Skin), Consultant Medical and Aesthetic Dermatologist at Derma Centre in Pune, highlighted, “With age, all our organs undergo ageing. The skin particularly is affected by chronological age or intrinsic factors and by extrinsic factors as well. It is the only organ where we can actually visualize the aging process. Both of these have deteriorating effects on the skin. Extrinsic factors like smoking, alcohol, pollution, wind, sun exposure increase the free radicals in our skin which in turn cause cell damage and cell death. Intrinsic factors cause reduction in collagen and elastin, making the skin more fragile, thin and crepey. Decreased oil production makes the skin dry. Wrinkles begin as a result of all this. A skincare routine that evolves the way your skin ageing evolves is needed to manage all these changes and to make a smoother transition.”