7 Good Skincare Habits To Adopt In Your 20s, According To A Beauty Expert

Skincare is all about prevention and the earlier you start cultivating good skincare habits, the better your skin is going to look as time goes on. Not sure how you should go about building a skincare routine in your 20s? We got beauty insider Smita De Souza, who has more than 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, to share some good skincare habits you should have in your 20s that’ll lay the foundation for your beauty routine. 

Read on for some helpful beauty advice from Smita! 

#1 Double cleanse

It can be tempting to just head straight to bed after a night out, but cleansing before bed is a cardinal rule of skincare. This is especially important if you’re wearing makeup. “Double cleansing at night will help to remove makeup, dirt and grime accumulated over the course of the day, and reduce the chances of breakouts,” says Smita. 

#2 Use a chemical exfoliant

Towards your mid to late 20s, consider introducing a chemical exfoliant to your routine. And don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds! Try an AHA toner or serum, which will slough off dead skin cells and allow skincare to penetrate better. 

#3 Never skip moisturiser

Don’t skip moisturiser just because our weather is humid! Besides hydrating your skin, moisturiser is essential for maintaining your skin’s natural barrier, which helps with keeping your skin protected from harmful bacteria. “Pick one that is suited to your skin type and your skin will thank you for it,” advises Smita. 

Click here to see our pick of the best moisturisers for every skin type and concern. 

#4 Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen

UV damage can really do a number on your skin, and that includes premature ageing, pigmentation and skin cancer. So always remember to finish your AM routine with sunscreen. 

Click here to see our pick of the best sunscreens. 

#5 Use products with active ingredients, such as vitamins C & A, AHAs and ceramides

The ingredient lists of skincare products can be long and confusing, so we asked Smita to highlight some active ingredients that you should be looking out for. 

“Vitamin C to help reduce free radical damage and keep the skin healthy and bright; vitamin A or retinol to keep skin bouncy and firm; an AHA like glycolic or lactic acid for exfoliation, and if you have a lot of clogged pores it’s worth adding salicylic acid to your routine too. To preserve your skin’s natural barrier, look for ceramides in your moisturiser,” Smita explains. A word of caution: some of these ingredients can cause irritation when used at the same time (i.e. vitamin C and retinol, retinol and AHAs) so do your research first! 

#6 Know what to save and splurge on

Skincare routines don’t come cheap, and the routines of your favourite celebs or influencers can get quite costly. If you’re working with a limited budget, Smita’s general advice is to look at your cost per use. For instance, a facial cleansing device would be worth the splurge as cleansing is the cornerstone of a sound skincare regime, plus you’d be using it every day. 

Her tip for those on a budget? “When it comes to skincare products, save on cleansers and moisturisers. You can get really good ones at drugstores. Spend your money on serums with potent active ingredients, like a well-formulated vitamin C serum, retinol, or an AHA/BHA serum.” 

Click here for 17 serums that we highly recommend.

#7 Remember that real skin has pores and breaks out - it’s normal!

“It’s easy to think you have bad skin because of all the filtered images on your socials. But real skin is not ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Real skin has pores, will occasionally break out and there will be days when it looks better or worse (depending on your hormones),” Smita states, adding that it’s important to be kind to your skin and yourself. 

Instead of obsessing over sebaceous filaments that no one can spot from an arm’s length, learn to recognise when your skin is acting up and what’s triggering it. Don’t blindly follow every skincare hack you see and in Smita’s words, “Sometimes zit happens. You just have to let go and move on.” 

Follow Smita on Instagram here. Smita is also a judge for GirlStyle Favourites 2022, an annual beauty award that celebrates our favourite beauty brands and products - from skincare to makeup to haircare. See all of this year’s winners for GirlStyle Favourites here.