Tired of zits and wrinkles at the same time? Yeah, me too! Check out these tips for simple skincare for women in their 30s!
This past Mother’s Day, my husband sent me on a spa day, and I got a professional facial.
(Yes, I am spoiled. Yes, it was glorious. And, no, I didn’t get anything else! I prefer experience gifts to “things”!)
Although the facial was incredibly relaxing, what I enjoyed most about getting my face massaged and pampered was getting to ask a professional esthetician about proper skincare for women in their 30s.
I remember a friend telling me on my 25th birthday that the aging process supposedly starts then.
I looked in the mirror and thought: “Hmmm. I don’t see it.”
Let’s be honest: I see it now! At two months shy of 35, I’m not looking any younger.
If I’m really transparent, I have not treated my skin kindly the past several years, especially. I’ve gone to bed way too many nights without removing my make-up (I know–gross!). And unless I got something super cheap on clearance, there were years on end where I used no eye cream and no moisturizer.
And exfoliation? What is that?!
That has all changed in the past few months since I got my facial.
Not only do I want to keep my skin healthy for me and my husband, but as the mother of three daughters, I am also looking ahead to how their observations of me will dictate how they treat their skin in the future!
In a nutshell, the esthetician told me to:
Simple Skincare for Women in their 30s
Wash your face each morning and night.
I’ve used different face washes, depending on what I can get on sale and what has an OK rating on EWG.org. I still love Jeuninely Pure’s face wash the best, but right now I’m using Yes to Carrots because I’m getting a really hot deal on it via ePantry.com.
Some people use the oil method for cleansing. Easy peasy (and frugal!)!
Exfoliate your face and skin once or twice per week after washing.
A few months ago, I started noticing that my pores were getting bigger. I asked a few friends in their 40s if this was normal for women in their mid-30s, and, sure enough, it is!
The key, they said, is to exfoliate, so the dead skin can be removed and the pores can “breathe” better without getting as big.
But I took that advice to the extreme. I began exfoliating every single day!
The esthetician corrected me and said that you can also over exfoliate. She said to do it no more than once or twice per week and to exfoliate after washing.
Right now, for my face, I’m using Yes to Grapefruit exfoliating cleanser from ePantry.com, but the esthetician actually suggested baking soda as a good, natural, non-toxic, and frugal exfoliant.
I am exfoliating the rest of my body with a coffee soap from Lexie: Naturals.
Use a face mask once per week.
I started out strong with this right after I got my facial, but I have slacked off the last few weeks. I need to set a routine where I give myself a mask night every single week.
This needs to happen after washing. I use Redmond Facial Mud for my face mask.
Use eye cream in the morning and at night (after washing).
This is a big one because crow’s feet around the eyes are some of the first wrinkles that form!
I’m currently using an eye cream from Yes to Blueberries that I’m getting from ePantry.com, but I just got a free eye cream from Bloom Naturals in the mail that I am eager to try!
Use an SPF moisturizer during each day.
There’s a lot of controversy surrounding sunscreens in the natural living world, and I do not personally slather up my whole body or my children’s bodies each day, but I am now realizing that my face needs a good, natural-ish as possible SPF moisturizer in order to slow down the wrinkles from forming.
This is especially true for me since I am a very fair-skinned redhead!
I am currently using a Yes to Carrots SPF moisturizer from ePantry.com.
Use a nourishing night cream.
I’m using a Yes to Blueberries night cream right now. Adding it to my official nighttime routine has really helped!
How to Find the Right Skincare Products for You
1. Try making your own.
If you skim the archives, you will find a plethora of posts from guests and contributing writers who do just that! To get you started, check out:
A Frugal, Non-toxic, One Ingredient Skincare Routine
Why Using Natural Skincare and Toiletry Products is Important
Simplify Skincare with the Oil Cleansing Method
2 Best Ways to Exfoliate Naturally
2. Check sales or try to earn credits for natural skincare products with high rating on EWG.org.
EWG.org is the website for the Environmental Working Group.
This site is jam-packed with incredibly helpful information and ratings on ingredients in everyday home and cosmetic items.
You can simply conduct a search for any product you want to know the rating of!
Do note that small, work-at-home mom companies will probably not yet have a rating on the EWG. They mostly rate large, well-known brands at this time.
Jacquelyn Cote
Thank you for this great article about skin care! When you exfoliate with the baking soda, do you use it with your hands, or a sponge, or…?
Erin
Hands!
Katie S.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! 🙂 I am 31 and still struggle with acne and have been noticing some dark eye circles and the beginnings of crows feet. I never used to have dry skin, now my hands and feet are always dry, even in our humid summer. I purchased the ultimate healthy living bundle through you (I’ve been reading nonstop!) and downloaded the ebooks on homemade scrubs and skincare and cannot wait to give those a try! Right now, I’m using Rodan and Fields Unblemish. It’s pretty expensive, and I know it’s not very natural, but it is what works best for me. So I am open to learning more and trying more natural methods 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Erin
Thank you, Katie! It’s crazy being in that really old decade where we can have both at the same time, right?! I have heard really good things about Rodan and Fields. Thank you for getting the bundle, and I really hope you LOVE the eBooks and eCourses (and bonuses too!)!!
Brittni
Loved the article, definitely some great tips in here!
I like to wash my face in the morning with Aveeno Positively Radiant face scrub, exfoliating gently with a towel, moisturize with St. Ives Timeless Skin mixed with an off brand oil-free spf 15 sunscreen. Once a week (when I’m alone in the house and remember) I do a red clay mask, and once a month I’ll do a baking soda and lemon juice mask to balance the ph in my skin.
Honestly I love my skin, I hardly ever wear makeup and when I do it’s eyes and lips only. The occasional blemish disappears almost overnight with my special mixture of witch hazel and tea tree oil. Both are pretty cheap at CVS, and a little goes a long way.
Erin
Thanks for sharing what you do, Brittni!
Mom of Four
I had been operating under “ignorance is bliss” in the skincare department. I was using L’BRI skin care products and LOVED them. But I finally looked up the ingredients on the EWG website, and I can’t un-know what I found. ?
So I came to your site, intentionally looking for your opinion on skin care and found this awesome (and applicable…yay 30’s!) blog post.
It’s chock full of great info! I’m wondering if you still feel the same about the products and brands you mentioned within each section? Have you tried and loved any others?