Start your anti-aging skincare in 20s

From minimising sun damage to deep nourishment for your skin, a thorough skincare regime started as early as in your 20s, can prove to be anti-aging and youthful, experts say.

"An effective anti-aging skincare routine is a daily investment. Building a skincare routine with our daily habits will have a bigger impact on what we see in the mirror. Your care for your skin is very personal and it differs from person to person," Dr Navin Taneja, Director of the National Skin Centre told IANSlife.

His top skincare tips for beautiful skin results:

1. Use sunblock
For healthy and glowing skin, wear sunscreen every day and proactively protect yourself from exposure to harmful rays. It's a key regimen for skin health. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and cause skin aging. Even when it is cloudy outside you still need to protect yourself from the harmful rays.

SPF 30-50/PA+++ sunscreen should be applied half an hour before sun exposure and be applied at least thrice a day. Sun-damage is cumulative, and regular use of sunblock slows down signs of premature aging like pigmentation, fine wrinkling and collagen depletion of the skin.

2. Try a pH balance cleanser
A big mistake would be not washing your skin with the right cleanser. Harsh soaps and cleansers with harmful chemicals can make your skin rough, overly dry or overly oily. Soapfree mild pH-balanced cleansers are most suitable and give excellent results, preserving a healthy layer of natural oil and moisture on skin.

3. An antioxidant rich diet
What you eat is quick to show on your skin. Antioxidant rich foods combat damage caused by stress, pollution and poor diet. The free radicals speed up the aging process and this is exactly what antioxidants help fight against. Blueberries, avocados, kale, oranges, pears, sweet potatoes, wild salmon, and watermelon are foods which help the skin cells stay healthy. Fatty fish, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds are rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids - essential for moisturized skin.

"To keep your skin looking young, it is best to start taking care of your skin when you are young," agrees Dolly Kumar, cosmetic engineer and founder-director of Skinella.

As per her, skin benefits from staying hydrated, always using a sunscreen before going outside, getting good sleep and regular exercise.

"However, it is most imperative to use products that contain no harsh chemicals like parabens and sulphates. Following a CTM regime everyday with the right products devoid of harsh chemicals helps keep skin always young and fresh. Skin care products made with superfoods also add a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants that protect skin from free radicals," she concludes.IANS