Dr. Alina Sholar is a renowned plastic surgeon based in Austin, TX, the founder of Skin Science Soul by Dr. Sholar and her much-adored Dr2Dr skincare program exclusively for physicians. Dr. Sholar is recognized nationally as an aesthetic laser expert and is frequently featured in national media outlets. After completing a full five-year general surgery residency at the University of Louisville, she went on to a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Tennessee. Her plastic surgery training included not only aesthetic surgery, but also dermatology, non-invasive and laser aesthetic treatments, reconstruction related to craniofacial surgery, microsurgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, and breast surgery. She received multiple awards and publications in research areas such as the efficacy of treatment at Tertiary Care Wound Centers and the advanced reconstructive techniques required after major facial trauma and infections in journals including the prestigious Annals of Plastic Surgery. She was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2008. Dr. Alina Sholar is not only known for her unparalleled medical background, but she also builds a true connection with her patients, with easy girl’s-girl reliability.

Haute Beaute expert Dr. Sholar discusses how to change your skincare regimen as you transition into anti-aging skincare to maintain healthy and young skin.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

You are likely just starting to notice a change in your skin’s tone, texture, or appearance. Once we’ve graduated into our thirties, our skin undergoes age-related changes at a more rapid rate than before, such as our skin losing some of its firmness or elasticity due to reduced elastin and collagen production.

If you’re in your thirties, now is the time to transition into anti-aging skincare! By swapping out your old skincare regimen for a better skincare routine for 30-year-olds, you can slow the effects of aging, treat new hormone-induced concerns, and maintain healthy skin.

What Should a 30 Year Old’s Skincare Routine Involve?

Your skincare routine after 30 will require more consistency to see results and to preserve a more youthful appearance. While we often prioritize our face, your after-thirty skincare shouldn’t neglect your neck and décolletage areas, as they often show early signs of aging as well.

An effective, comprehensive skincare routine for a 30-year-old should include some general steps toward preserving your skin’s youthfulness:

1) Girl, Clean Your Face!

Do not go to bed in makeup! If you haven’t before been dedicated to washing your face at least every evening, you’ll want to begin now. To properly clean your skin, use a gentle cleanser to remove dirt and grime from the day, without stripping your face of necessary oils. I love GlowbioticsMD’s Probiotic Nourishing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser and Dermaviduals Total Cleansing Cream, as they are safe for all skin types and removes harmful irritants and pollutants while leaving your skin feeling supple and hydrated. Your skin should never feel tight after washing your face. If it does, the cleanser contains too many detergents or the pH is too alkaline and it is damaging the skin’s protective barrier layer.

2) Exfoliate Every Now and Then.

Exfoliants are powerful skincare treatments that contain acids like AHAs and BHAs, or fruit enzymes. Incorporating exfoliation into your evening skincare routine a few times a week will help encourage cell turnover, stimulate collagen production, improve hydration, and polish up your skin. I much prefer these to physical scrubs like salt, sugar, crushed apricot pits, and the like. Those can create microtears in the skin that allow irritants and sensitizers to gain entry through the broken barrier. This will create inflammation that ultimately can become a problem. Here are some popular chemical exfoliants and their skincare benefits:

Glycolic Acid: improves the overall appearance of the skin, including early fine lines and discoloration

Salicylic Acid: offers natural antiseptic and skin-clearing properties for a deeper cleanse of congested skin and acne

Lactic Acid: balances your skin’s pH and hydration levels, strengthening its barrier.

Papain, Pumpkin, and Pomegranate: Enzymatic exfoliation from these lovely botanicals digests only dead surface skin cells leaving healthy ones intact

One of our favorites is AnteAGE® Regenzyme– a multi-tasking, gentle and effective approach to exfoliation. This non-acid blend of powerful botanical enzymes is produced through bacterial fermentation, enriched with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich ingredients, will soften skin and slough away surface dead skin cells, leaving the skin polished and hydrated. It is designed to be gentle enough for all skin types,

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

3) Time To Start Putting Collagen In The Bank.

NOW is the time to start working on anti-aging. After all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. To really pack some anti-aging and skin-preserving into your upcoming years, be sure to incorporate treatments and serums into your skincare regimen starting right now. Depending on your unique skincare concerns, you can customize this step to best benefit your goals. The three most important treatments for thirty-somethings to start to boost the collagen and elastin production include the following:

Antioxidants: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexydecylascorbate), Vitamin E, coQ10, and isoflavones. These powerful antioxidants defend against harmful free radicals that cross-link or break down collagen. They brighten skin’s overall appearance and reduce inflammation, making them a necessary addition to your skincare routine. Dermaviduals Vitamin Cream is an elegant formulation of all of these standard staples.

Retinoids (Retinol, Retinoic Acid Esters, Tretinoin, etc.): These vitamin A derivatives encourage skin-cell turnover and collagen production for a noticeable reduction in signs of sun damage and aging, acne, and dull skin tone. They are a must for anyone over thirty. If you’re just starting with retinoids, try lower-dose retinol first for gentle anti-aging benefits. As your skin gets used to retinoid treatments, you can increase the potency by graduating to those retinoids closer to tretinoin. Our favorite in this category is GlowbioticsMD’s Retinol Renewal for both getting the benefits of glyceryldiretinoate ester and retinol. Alternatively, bakuchiol offers the same benefits as retinol without the skin irritation altogether. ISDIN’s Melatonik is a magic-like bakuchiol product that also uses a rich melatonin serum to regenerate skin while you sleep.

Growth Factors (Bone Marrow Stem Cell-Derived Media): Your skin works hard to protect you every day and the stem cells within your skin contain hundreds of different Growth Factors & Cytokines used to manage the healing and regeneration process. With young skin, our naturally occurring stem cells are robust and responsive, keeping skin smooth, elastic, and radiant. But as we age, we have fewer of these cells available to repair skin damage. Over time this damage adds up and our skin health deteriorates. Growth Factors are now established by peer-reviewed research as the highest level of optimization in anti-aging skincare. Starting in your 30’s you are losing 1% of collagen per year, and Growth Factors slow that process of loss measurably. My favorite Growth Factor/Cytokine product is AnteAgeMD. In fact, when using this product, not only are you getting all the Growth Factors you need, but also the antioxidants and bakuchiol mentioned above!

4) Be On the Defense. Keep Your Barrier Strong.

Although growth factors are the queens of anti-aging and retinoids and antioxidants are her court, a strong barrier repairing cream is the safe haven castle the royalty live in. Healthy skin means that the skin’s natural wall of defense- a lipid bilayer barrier- locks in moisture and keeps out the enemies of pollutants, irritants, allergens, and pathogens. A great barrier cream mimics this protective function, with the composition biosimilar to the skin’s natural barrier, containing cholesterol, ceramides, and essential and non-essential fatty acids in an approximate 3:1:1:1 ratio shown to speed barrier healing and prevent trans-epidermal water loss. We adore Dermaviduals DMS Cream for the job. Plus, we can curate bespoke (custom-tailored) products to suit each person’s unique skin needs.

5) SPF Is Your BFF.

Sun exposure is incredibly harmful to your skin, causing skin cancers, photodamage, and wrinkles. To protect your skin against further sun damage, you show always incorporate a daily broad-spectrum SPF into your skincare regimen, and be sure to reapply when outside, as SPF protection wears off after about 80 minutes. Our skincare team loves ISDIN’s Eryfotona Actinica for its sheer emulsion formula and lightweight feel. We also love GlowbioticsMD’s Tinted SPF, a tinted color-matching broad-spectrum SPF that adds a little natural coverage with a makeup primer-like smoothness.

At Skin Science Soul by Dr. Sholar, we understand how vulnerable you may feel as your skin’s needs change as you age. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at our aesthetic plastic surgery practice in Austin, TX, where one of our professionals will assess your skin’s health, address your skin concerns, and create a customized treatment plan that fits within your budget and schedule while working towards achieving your skincare goals.

For more information, please visit our website at https://skinsciencesoul.com/.