How I Built My Post-30s Skincare Routine To Tackle Old Skincare Concerns And New Ones

When we’re young, our skin is perhaps our worst enemy. Or so it feels. Acne, blackheads, dullness, uneven tone… we struggle with so much. And all of it despite spending so much time trying out everything from a dermatologist-recommended medicated skincare to DIYs as instructed by mom. It’s ironic that when we actually need to bring in the cavalry to take care of our skin, once we enter the late 20s and early 30s, is when we have the least amount of time or inclination to do so. At least, that’s the case with me. As I turned 31 this year, all those warnings in advertisements and magazines suddenly rang through my head. I had to start taking serious care of my skin at this age! It seemed early, but it would determine how my skin aged.

Unfortunately, our lifestyle today has too much stress and unhealthy choices and too little time in our busy work and social schedules to counter the effects of leading such lives. Here I am, worried about things like my skin’s elasticity and sunspots. But the hormonal changes that pop up unannounced due to our erratic lifestyle mean I can even get those very ‘basic’ skincare issues that were my teenage nightmares—acne and blackheads. Sigh. There is no winning, is there?

 

Luckily for me, my work perks include a treasure trove of skincare products that target an array of concerns. And this time, I got to try out products from two new brands—The Pink Foundry and Gwang Biocare’s K-Beauty brand Village 11 Factory, because everyone wants a slice of that Korean Beauty pie, don’t we? I built a daytime and night-time routine with three products from each brand and used them for two weeks.

Let’s talk about the daytime routine first, shall we?

I’m someone who sweats a lot and usually runs a warm body temperature. For me, summers are the worst time for skincare because it takes every ounce of willpower to slather things on my face and body, even if it is just moisturiser and sunscreen because the heat makes any extra layering on our skins unbearable. I began by cleansing my face with a gel-based face wash and then using a facial mist as a toner. Now, I’ve never gotten into eye creams, but it is my latest curiosity. The Snail Eye Cream from Village 11 Factory went on to my post-toner skin. 

I cannot say yet what difference an eye cream has made to my under eyes. I don’t really have concerns like dark circles or puffy eye bags (despite an erratic sleep schedule). It might be too early to tell if it has any long term effects is prolonging these concerns that might eventually show up. But for now, coupled with a facial roller, it’s just a nice luxurious step to my skincare that makes me feel good, and lets the make-up go on real smooth on my under-eye region. I see that as a win.

Next, I follow it up with the Village 11 Factory Collagen Cream. It’s supposed to help with improving the skin’s elasticity, thereby being anti-wrinkle. At 31, these concerns are legit on the horizon for me, maybe not on my face yet, but definitely on my mind. It’s okay to want to work on them from early on because it means you’re taking good care of your skin, which will serve you well in your later years. The Collagen Cream has a gel-like texture that feels great on the skin. Once I even refrigerated the product and used it on my face, and the application felt amazing, It smells pretty decent as well. Over the two weeks that I used this, my skin felt immensely hydrated. I’ve used this Collagen Cream as a base for my makeup, before the primer, and due to its non-sticky and lightweight nature, it works really well as one.

And finally, I follow up the Collagen Cream with Village 11 Factory Moisture Cream, which is like your daily moisturiser. Again, the texture is only slightly heavier than the Collagen Cream; the latter was a clear gel and this one is milkier. I thought both smelt exactly the same to me, and together, the effect is basically hydrated, more supple skin over prolonged use. The Moisture Cream gives that extra hydration, for when your skin is really parched. I often apply the extra bits on my hands after facial use to my elbows and knees and it works quite well. 

Also Read: Review: I Used A Summer Skin Protector And An Ampoule For My Uneven Skin Tone And It Transformed My Skin

The night is when I am at my most leisurely and have time to do an extra step. This is also when most of the masking happens. Of The Pink Foundry products sent to me, there’s a Wrinkle Reduction Night Cream that went on as my base. TPF has this Tri-Derm action and peptides in its formula, which from as much as I have learnt about the, are amino acids that form proteins that our skin needs to stay firmer, elastic and look younger. So, always a good deal. The Pink Foundry cream is, of course, a comparatively heavier application, which works for me, because I don’t have to wear makeup on top of it or step out in the heat. It has a fragrance also. 

Again, does this product hydrate my skin and make it feel pampered? Yes, it does. But whether it does promise to do what it should be doing in terms of elasticity, is an answer found after more prolonged usage. But with INR 2500 a pop and 30ml of product, I sure hope it delivers. I like that the brand is vegan, cruelty-free and non-comedogenic, ticking so many boxes on my checklist.

The other two products from The Pink Foundry that I use target the biggest skin concern that I have: breakouts. The Overnight Exfoliating Radiance Mask has some pretty interesting ingredients in it, from Caviar Lime extract to Australian Tasmanian Mountain Pepper and best of all, Salicylic Acid, all of which target concerns like inflammation, dead skin cells, hyperpigmentation, etc. I used the mask twice a week as directed. After four uses, I found my skin clearing a little. The breakouts didn’t stop altogether, because sigh, hormones, but the inflammation was brought down. 

The Overnight Acne Spot Corrector was a product I was most excited to try because it was targeting a major concern for me. The application involves dipping a cotton Q-tip into the residue at the bottom of the bottle, a milky-pinkish white liquid that looks pretty much like medicine. It’s a spot treatment; when applied to acne, it instantly dries it out, which is the best way to get rid of them. It is recommended to be used every night, after cleansing and toning. I used it on alternate nights, and this one too helped in reducing the lesions on my face from the breakouts. I used it on my nose area because that’s where most of the blackheads would appear, and I noticed that the combined effect of this and the Radiance Mask did make a slight difference to the appearance and texture of that area of my skin.

So, what’s my takeaway? Both these brands have promising products, with new ingredients and formulae that give your skin more of what’s good for it, especially post a certain age. While the long-term effects on things such as skin elasticity need to be waited and watched out for, they do make for some great everyday TLC for the skin, which ultimately helps a lot more than any instantaneous treatment might.

Ew, NO WAY! 5 Worst Beauty Trends Of 2021 That We’re Leaving Behind Once 2022 Arrives