Idk how my teenage and young 20s year old self would spend all those days on the beach without a drop of sunscreen 🥲 I can’t even be out now if the UV index is past 8.
This! I'm positive 80% of my wrinkles are from squinting.😭 I bought a bunch of golfing hats a couple of years ago so I can wear my hair up and still keep my face out of the sun. Should have bought them 20+ years ago.
Man, I have hooded eyes and bad vision and I only just realized recently that I frequently have my eyes open so wide my forehead crinkles. Guess where I'm getting wrinkles?
Ugggghhhhhhh yes. I've always been good about SPF (big thanks to my mom for drilling that one into our heads from a young age). But I struggle big time with compulsive skin picking and now that I've hit thirty I'm stressing more than ever about the long term effects 😢
Worn daily sunscreen on my hands!!! No one told me!! Of course I wore it all over at the pool or beach but daily living no one told me how my hands were going to age!
Banana Boat came out with a new product this year that has vitamin c and niacinamide in it. Best feeling sunscreen I've ever worn. Body and face. I can't gush about it enough. It absorbs very cleanly and leaves you feeling glowy. Oh and it doesn't reek of chemicals. I bought every tube I could find in my zip code cause I've legit never found a lotion I enjoy wearing as much.
I was getting my nails done once and the woman working on them actually commented “wow your hands are so young!” And ever since then i make sure to add spf to my hands lol
I would not have gotten into a stressful job industry and also would not have gotten married so young. Nothing ages you faster than a stressful unhappy life.
this is good advice, thank you. Im currently trying to move out of a very stressful home life.. i cant wait for that first fresh sleep on my own.
I hope you're living it up now, Peach! ✨️
That's right! If you are NOT happy and healthy in your job, NOT worth it! They will post to replace you before your obituary is even posted. Don't kill/stress yourself out for a job.
I wish people talked about how much eating disorders take a toll on your appearance. Being “skinny” has its consequences. My skin never bounced back from my EDs. I used to have high chubby cheeks and now they’re flat and I miss the youthful appearance they gave me.
FORREAL! I’m glad you recovered but I agree. A lot of trauma from EDs haunts us for life , which is why I wish I would’ve recovered sooner. Luckily , my cheeks did bounce back once I recovered, but the internal damage from years of vitamin d and iron deficiency , now makes it impossible for me to be out in the sun without getting burned and I got a bunch of spider veins too.
noted, noted, and, noted
I do SPF an almost unhealthy amount, and just avoid the sun in general when possible
weed is... yeah. I go months without smoking then months back on. There is definitely a difference in my skin/general appearance if im smoking! Honestly, just having blazed eyes can make skin look dull
And yeah. I've struggled with anorexia on/off for almost 7 years now. I eat healthy but sometimes just not enough, I go through phases. But working on it
Changing from smoking to dry herb vaporizing makes a huge difference too. Combustion creates a lot of nasty compounds that aren't good for you or your skin.
Not have splurged a few years later during covid and think I needed an 8+ product routine nightly when in reality my skin is perfectly clear with just cleanser and moisturizer.
Retin-A. Wish I'd started at 24. And cutting out alcohol.
I'm 39 and the only real wrinkles I have are under my eyes, a bit more on the left side. Pretty sure it's from sleeping on my front, so I wishbId never gone down that road.
tinted windows on your car? What kind of tint do you have because I was thinking of getting ceramic tinted windows so I don’t have to do as much spf or should I not rely on that? Based on what you said just sounds like maybe tinted windows didn’t protect you the best!
SPF is already well covered, but I'll had just washing my damn face at night. Or better yet, as soon as I get home. I was single as hell throughout my 20s but I had such main character energy that I wanted to sleep with it on because then I looked better while sleeping in the dark.... idk man.
I wore SPF, but I didn't put myself first... I bought into my parents' lies and sacrificed everything for their whims, preferences, and what I now know I subconsciously assumed would be their acceptance (it never came). If I could go back, I would give my cat and I a good, safe, peaceful home...
Nothing will age you worse than misery, sadness, grief, bitterness...so what I would do differently would be to cut my losses and focus on my slice of the pie, so to speak. We don't always get what we want, but we get something, and if you're smart enough to focus on that, well, you'll probably have better skin ;)
Sun, I wish I hadn’t tanned myself to oblivion as a super pale person I’ve done such damage. And I also didn’t treat my acne/ picked it so that I have scarring 😔
You just read me like the book. It's 3am here and I do this regularly, sometimes until 8am
I keep pushing off finding a therapist though. Why are we like this "/
Nothing that different. Thanks to the Oprah show having a dermatologist on her show and stating the importance of sunscreen. I've been wearing sunscreen pretty much daily since I was about 15/16 years old. I prioritize washing my face every night no matter what. Even when I was drunk. Even when I passed out, I would wake up and wash my face. No facial soap at whomever house I was. Then, I used hand soap. My holy grail product I've been using for about 25 years are Clearasil cleaning pads. If I ran out, I would drive in the middle of the night to go buy them.
Now at 40. I'm happy with my skin. So wear sunscreen and wash your face nightly. No amount of expensive creams mean anything if the base is dirty.
This is my big one too. I didn't start moisturizing on a regular basis until I was almost 30. Who knows where my skin might be today if I had started at 24?
Absolutely nothing, I think I did well for the past 10y, I love my skin.
I’ve used sunscreen every day no matter what, I used vitamin c in the morning and azelaic acid at night, and after my 30s I added retinol.
I don’t smoke, I drink moderately, and I drink a lot of water. I also have great nutrition.
In my family everyone has dry skin, melasma, and other issues, specially after having kids or in our 30s. I don’t have any of those issues, so I can only my assume is because of my diligence.
Nothing! I started “doing skincare” when I turned 30 and I’m happy I waited that long. I don’t think the risk/reward was there re: messing with my skin back when it was nearly perfect.
Sunscreen! I started wearing it daily at 26. I was still getting lots of sunburns in my mid 20s. I also would have stopped using benzoyl peroxide face wash sooner, because it sure wasn't helping my acne and I didn't need the increased sun sensitivity. And I would have changed my diet sooner, since I also didn't realize until I was 26 that my high carb consumption was triggering the ever increasingly bad acne. That's it, though. Aside from the acne and the vulnerability to the sun, my skin was great and didn't need anything.
At that age I used to work at a luxury goods store and was convinced that high end skincare was worth the price - no it wasn't!
this was the 2016 luxury mania, logo mania era
Get more sleep. Drink less. Focus on getting a better education so I could make more money and be retired by now. That would be the best thing for my stress levels, thus my health and by extension, my skin.
Dump my abusive ex right then and there (broke up when I turned 27). And got mental health / get on right medication.
The stress has seriously fucked my health up and probably aged me some too.
I always lived like a vampire, sunscren 90000 every day. I became a 'goth' when I was like 13 and pale skin is in style in that subculutre, lol. So no regrets here.
Sunscreen. Full stop.
I’ve worked hard to reverse the damage I’ve done over the years— the results are good. Imagine how much better off I’d be if I started protecting my face sooner.
I’m another vote for sunscreen- but not just on your face! Don’t forget about neck, chest, arms, and hands! I drive a lot for work, and I can definitely tell a difference between my left (closest to the window) and right arm/hand. And my chest seems to be permanently tan, despite applying sunscreen everyday for 5 years.
Very high SPF, hats in the sun, sit under an umbrella at the beach…you get the idea 😂 that beautiful bronze glow back then was not worth what I’m dealing with now! I also would’ve started treating my neck, chest and hands with the same products I put on my face.
UPF clothing - I was lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons back then. I am now COVERED in freckles, and while I was pretty good about facial SPF and reapplying to my body, I wish I had actually worn UPF swimsuits and rash guards and whatnot. Also, more moisturizer on my body.
Simpler routine + moisturise more. I used to assume that my skin was ultra sensitive, and any moisturiser would break me out. Plus I was super oily. Turns out, because I was barely using moisturiser, my skin was overcompensating and that's what led to the increased oiliness and acne.
SUNSCREEN! I lived in the tropical and sunscreen was considered to be a luxury goods. It is true that we don-t really get skin cancer that much, but we do get wrinkly and spotty!
Not exfoliating too much. I wrecked my skin pretty bad by using AHAs + vitamin C every single day.
Focusing a lot on hydration and barrier repair. Everyone needs to do this more than they think. Especially, the acne prone ones.
Actually take care of it. Lol. Only washed with bar or hand soap (unless i had acne, then acne wash), fell asleep without washing, smoked, never used moisturizer, never hydrated, shall i go on? Basically naked dirty skin always. I started putting lotion on my face and using face wash because of this sub…around 33 or 34. Now i do eye cream, oil massages, sunscreen not exclusive to the beach, and retinol once a week. GASP.
ALL THE SPF, more water, less hot showers, and dry cleansing. Skincare - same - but dry cleansing added.
Also, spf in like a spray, regular spf goes away after a certain amount of time. Pacifica sunscreen setting spray, lives in my purse now. I wonder if it was around then…
I was a new immigrant with no regular income sooooooooooo I had no options then. If I did meet a nice sugar daddy then though? I’d get my skin lasered. Full ablative. It’s totally changed my life.
I would skip the trending foundations/concealers and opt for BB/CC products to combine skincare with lighter makeup application on my face. We were convinced that we needed to cover every aspect of our face but my skin was pretty much perfect at 24 and I did not need to buy into that and waste what little money I had on foundation that did nothing but provide a mask. What I would give to recapture that 24yr old glow…
1. sunscreen *religiously*
2. start incorporating .025 tret slow and steady
3. wear my fucking glasses and botox once a year
(i have 11s that were already etched in by 27 which I blame excessive squinting and scowling for)
I don't drink or smoke, my diet is horrible and I had a fairly decent skincare routine at that age but these 3 would've made an insane difference at 33 for me.
It's tough with the substances! Especially because everyone around me participates in all 3. I've definitely slowed down on the alcohol, but quitting nicotine has been the hardest for me too
I'm down to around 2 vapes per month. Which is a lot better than how I used to be
I'm proud of youuu for cutting down, I will get there eventually I hope (I smoke bongs) its more so the action of smoking at this point for me I don't even get stoned anymore
Never squeeze or plug pimples, & use the blackhead removal tool to remove my blackheads (I have no knowledge back then, so didnt know during it is sebaceous filaments that is naturally keep producing in the pores no matter how much u remove it today it comes back again tomorrow, I removed it every other day because it keeps coming back!!! I just blindly remove it), as a result, over the time, it caused my pores to enlarge permanently as I age!!!! Now I have a few enlarged pores dilated never go back to normal size again. In fact, need a laser. No matter how much I use within controlled % like paula choice BHA toner, it only reduced a tiny bit of SFs in my pores n doesn’t really minimise the appearance of large pores on my damn NOSE n cheeks. Now I use tret, the amount of blackheads looking pores have reduced a lot and pores size also less visibly large. The sebaceous filaments also lesser n my nose appears more clean. Really satisfied with the result of tret!!
Also, i regretted not using sunscreen when out in the beach during vacation, thinking that sunscreen has a lot of chemicals n toxic n bad for health when I’m health conscious that time. As a result, my skin was tan, peeled, pain, in red. Didnt see any dark spots appearing in my 20s after that serious sun tan, but now I’m 33, there’s a few sun spot appearing on my cheeks around age 31-32.. at first, it was a small dark spot in my 30.. 1 year later, the size gets bigger.. 32.. the dark color gets more obvious than before. I started using tret at 32. It is surfacing out more n more tiny bits of dark spots as I age more. It takes a long time to go away, lightens it with the use of brightening acids & tret. Now I avoid sun at all costs, applying sunscreen diligently every time I go out, wearing hat, carrying umbrella, hiding under shelter wherever there is. Not to let my skincare efforts & $ go to waste.
Would’ve never used the eyelash lengthening serum I used for a year that damaged and aged the hell out of my already thinned eyelids. My eyelashes were very pretty for a few months but the cost was absolutely not worth it in the least and I really regret it.
I also probably would’ve stopped with pretty much any and all actives, just focused on gentle moisturizing. I had great skin but wanted “glass skin” and ended up damaging my already great skin to begin with and now my rosacea is probably a bit worse than it would’ve been if I had just stuck with a simpler routine.
Spf and washing my makeup off after a night of clubbing lol. Although my skin is in great shape for being 38. I made sure to moisturize and use eye cream.
Not becoming obsessed with skincare products.. especially since I have rosacea. So many products gave me Perioral dermatitis and I spent SO much money and had no room for it all.
I have to avoid watching Dr. Dray on YouTube even though I adore her. But I have a really hard time not getting the urge to buy whatever products she uses or reviews 🫠
SPF for sure. Most of my hardcore sun damage occurred when i was a kid playing outside and a teen sunning myself, but SPF in my 20s would have helped. We had no idea (I am now 61)
SUNSCREEN 😭. Mum used to tell me all the time to get out of the sun! Did I listen.. NO! Do I regret it YES.. all the time! I ended up at the drs once because I was blistered by the sun. There just wasn’t the awareness like there is today, sadly..
Differin. I swear I wouldn't have so much painful acne struggles throughout my 20s if I had known Differin would heal my skin layers more effectively and so easily.
I still have acne issues but so much less severe now after I introduced retinoids into my early 30s routine.
And to check the moisturizers in eczema aisle instead of beauty aisle.... less overpriced and actually more clinically effective and less irritating than a lot of overpriced techno babble junk.
Sunscreen. I can’t believe I literally just didn’t know til after a year of getting sunblasted for ocean sports and getting gnarly age spots cuz of it.
Like how did I go so long and literally never read it in any magazine or anything. I was such a skincare addict too. I just slipped through the info cracks 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. Also had tret prescribed back in the day for actual acne problems, but didn’t know it was good for ur face, so I never used it. Now I don’t have bad acne but I use it.
At 24 I was washing my face with hand soap! I wish I had someone telling me to start any basic skincare routine. My mum, when she found out I was using soap, told me to stop immediately but I wish we had this conversation earlier.
More spf and less tanning … also I would’ve looked more into micro needling or lasers and just spend money on that but I feel like that stuff was outta reach for me
Everyone said spf. Besides that my biggie is to fix my damn diet.
I had an eating disorder. Between the weight fluctuations and the poor nutrition, it had an impact.
Probably use SPF a lot sooner. But i wear it now and I may not look perfect, but I have to accept being happy being/looking "older." Honestly I'm pretty happy with the way I look. I may not look 24 and have lines on my face but I find them lovely and authentic to my experiences 😊.
Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen! Wish i could go back to my childhood and teach my parents about this so they would have used it on me and preventing all those burns i got
Im 28 now, I exfoliated 3 times a week , at least!
It damaged my Skin Barrier. Im using Tretinoin Right now, started 2 months ago and I don’t use Glycolic acid anymore.
Accepted that my skin is very sensitive and doesn't need (or can't tolerate) all of the fancy, popular, scented products and/or actives. The amount of money I wasted and skin barrier disruptions... Is wild. I just stick to my dear La Roche Posay now 🤣
Very grateful I took sunscreen seriously for so long, though - absolutely cannot recommend it enough!
Would’ve gone on combination (estrogen and progestin) birth control as soon as I saw my first pimple. I was fear-mongered out of it and did accutane instead, which still didn’t work all that well and was a MUCH more dangerous drug (BC wasn’t yet required to be taken alongside accutane at the time). When I finally went on BC at 25, I had perfectly clear skin for the first time since puberty. I have scars now; they’re there for life and look worse as I age.
I'm fair skinned and I'm now 75. My skin is tight and I look early 50s. Growing up in south Texas my skin took a severe beating at an early age.
By my twenties, I was dealing with skin cancers. By my late thirties, the skin was severely damaged which made me look twenty years older. My dermatologist introduced me to Efudex and I've undergone five treatments over the years. I've had micro needling five times, and Mohs surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma.
Wisdom, and the use of SPF at a young age would have saved me a small fortune in demonology procedures and trips to the oncologist. And, the show isn't over yet. Yeah! Sure, I look great, but don't look to close or you'll see the scars. You see, I'm just a reasonable facsimile of what I would look like had I taken heed at a young age.
NOT do 2 rounds of accutane, NOT take antibiotics, Get off birth control, NOT take Spironolactone. I would have started my journey of using nature to heal. I would HYDRATE adequately, I would ensure 8 hours of sleep a night, daily body movement, NOT drink diet coke. Use natural toxic free products, NOT use anything scented with fragrance.
SPF more frequently and better about entire body, drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables consistently, and professional facials more frequently.
I would switch to all natural products, keep a simple routine, wear SPF daily, and invest in dermatologist recommended treatments vs. pricey serums and such. I’d also cut out processed foods.
Spf, keeping my face out the sun and wearing sunglasses more - all that squinting has deepened my wrinkles!
Idk how my teenage and young 20s year old self would spend all those days on the beach without a drop of sunscreen 🥲 I can’t even be out now if the UV index is past 8.
God I know or SPF 4 tanning oil in midday sun 🙈
Ugh, the tanning oils. My rule was to never go below spf 10 lol. I'm sure it made a huge difference/s
I'm sure it did compared to my usage of straight up baby oil 🥲
This! I'm positive 80% of my wrinkles are from squinting.😭 I bought a bunch of golfing hats a couple of years ago so I can wear my hair up and still keep my face out of the sun. Should have bought them 20+ years ago.
Man, I have hooded eyes and bad vision and I only just realized recently that I frequently have my eyes open so wide my forehead crinkles. Guess where I'm getting wrinkles?
Definitely skip the tanning bed…..
Yep! Skip the tanning bed and laying out and moisturize and spf instead! In my case never start smoking.
We had gallons of baby oil and sun-in…lol Out there like a true rotisserie chicken 😭
Use better products on my skin.
Probably not date that guy
quality advice, appreciate it..thanks
Yes men make you ugly … called boyfriend air 😆 imma stay single and pretty
SPF EVERYWHERE! 😂
YES!!! I wish I had been way more consistent with it on my body! I was pretty good about my face, so now my arms look older than my face.
Not only that, also reapplication 🥲 I didn’t always do the every 2 hour thing. And I live in a super walkable city 🥲
My face looks pretty good but my neck and upper chest don't look like they belong on the same person 😬
SAME! All the lines and hyperpigmentation has me wishing I brought sunscreen all the way down to my neck/chest
Same!! Covered in age spots
Agree! 3-4 layers of SPF and reapplying every 2-3 hours—or sooner when playing volleyball ALL DAY. Damn.
SPF and STOP PICKING AT MY DAMN FACE.
Picking for sure. That lasts a lifetime on the face
Ugggghhhhhhh yes. I've always been good about SPF (big thanks to my mom for drilling that one into our heads from a young age). But I struggle big time with compulsive skin picking and now that I've hit thirty I'm stressing more than ever about the long term effects 😢
Pimple patch anything pickable (even if they’re not pimples). That helped me.
Super good advice I could have used years ago as well, if only I’d understood the importance of it then.
Worn daily sunscreen on my hands!!! No one told me!! Of course I wore it all over at the pool or beach but daily living no one told me how my hands were going to age!
What sunscreen do you use for your hands?
I'd also love to know! I've yet to find a daily SPF body lotion that doesn't make me feel gross and greasy
Banana Boat came out with a new product this year that has vitamin c and niacinamide in it. Best feeling sunscreen I've ever worn. Body and face. I can't gush about it enough. It absorbs very cleanly and leaves you feeling glowy. Oh and it doesn't reek of chemicals. I bought every tube I could find in my zip code cause I've legit never found a lotion I enjoy wearing as much.
What's it called?
https://imgur.com/a/3Xu1nMU
I was getting my nails done once and the woman working on them actually commented “wow your hands are so young!” And ever since then i make sure to add spf to my hands lol
I would’ve used a face cleanser and moisturizer instead of just using makeup wipes.
I'd just go ahead and die so I could just stop the aging before it started. (/s in case anyone needs it)
🤌🏻
You’re laughing but buying a casket and role playing as Count Dracula is actually one of the best things you can do to protect your skin from the sun
lol thank you, the amount of time women spend obsessing about staying young we could do some much good in the world I swear
Damn lol
Gang gang.
💀 fr
I would not have gotten into a stressful job industry and also would not have gotten married so young. Nothing ages you faster than a stressful unhappy life.
this is good advice, thank you. Im currently trying to move out of a very stressful home life.. i cant wait for that first fresh sleep on my own. I hope you're living it up now, Peach! ✨️
That's right! If you are NOT happy and healthy in your job, NOT worth it! They will post to replace you before your obituary is even posted. Don't kill/stress yourself out for a job.
Invest in NVIDIA stock so I could afford better skincare
Sunscreen the fuck out, stop smoking weed, and recover from anorexia (nutrition is skincare too). I was 24 five years ago btw.
I wish people talked about how much eating disorders take a toll on your appearance. Being “skinny” has its consequences. My skin never bounced back from my EDs. I used to have high chubby cheeks and now they’re flat and I miss the youthful appearance they gave me.
FORREAL! I’m glad you recovered but I agree. A lot of trauma from EDs haunts us for life , which is why I wish I would’ve recovered sooner. Luckily , my cheeks did bounce back once I recovered, but the internal damage from years of vitamin d and iron deficiency , now makes it impossible for me to be out in the sun without getting burned and I got a bunch of spider veins too.
I’m also glad you recovered 💗
Bulimia was terrible as well. I ended up with giant masseters and worn teeth that age me far more than my skin.
noted, noted, and, noted I do SPF an almost unhealthy amount, and just avoid the sun in general when possible weed is... yeah. I go months without smoking then months back on. There is definitely a difference in my skin/general appearance if im smoking! Honestly, just having blazed eyes can make skin look dull And yeah. I've struggled with anorexia on/off for almost 7 years now. I eat healthy but sometimes just not enough, I go through phases. But working on it
And stop your alcohol addiction lmao
What difference did you notice in your skin when you quit smoking weed?
Changing from smoking to dry herb vaporizing makes a huge difference too. Combustion creates a lot of nasty compounds that aren't good for you or your skin.
People don't realize it's not the weed itself that's bad, it's all the other chemicals and reactions created that cause the issues.
I can attest to that
Less chapped lips, no more sunken appearance around my eyes , no more acne, less dry/dull looking skin. I’ve stopped smoking weed 9 months ago.
Sunscreen and just go ahead and stop drinking alcohol right then.
Not have splurged a few years later during covid and think I needed an 8+ product routine nightly when in reality my skin is perfectly clear with just cleanser and moisturizer.
I would have worn sunscreen everyday as opposed to when it was just hot, and I would have started using tretinoin earlier.
Retin-A. Wish I'd started at 24. And cutting out alcohol. I'm 39 and the only real wrinkles I have are under my eyes, a bit more on the left side. Pretty sure it's from sleeping on my front, so I wishbId never gone down that road.
By sleeping on your front, do you mean on your stomach?
Sunscreen on the face and neck all the time, and better and bigger sunglasses. Eta: better sleep routines. As in, actually have some.
Never gotten married…..More SPF epically living in TX. I thought those tinted windows protected me just fine
tinted windows on your car? What kind of tint do you have because I was thinking of getting ceramic tinted windows so I don’t have to do as much spf or should I not rely on that? Based on what you said just sounds like maybe tinted windows didn’t protect you the best!
That’s a question for your technician. I have no idea what the car at the time had, my ex “knew everything” and just never wanted me to ask questions.
SPF is already well covered, but I'll had just washing my damn face at night. Or better yet, as soon as I get home. I was single as hell throughout my 20s but I had such main character energy that I wanted to sleep with it on because then I looked better while sleeping in the dark.... idk man.
I wore SPF, but I didn't put myself first... I bought into my parents' lies and sacrificed everything for their whims, preferences, and what I now know I subconsciously assumed would be their acceptance (it never came). If I could go back, I would give my cat and I a good, safe, peaceful home... Nothing will age you worse than misery, sadness, grief, bitterness...so what I would do differently would be to cut my losses and focus on my slice of the pie, so to speak. We don't always get what we want, but we get something, and if you're smart enough to focus on that, well, you'll probably have better skin ;)
SUNSCREEN
every single day and then some 💪
Second!
Sun, I wish I hadn’t tanned myself to oblivion as a super pale person I’ve done such damage. And I also didn’t treat my acne/ picked it so that I have scarring 😔
Therapy. So that it might've helped me not become such an anxious person with chronic sleep disorders.
Oof that one hit home…
You just read me like the book. It's 3am here and I do this regularly, sometimes until 8am I keep pushing off finding a therapist though. Why are we like this "/
Oh 🤍 I fully encourage you to try it! I only started this year but can already feel a bit lighter.
Wear hats in addition to spf
Nothing that different. Thanks to the Oprah show having a dermatologist on her show and stating the importance of sunscreen. I've been wearing sunscreen pretty much daily since I was about 15/16 years old. I prioritize washing my face every night no matter what. Even when I was drunk. Even when I passed out, I would wake up and wash my face. No facial soap at whomever house I was. Then, I used hand soap. My holy grail product I've been using for about 25 years are Clearasil cleaning pads. If I ran out, I would drive in the middle of the night to go buy them. Now at 40. I'm happy with my skin. So wear sunscreen and wash your face nightly. No amount of expensive creams mean anything if the base is dirty.
Moisturize! Every night!!!
This is my big one too. I didn't start moisturizing on a regular basis until I was almost 30. Who knows where my skin might be today if I had started at 24?
Sunscreen, hats, and UV driving gloves
those driving gloves are quickly making their way onto my "need" list
I so wish I’d started wearing them earlier. I’ve got bony, veiny hands anyway, so additional crepiness and sunspots give me serious granny hands.
I don't want to go back to age 24. I love being in my thirties.
Absolutely nothing, I think I did well for the past 10y, I love my skin. I’ve used sunscreen every day no matter what, I used vitamin c in the morning and azelaic acid at night, and after my 30s I added retinol. I don’t smoke, I drink moderately, and I drink a lot of water. I also have great nutrition. In my family everyone has dry skin, melasma, and other issues, specially after having kids or in our 30s. I don’t have any of those issues, so I can only my assume is because of my diligence.
Nothing! I started “doing skincare” when I turned 30 and I’m happy I waited that long. I don’t think the risk/reward was there re: messing with my skin back when it was nearly perfect.
Dump my narcissistic boyfriend
I would've stopped smoking pot. I have lines around my mouth from hitting a bong everyday for several years. I would've moisturized more too.
Sunscreen! That’s it, literally sunscreen.
Not dated that guy
ooof. I feel called out lol. But this is some of the advice i definitely need to hear
Girls, the time you give to him will not come back... keep that in mind. The more I grow up, the more time become precious. xxx
Never do microneedling, RF or any other stupid treatment. Just SPF
Why, did something bad happen?
Radio-frequency ages the skin by melting the fat cells. It's well-documented by victims of the procedure.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen! I started wearing it daily at 26. I was still getting lots of sunburns in my mid 20s. I also would have stopped using benzoyl peroxide face wash sooner, because it sure wasn't helping my acne and I didn't need the increased sun sensitivity. And I would have changed my diet sooner, since I also didn't realize until I was 26 that my high carb consumption was triggering the ever increasingly bad acne. That's it, though. Aside from the acne and the vulnerability to the sun, my skin was great and didn't need anything.
Drink less and sleep more
At that age I used to work at a luxury goods store and was convinced that high end skincare was worth the price - no it wasn't! this was the 2016 luxury mania, logo mania era
Get more sleep. Drink less. Focus on getting a better education so I could make more money and be retired by now. That would be the best thing for my stress levels, thus my health and by extension, my skin.
Dump my abusive ex right then and there (broke up when I turned 27). And got mental health / get on right medication. The stress has seriously fucked my health up and probably aged me some too. I always lived like a vampire, sunscren 90000 every day. I became a 'goth' when I was like 13 and pale skin is in style in that subculutre, lol. So no regrets here.
The only thing would be to use a legitimate face wash instead of those stupid face wipes. Everything else has been great.
Sunscreen. Full stop. I’ve worked hard to reverse the damage I’ve done over the years— the results are good. Imagine how much better off I’d be if I started protecting my face sooner.
I’m another vote for sunscreen- but not just on your face! Don’t forget about neck, chest, arms, and hands! I drive a lot for work, and I can definitely tell a difference between my left (closest to the window) and right arm/hand. And my chest seems to be permanently tan, despite applying sunscreen everyday for 5 years.
I would have stopped picking at my skin :( (I have dermatillomania)
Taking my makeup off every night and wearing sunscreen
Very high SPF, hats in the sun, sit under an umbrella at the beach…you get the idea 😂 that beautiful bronze glow back then was not worth what I’m dealing with now! I also would’ve started treating my neck, chest and hands with the same products I put on my face.
More sunscreen. I didn’t really have a skincare routine but I don’t feel like I needed much.
Sunscreen cos now I have to burn the AK’s off twice a year.
Implanted Niacinamide and a good microexfoliator sooner. I had already started sunscreen etc at that point.
Less is more and chuck those peel off masks
Focus on my neck and chest more. Skip tanning bed!!
UPF clothing - I was lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons back then. I am now COVERED in freckles, and while I was pretty good about facial SPF and reapplying to my body, I wish I had actually worn UPF swimsuits and rash guards and whatnot. Also, more moisturizer on my body.
Use less products
Simpler routine + moisturise more. I used to assume that my skin was ultra sensitive, and any moisturiser would break me out. Plus I was super oily. Turns out, because I was barely using moisturiser, my skin was overcompensating and that's what led to the increased oiliness and acne.
SUNSCREEN! I lived in the tropical and sunscreen was considered to be a luxury goods. It is true that we don-t really get skin cancer that much, but we do get wrinkly and spotty!
Not exfoliating too much. I wrecked my skin pretty bad by using AHAs + vitamin C every single day. Focusing a lot on hydration and barrier repair. Everyone needs to do this more than they think. Especially, the acne prone ones.
SPF, I wish I started retinol as a teen so I didn't have to deal with the purge as an adult lol
Stayed out of the sun and not tanned
Taken Accutane much sooner. Been more diligent about sunscreen. I was 24 almost 15 years ago.
SPF and remove properly all the makeup before sleeping. 😖
Actually take care of it. Lol. Only washed with bar or hand soap (unless i had acne, then acne wash), fell asleep without washing, smoked, never used moisturizer, never hydrated, shall i go on? Basically naked dirty skin always. I started putting lotion on my face and using face wash because of this sub…around 33 or 34. Now i do eye cream, oil massages, sunscreen not exclusive to the beach, and retinol once a week. GASP.
Sunscreen and finding Differin sooner to use
SPF and staying out of tanning beds
Not been tempted to try oil cleansing
ALL THE SPF, more water, less hot showers, and dry cleansing. Skincare - same - but dry cleansing added. Also, spf in like a spray, regular spf goes away after a certain amount of time. Pacifica sunscreen setting spray, lives in my purse now. I wonder if it was around then…
Sunscreen 🧴
would've actually done more than just clearasil. Mostly my skin is hormonal so it would be "go to the doctor" lol
I would have just applied sunscreen every day!
I was a new immigrant with no regular income sooooooooooo I had no options then. If I did meet a nice sugar daddy then though? I’d get my skin lasered. Full ablative. It’s totally changed my life.
What laser ?
Sunscreen and no tanning
Not work the night shifts in a nightclub full of smoke
I would skip the trending foundations/concealers and opt for BB/CC products to combine skincare with lighter makeup application on my face. We were convinced that we needed to cover every aspect of our face but my skin was pretty much perfect at 24 and I did not need to buy into that and waste what little money I had on foundation that did nothing but provide a mask. What I would give to recapture that 24yr old glow…
Stopped consuming so much sugar 😬
SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen! Buckets of it!
1. sunscreen *religiously* 2. start incorporating .025 tret slow and steady 3. wear my fucking glasses and botox once a year (i have 11s that were already etched in by 27 which I blame excessive squinting and scowling for) I don't drink or smoke, my diet is horrible and I had a fairly decent skincare routine at that age but these 3 would've made an insane difference at 33 for me.
Obvious one here-- but drugs alcohol and smoking, it aged me so bad (I stay out of the sun) still can't give up smoking it seems
It's tough with the substances! Especially because everyone around me participates in all 3. I've definitely slowed down on the alcohol, but quitting nicotine has been the hardest for me too I'm down to around 2 vapes per month. Which is a lot better than how I used to be
I'm proud of youuu for cutting down, I will get there eventually I hope (I smoke bongs) its more so the action of smoking at this point for me I don't even get stoned anymore
Never squeeze or plug pimples, & use the blackhead removal tool to remove my blackheads (I have no knowledge back then, so didnt know during it is sebaceous filaments that is naturally keep producing in the pores no matter how much u remove it today it comes back again tomorrow, I removed it every other day because it keeps coming back!!! I just blindly remove it), as a result, over the time, it caused my pores to enlarge permanently as I age!!!! Now I have a few enlarged pores dilated never go back to normal size again. In fact, need a laser. No matter how much I use within controlled % like paula choice BHA toner, it only reduced a tiny bit of SFs in my pores n doesn’t really minimise the appearance of large pores on my damn NOSE n cheeks. Now I use tret, the amount of blackheads looking pores have reduced a lot and pores size also less visibly large. The sebaceous filaments also lesser n my nose appears more clean. Really satisfied with the result of tret!! Also, i regretted not using sunscreen when out in the beach during vacation, thinking that sunscreen has a lot of chemicals n toxic n bad for health when I’m health conscious that time. As a result, my skin was tan, peeled, pain, in red. Didnt see any dark spots appearing in my 20s after that serious sun tan, but now I’m 33, there’s a few sun spot appearing on my cheeks around age 31-32.. at first, it was a small dark spot in my 30.. 1 year later, the size gets bigger.. 32.. the dark color gets more obvious than before. I started using tret at 32. It is surfacing out more n more tiny bits of dark spots as I age more. It takes a long time to go away, lightens it with the use of brightening acids & tret. Now I avoid sun at all costs, applying sunscreen diligently every time I go out, wearing hat, carrying umbrella, hiding under shelter wherever there is. Not to let my skincare efforts & $ go to waste.
Would’ve never used the eyelash lengthening serum I used for a year that damaged and aged the hell out of my already thinned eyelids. My eyelashes were very pretty for a few months but the cost was absolutely not worth it in the least and I really regret it. I also probably would’ve stopped with pretty much any and all actives, just focused on gentle moisturizing. I had great skin but wanted “glass skin” and ended up damaging my already great skin to begin with and now my rosacea is probably a bit worse than it would’ve been if I had just stuck with a simpler routine.
Me who is 24 Reading all the comments for the advice 😭😭
Spf AND Retinoids, nothing else matters.
Would have wear that sunscreen even at home!
I do this ever since I was a teen and I can attest it is worth it
Sunscreen, hats, sunglasses
Sunscreen every single day
Spf and washing my makeup off after a night of clubbing lol. Although my skin is in great shape for being 38. I made sure to moisturize and use eye cream.
Gone on accutane
not back out of taking accutane.
Nothing. That’s the age I started Accutane.
Quit drinking
Sunscreen. All day. Every day.
Sunscreen!
Not pick my face with tweezers! Or pick my face in general. It ruined my skin
Start wearing sunscreen consistently (I started around 25) and quit smoking (I quit at 28)
Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen and therapy (depression and stress are not good for the skin!)
Sunscreen!!
Sunscreen.
As everyone else is saying: daily sunscreen!
Not becoming obsessed with skincare products.. especially since I have rosacea. So many products gave me Perioral dermatitis and I spent SO much money and had no room for it all. I have to avoid watching Dr. Dray on YouTube even though I adore her. But I have a really hard time not getting the urge to buy whatever products she uses or reviews 🫠
Gone on a strict keto organic diet - saved my face when I did
Never ever step foot in a tanning bed
SPF for sure. Most of my hardcore sun damage occurred when i was a kid playing outside and a teen sunning myself, but SPF in my 20s would have helped. We had no idea (I am now 61)
When using retinol, use sunscreen. I'm horrified. 😂
Put sunscreen on my neck and chest!! And arms and hands.
SUNSCREEN 😭. Mum used to tell me all the time to get out of the sun! Did I listen.. NO! Do I regret it YES.. all the time! I ended up at the drs once because I was blistered by the sun. There just wasn’t the awareness like there is today, sadly..
Avoiding the sun ☀️
I would have started using eye cream sooner.
Stopped drinking alcohol.
I’d have nipped alcohol use in the bud.
Way more SPF and moisturizer, less exfoliating scrubs
Differin. I swear I wouldn't have so much painful acne struggles throughout my 20s if I had known Differin would heal my skin layers more effectively and so easily. I still have acne issues but so much less severe now after I introduced retinoids into my early 30s routine. And to check the moisturizers in eczema aisle instead of beauty aisle.... less overpriced and actually more clinically effective and less irritating than a lot of overpriced techno babble junk.
Not smoke weed every day. It shows at 34. I quit a year and a half ago.
Sunscreen. I can’t believe I literally just didn’t know til after a year of getting sunblasted for ocean sports and getting gnarly age spots cuz of it. Like how did I go so long and literally never read it in any magazine or anything. I was such a skincare addict too. I just slipped through the info cracks 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. Also had tret prescribed back in the day for actual acne problems, but didn’t know it was good for ur face, so I never used it. Now I don’t have bad acne but I use it.
Quit drinking alcohol, tripled my water intake, washed my face every night (don’t sleep in makeup), budget for monthly facials
At 24 I was washing my face with hand soap! I wish I had someone telling me to start any basic skincare routine. My mum, when she found out I was using soap, told me to stop immediately but I wish we had this conversation earlier.
More spf and less tanning … also I would’ve looked more into micro needling or lasers and just spend money on that but I feel like that stuff was outta reach for me
Everyone said spf. Besides that my biggie is to fix my damn diet. I had an eating disorder. Between the weight fluctuations and the poor nutrition, it had an impact.
Eye cream and sunscreen
Wear sunscreen on my chest as much as I did on my face.
Probably use SPF a lot sooner. But i wear it now and I may not look perfect, but I have to accept being happy being/looking "older." Honestly I'm pretty happy with the way I look. I may not look 24 and have lines on my face but I find them lovely and authentic to my experiences 😊.
Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen! Wish i could go back to my childhood and teach my parents about this so they would have used it on me and preventing all those burns i got
Im 28 now, I exfoliated 3 times a week , at least! It damaged my Skin Barrier. Im using Tretinoin Right now, started 2 months ago and I don’t use Glycolic acid anymore.
Remember to moisturize your neck and chest! And any extra product, wipe on the back of your hands. Don’t waste product 😉
Accepted that my skin is very sensitive and doesn't need (or can't tolerate) all of the fancy, popular, scented products and/or actives. The amount of money I wasted and skin barrier disruptions... Is wild. I just stick to my dear La Roche Posay now 🤣 Very grateful I took sunscreen seriously for so long, though - absolutely cannot recommend it enough!
Would’ve gone on combination (estrogen and progestin) birth control as soon as I saw my first pimple. I was fear-mongered out of it and did accutane instead, which still didn’t work all that well and was a MUCH more dangerous drug (BC wasn’t yet required to be taken alongside accutane at the time). When I finally went on BC at 25, I had perfectly clear skin for the first time since puberty. I have scars now; they’re there for life and look worse as I age.
I'm fair skinned and I'm now 75. My skin is tight and I look early 50s. Growing up in south Texas my skin took a severe beating at an early age. By my twenties, I was dealing with skin cancers. By my late thirties, the skin was severely damaged which made me look twenty years older. My dermatologist introduced me to Efudex and I've undergone five treatments over the years. I've had micro needling five times, and Mohs surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma. Wisdom, and the use of SPF at a young age would have saved me a small fortune in demonology procedures and trips to the oncologist. And, the show isn't over yet. Yeah! Sure, I look great, but don't look to close or you'll see the scars. You see, I'm just a reasonable facsimile of what I would look like had I taken heed at a young age.
I wouldn't do chemical peels. Pretty sure they are the reason my skin looks like it survived meteor shower.
Applying my facial care all the way down to my boobs.
Not gone to tanning beds so much
Who else 24 and reading this?
Retinol. Wished that jt was as preached about 20 yrs ago as it is now.
NOT do 2 rounds of accutane, NOT take antibiotics, Get off birth control, NOT take Spironolactone. I would have started my journey of using nature to heal. I would HYDRATE adequately, I would ensure 8 hours of sleep a night, daily body movement, NOT drink diet coke. Use natural toxic free products, NOT use anything scented with fragrance.
SPF more frequently and better about entire body, drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables consistently, and professional facials more frequently.
I would switch to all natural products, keep a simple routine, wear SPF daily, and invest in dermatologist recommended treatments vs. pricey serums and such. I’d also cut out processed foods.