Skin care after 30: do I need anti-aging products?

Looking old, who wants that... And certainly not in their thirties. After all, 30 is the new 20. But what are the real benefits of anti-aging products? And do I have to change my skin care after the age of 30? Here you can find out why the sales argument is more appearance than reality and how you can take care of your skin for a long time. So much can be revealed in advance: The most important "anti-aging" product of all can do without this label.

Which is why everything suddenly becomes anti when it comes to skin care after the age of 30

Anti-aging is one of the most popular labels in cosmetics. Countless products carry this magic , goes-like-hot-cake formula on their packaging. However, the term is not protected, neither in terms of mode of action nor effectiveness. Some products promise special care for mature skin, while others are supposed to magically wipe away wrinkles. Literally, anti-aging means "against aging". But does cosmetics really stop this process or even reverse it?

If you already have a couple of such jars in your bathroom cabinet, you already know them, the naked truth. Aging just happens. Products such as anti-wrinkle cream or hyaluronic acid ampoules plump up a bit, but there is no panacea. Stiftung Warentest also regularly complains that anti-aging agents only work for a short time or hardly at all. If the proverbial child has fallen into the inevitable fountain, cream and dab as much as you like - it will not become a fountain of youth.

Because the term actually promises the impossible and has negative connotations, we avoid it for our own natural cosmetics . This is intentional and will remain so. And we have good reasons for that. You can now find out what these are and how you can use our products to keep your skin firm and radiant for a long time.

That's why we suddenly notice skin aging at 30

Something funny happens in our late 20s: we start thinking about aging and wondering if we should switch skincare after 30. What we used to just accept is suddenly a bogeyman. But honestly, worry lines don't help. Are you seeing the first fine lines? Just call them laugh lines. If they increase, it just shows that you're in a good mood. But what you can very well do something about is premature skin aging . The aim here is to get to the root of the problem.

Several processes come together to produce the signs of aging that bother you. First, cells renew themselves more and more slowly. In addition, your skin dries out faster. Areas of skin that are particularly dehydrated contract to form so-called dryness lines.

Collagen and elastin are progressively broken down. As a result, the tissue loses its elasticity and the pores enlarge. When blood flow decreases, not as many nutrients reach the skin. As a result, there is a lack of material for regeneration and antioxidants that eliminate free radicals. Added to this are the consequences of UV radiation. This not only reduces the regenerative power, but increasingly causes pigment spots to appear. The complexion appears less radiant and rosy.

Skin care from the age of 30: What can cosmetics do now?

Now you've read a lot about what cosmetics can't do. By the way: Your lifestyle has a major impact on skin aging. More on that below. Now back to cosmetics. What can she do now? From a cosmetic perspective, your skin needs two things to prevent aging: care and protection .

• Care:

The balance of the skin is the be-all and end-all. Because if the skin barrier is intact, the moisture content is usually right. The basic skin care must therefore be right. This is exactly what the products from FIVE aim for. We believe that when it comes to skincare, less is more. We don't mean that from now on you should practice lazy skin care per se, but we want to encourage you to give your skin what it needs and leave out all the other superfluous ingredients. In our recipes, this means: few ingredients that naturally provide many valuable ingredients.

• Protection:

Slow down skin aging with these lifestyle tips

Life is getting faster and faster. That's why we enjoy slow food, take a break and do a digital detox to counteract sensory overload. Good this way. Taking it easy is also good for your skin in many ways. Because internal and external factors influence how quickly it changes. Your genes are also part of it. You can't turn anything on them, but you can on other areas. Here are our top 6 tips:

1. Protect your skin from the sun

The real anti-aging product in your mirror cabinet is sunscreen. UV radiation has been shown to have the most damaging effects on your skin. It accounts for around 80% of visible aging! ¹ UV B radiation creates free radicals in the upper layers of the skin. These oxygen molecules destroy healthy cells. This is why the problem is also known as oxidative stress. Also, an accumulation of dark pigments that cloud your complexion, and later larger age spots are caused by too much sun. UV A rays penetrate deep into the skin and relax the supporting tissue. Therefore, avoid extensive sunbathing and the blazing midday sun. Visits to the solarium also aggravate photoaging.

2. Keep an eye on your skin's moisture balance

Moisturizing means taking precautions. Because if the moisture content of your skin is right, you avoid irritation and dryness lines, which later lead to wrinkles. With the right care, you stabilize the skin barrier and balance the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) . This refers to a group of acids and minerals that bind water under the skin's surface. You maintain the balance here by feeding your skin water AND lipids.

If you rely on high-quality vegetable oils , you are feeding it nutrients directly. Because many antioxidant vitamins are fat-soluble and contained in natural oils. For example, the shea butter in our Shea Cream is rich in vitamin E, sodium, potassium and more. Used together with our moisturizing face serum with rose water and hyaluronic acid, you will replenish your skin's water and lipid depots in no time.

3. Fill up your antioxidant depot with lots of vegetables 🥬

Food provides building material for new cells and protection. Many fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that act as natural free radical scavengers. They fight free radicals that your body forms when you are stressed, exposed to UV rays or in response to polluted air. Antioxidants counteract this by sacrificing themselves for your cells. And watch out for those with a sweet tooth: too much sugar also makes the skin slack.

4. Do sports for good blood circulation in your skin

Sport has two advantages for your skin. For one, he relaxes. Particularly gentle workouts such as Pilates or yoga will help you wind down after a hard day. Exercise also stimulates blood circulation . Your breathing deepens, your heart beats faster, and oxygen and nutrients flow into the delicate vessels under your skin. Good for cell regeneration and a rosy complexion.

5. Keep your hands off the fags

Smokers form a particularly large number of free radicals due to the toxins in cigarettes. They therefore need many more nutrients, for example higher doses of vitamin C. Because they simply cannot keep up with the supply, the oxidative stress is significantly higher than in non-smokers. At the same time, blood circulation suffers. Nicotine also speeds up the breakdown of collagen.

The consequences are as varied as they are ugly. They range from sagging skin to bags under the eyes, nasolabial folds, lip lines and sallow complexion to large pores . And they are not long in coming, as a US study of twins shows. ² In each of the subjects, one twin smoked and the other did not smoke or smoked at least 5 years less. The discrepancy was particularly large for non-smokers, but 5 years already make a clear difference.

6. Drink alcohol in moderation

You shouldn't overdo it with wine, beer and co. But if you drink too much when you're thirsty, two things happen that aren't good for your skin. First, alcohol dehydrates your body . Hence the so-called fire, which then lets you drink the tap half empty. But moisture is your most important defense against wrinkles. Secondly, alcohol also brings free radicals with it again. More alcohol, more oxidative stress . So listen to your body and say stop in time!

Conclusion: With a vegetable-based and low-sugar diet, combined with the right skin care, you can specifically prevent premature skin aging. And not only at the age of 30, but of course at any age.