The Best Skincare Routine for Your 30s, According to a Millennial Beauty Editor
I've had an extensive skincare routine since I started as a beauty intern at Cosmo 12 years ago, but now that I'm 34, my current routine looks entirely different from when I was in my 20s. There are fewer superfluous steps, quick fixes, and trendy products, and more of a focus on well-researched staples (along with a little Botox and the occasional microneedling appointment 😉) that I use day in and day out. Because in your 30s, being consistent with the stuff that really works is key. There's no time for nonsense (signs of aging, like fine lines and dark spots, have likely arrived) and there's definitely no time for 1000 steps (we have jobs! kids! pets! friends!). This is exactly why I'm sharing my 30-something skincare edit for you below. Consider it the ultimate no-BS guide to really good skin in your 30s, according to an editor who has tried it all.
You've likely been washing your face for decades at this point, so this step isn't anything new. My advice is just to check in and make sure that whatever cleanser you're using is still right for your skin at this point in your life (like, the acne face wash you used in your 20s may not be good for your skin if it's gotten drier in your 30s). I would also say that basic is better here. In your 30s, I recommend using more active serums, so using a cleanser with potent ingredients like salicylic acid or other exfoliants can end up causing irritation. These are two of my favorite gentle yet effective face washes for anyone in their 30s.
At the end of the day, I'm a big believer in double cleansing, which involves using an oil-based cleanser (I'm currently obsessed with Dieux's Ethereal Cleansing Oil) before your regular face wash. Oil-cleansers break down makeup and sunscreen more efficiently than your regular face wash alone, which is why you only need to use one in the evening. Personally, double cleansing has been a game changer for my acne-prone skin; my pores are way less clogged when I remember to do both steps. Not to mention massaging your face with an oil at the end of the day just feels damn good.
If you're in your 30s, you're going to need two specific face serums: a vitamin C one you'll use in the morning and a retinol one you'll use at night. The ingredients are what matter here. Your 30s is not the time to use buzzy ingredients that promise clearer, smoother, and brighter skin, but have no research to back them up. Vitamin C and retinol are proven (via decades of clinical testing) to improve your skin's health and quality. Let's get into the specifics:
VITAMIN C SERUM FOR MORNING
Vitamin C does a ton; it's the multitasker of all multitaskers. The ingredient helps fade hyperpigmentation (including dark spots, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from breakouts, and even melasma) and prevent new hyperpigmentation from forming in the first place. It's also got collagen-boosting benefits; a must in your 30s since this is the decade that fine lines really started to pop up on the face. They also protect skin from environmental factors that contribute to aging, like UV and pollution.
Now the reality is that some vitamin C serums are trash (as in, they don't work and feel all gross and sticky), and some are terrific. Lucky for you, I'm sharing my personal favorites here.
RETINOL SERUM FOR EVENING
Retinol isn't new, but it's the GOAT for anti-aging. It's proven to stimulate collagen and elastin production and jumpstart cell turnover (your skin's natural renewal process), which helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, minimize the look of pores, fade dark spots, and make skin more bouncy and firm. It's also the GOAT for treating acne, which makes it the perfect ingredient for anyone in their 30s who, like me, is trying to address signs of aging while also trying to treat and prevent hormonal acne.
In my 20s, I used retinol erratically, but in my 30s, I'm much more committed. Retinol is a long game, so you need to use it consistently for months to see the full benefits. This can be hard since retinol comes with some notoriously drying and irritating side effects, but using a high-quality formula (recs below) and moisturizing a ton can help mitigate them. In my experience, if you can stick it out the first two weeks and deal with the flaking and redness, then you'll be good to go after that.
As for specific retinol formulas, I swear by the three below. They're ideal for smoothing fine lines and improving skin tone, as well as keeping pores clear. So many retinols are too thick and buttery for my acne-prone skin, but these ones are lightweight and effective.
A lot of experts will say eye cream is optional, but I am not one of those experts. I swear that being religious about eye cream for the last ten years is the reason why (on most days) my eye area looks smooth and soft. My favorite kind of eye creams have collagen-boosting ingredients like growth factors and peptides to give a plumping effect, as well as a thick and creamy texture that not only nourishes but creates the perfect crease-free canvas for under-eye concealer. My two favorite eye creams right now are stupid expensive (Irene Forte's Olive Eye Cream ($192) and Bioeffect's EGF Power Eye Cream ($149) so while I love them, I'm hesitant to say you must try them. CeraVe's Skin Renewing Eye Cream is a more affordable option I always come back to and recommend to friends.
No matter your skin type or concern, face moisturizer is a must. Moisturized skin is healthy skin, and healthy skin looks good. A no-brainer, see? My general moisturizer rules are as follows: non-comedogenic (even if you're not typically acne prone, because clogged pores can happen to anyone), fragrance-free (scent, while pleasing, can be irritating in skincare), and full of humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Texture is all about personal preference. I have oily skin, so lightweight lotions and gel creams are ideal for me, but if you have drier skin, something richer and more emollient will likely be better for you.
I'm pretty neurotic about wearing face sunscreen at this point in my life. Between the risk of skin cancer and the reality that the majority of skin aging is a result of sun exposure, I really don't get why anyone wouldn't be using it every day. Anyway, I'm also really particular about the sunscreens I use at this point in my life too. The non-negotiables for me include formulas that have SPF 50, use mineral blockers (this isn't to say chemical SPF is bad, it's just that most make my skin hot and red, so I avoid them), and have a tint. The purpose of the tint is twofold. 1. Tinted sunscreens contain iron oxides, which are said to give skin added protection from the aging effects of blue light. 2. They're makeup! Depending on the opacity of the tint, tinted sunscreens can create a subtle blurring effect or camouflage things like acne and melasma.
EXTRA STEPS AND PRODUCTS WORTH CONSIDERING:
I used to over-exfoliate, hoping that I could magically burn or buff all my skin issues away and wake up with clear, glowing skin. Now, after years of trial and lots of error (and chronically inflamed skin), I finally understand that low-and-slow is the way to go when it comes to exfoliation. I have two types of exfoliators in my lineup, and I use them each once a week: Eminence's Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant and U Beauty's Resurfacing Flash Peel. The type of exfoliator you should use depends on your skin type and sensitivity level, but I find that taking the combo approach with a physical and chemical exfoliator is best for me. My physical exfoliator (Eminance) helps unclog pores and whisk away dead skin cells to make my skin immediately more smooth, while my chemical exfoliator (U Beauty) is good for fading dark spots and pigment thanks to glycolic acid.
If you have acne, these are a must. Again, you've got options here, but I personally think the basic hydrocolloid patches are best for 30-something acne, which is usually hormonal and cystic in nature. These types of patches help angry zits heal faster, and they also inhibit picking (out of sight, out of mind).
Skincare tools are devices are having a moment, but that doesn't mean you need to try every single one that comes across your feed. The efficacy of at-home tools varies greatly, and a lot of that depends on how often you use them, so I recommend investing in something that's easy to incorporate into your everyday routine. These days, I'm really into the Shark CryoGlow mask—a hands-free and wireless LED mask that couldn't be easier to use. I simply pop it on for a few minutes a day and let the combo of red and blue lights help reduce inflammation, improve my skin tone, and help eliminate any acne-causing bacteria on the skin.
I also recommend some sort of face massaging tool or stone. Now that I'm in my 30s, I've noticed my face looks more bloated when I wake up (especially after a few glasses of wine), and my chronic jaw clenching means my TMJ is always at a ten. I swear by Joanna Czech's massager for depuffing and melting away tension. I run it along the contours of my face most mornings and always bring it with me when I'm traveling.
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan with more than a decade of experience researching, writing, and editing sunscreen stories across print and digital. Her tinted sunscreen picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from experts.
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
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