5 Skin Care Essentials to Start Using in Your Early 20s

To ensure your skin still looks good in your 30s and 40s, you have to start taking care of it as soon as you hit 20. You may not have serious skin concerns like sun damage or dullness yet, but it’s important to keep your skin in tip-top condition by taking preventative steps.

Here are five skin care essentials that you should be using in your early 20s for a healthy and glowing complexion:

The first and most important skin care essential that you need is sunscreen. 

I wish someone had told me this advice before I turned 25. That was when I started noticing some sun damage on skin from not applying sunscreen daily and reapplying it as often as I should. The lesson is to use sunscreen every day, rain or shine, and reapply whenever necessary.

Reapplying sunscreen can be tricky, but it’s become easier thanks to sun sticks. Plus, sun sticks don’t wreck your makeup. Try HOLIKA HOLIKA’s Aloe Water Drop Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++ to shield skin from the damaging effects of UV rays. Aside from protecting skin from sun damage, it also soothes skin with aloe vera leaf extract. It’s the perfect sun stick to carry in your makeup bag throughout summer!

To keep skin free of impurities and clogged pores, double cleansing is important in your early 20s. Your next skin care essential is a cleansing oil or cleansing balm depending on your skin type. 

Even on days when you’re not wearing makeup, try to start your evening routine with a first cleanse. Opt for a simple cleansing oil like Ciracle’s Absolute Deep Cleansing Oil, or a cleansing balm like I’m from’s Fig Cleansing Balm.

Everyone needs a cleanser, so your next skin care essential is a gentle cleanser. After melting away skin impurities with a cleansing oil or balm, complete your double cleansing routine with a water-based cleanser.

A good cleanser is a skin care staple at any age, not just during your early 20s. To get rid of dead skin cells, excess sebum and dirt from city living, it’s important to use a cleanser that’s gentle and effective. Some cleansers worth trying include those from AROMATICA, PURITO, Haruharu WONDER and COSRX.

You may not feel like eye cream is essential at your age, but the earlier you start using it the better! 

Incorporating eye cream into your skin care routine in your early 20s helps protect the delicate skin around the eyes, minimizes puffiness, improves the appearance of dark circles and prevents premature skin aging. Getting crow’s feet is natural, but if you want to delay it for as long as possible, then using an eye cream can help.

Even though you don’t have fine lines to treat yet, count on eye cream as a preventative step. Invest in an eye cream that keeps the eye areas hydrated, such as KLAVUU’s Rejuve Pearlsation Multi Pearl Peptide Eye Cream. Packed with peptides, Korean pearl extract, pearl collagen and pearl conchiolin, this eye cream doesn’t just nourish the eye areas but also improves the appearance of dark circles. 

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to try a facial oil. This tip applies to all skin types, even those with oily skin.

Facial oils can do wonders for skin. They help lock in hydration, provide skin with antioxidants and give you an immediate glow. What’s not to love? If you’re new to facial oils, go for a product like KEEP COOL’s Ocean Deep Blue Oil. Thanks to its lightweight texture, you can add it to both your morning and nighttime routines, and it doesn’t leave the complexion feeling greasy at all, only glowing. 

Do you belong to the late 20s club? Stay tuned for a post on skin care essentials to start using in your late 20s.