As if figuring out “who you are” or “what you want to do” wasn’t confusing enough in your twenties, your skin is also on an ever-changing journey of trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t. 

At this age, your skin is going through a lot, which can make figuring out any sort of routine feel like an uphill battle. From hormonal shifts to lifestyle changes, this stage of your skin brings a lot of challenges—adult acne, sensitivity, and dullness, just to name a few. But, it also brings the rewarding journey of figuring out what your skin needs to thrive through the chaos. Not to mention it’s also at its peak firmness and elasticity, thanks to well-working collagen production.

While your skin may bounce back quickly at this age, that unfortunately won’t forever be the case. Now more than ever, establishing a well-rounded skincare routine will help keep skin balanced and prevent long-term irreversible impacts. Our suggestions on where to start? Remove your makeup and cleanse skin nightly, apply SPF year-round, and pay attention to how your skin responds to certain ingredients. 

To help you get even further with your skincare routine, we’ve uncovered the three most common skincare problems people face in their twenties and top product picks for dealing with each concern that make it easier to meet your skin’s needs exactly where they’re at. 

ACNE

As troubling as many of us find it, acne is a normal experience and will likely pop up at some point in your life—whether you’ve endured the all-too-familiar teenage acne or are experiencing it for the first time now. 

In fact, around 85% of people will experience acne in their lifetime, thanks to the demands of life like stress, poor sleep, and hormonal shifts. Since it’s only a matter of when, we suggest finding ways to make peace with it, so it doesn’t rock your confidence. First step in tackling breakouts is finding formulas that effectively clean skin, clarify your pores, and help rebalance skin’s pH.

A quick 101 on breakouts: when your skin is dry, it produces more oil to compensate, which in-turn causes your pores to become overly-sebaceous and blocked. So, to help mitigate this oil buildup, you’ll need a cleanser that will deep-clean without leaving your skin feeling tight and flaky.

We Love: Herbivore - AQUARIUS BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser

Price: $34

This BHA-packed gel cleanser from Herbivore is the perfect formula for balancing out acne-prone skin. Willow bark—a plant-based BHA and natural source of salicylic acid—helps unclog and shrink pores, while zinc helps control excess oil and protect skin against blemish-causing bacteria. The spotlight ingredient, blue tansy oil, leaves skin feeling (and looking!) soothed and calm. This trio works in tandem to clean skin without stripping necessary moisture.

Want to really take your blemish-fighting skincare routine up a notch? We recommend pairing this clarifying cleanser with its equally clarifying counterpart—Herbivore’s AQUARIUS Pore Purifying Clarity Cream. This cream helps to keep your skin’s surface clean and free of debris while imparting oil-balancing hydration.

SENSITIVITY

You can thank hormonal shifts, lifestyle changes, environmental factors, and irritating ingredients for sensitive skin. While hormones are deeper rooted, most redness and puffiness may be a result of low-grade inflammation caused by what you’re putting in your body or on your skin. Even mood swings can cause skin to become more irritated and red—a calm mind means a calm face, afterall. 

With all that’s going on in this transformative decade it’s best to have a routine you can count on to keep reactive skin cool and collected for whatever life’s next chapter throws your way.

Avoiding irritating ingredients can be a simple, yet effective, step to mitigating sensitivity. We recommend relying on gentle ingredients, like rose and white clay, to nourish and calm (and keep those fluctuating hormones happy!). Luckily, Osmia’s bar soaps are chock full of gentle ingredients.

We Love: Osmia - Rose Clay Facial Clay

 Price: $33

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At the base of this bar is Australian pink clay and white Kaolin clay, which both purify the skin and allow gentle geranium and palmarosa essential oils to impart hydration and a calming aroma. The creamy lather from this product comes from coconut milk, mango butter, and cold-pressed organic avocado oil which nourish sensitivity with each cleanse.

The key to treating sensitive skin (at any age for that matter) is to take a “less-is-more” approach. The more minimal and effective the routine, the better for your reactive skin. So, whether you’re experiencing rosacea, eczema, or any other skin sensitivity, you can count on Osmia to provide formulas that give you everything you need in the least amount of steps.  

DULLNESS

Dull skin has been marketed as a concern to fear as you mature, but it quite commonly begins to show signs in your twenties. Where does dullness come from, you ask? Late nights spent catching-up with friends, endless summers spent basking in the sun, long-haul flights traveling to new places—basically all the great life experiences you’re inevitably having at this age. 

Are you really going to let something a minute as dull skin stop you from having fun? Realistically, no. But if you’re interested in incorporating things into your fun to delay dullness, we have a few recommendations. 

Just like your insides, your skin needs proper nutrition to cope. A dose of brightening vitamin C and lipids (found in ceramides and fatty acids) helps keep skin soft and radiant. Detox Mode’s superfood-packed facial potion is exactly the product your twenty-something skin needs.

We Love: Detox Mode - +C Vital Kiwi Facial Potion

Price: $59

This antioxidant-rich formula is a god-send for delivering deep hydration to dry, lackluster skin. Antioxidant-rich grape seed oil helps protect skin while passion fruit seed oil boasts essential fatty acids for a lightened, more even-looking complexion. Meanwhile, cold-pressed kiwi seed oil supports moisture retention, enhances brightness, and gives your skin an overall radiance.

To level-up your skin’s nutrition, look to Detox Mode’s Nourishing Capsule for more clean, brightening,  and protective products.

Have other concerns that weren’t covered?

We get, your skin tells the unique story of your life’s experiences. Get customized product picks to guide you through the next chapter of your skincare journey.

These products were meticulously curated by our team of experts based on their innovation, performance, and buzz-worthiness. At the Detox Market, all of the products we carry have pure ingredients, exceptional performance, and cruelty free formulations. We've been the trusted clean beauty experts for over a decade, cutting through the clean beauty noise and providing you with nothing but the best in green beauty. You can learn more about our commitment to clean beauty here.

DISCOVER SKINCARE FOR YOUR 20s