When I think back to my skincare routine in my early twenties, the word routine may be giving it a little too much credit.
It was very basic: cleanse my face, apply moisturiser on the odd occasion — usually when I remembered — and carry on with my day. There were no complicated routines, no shelves filled with serums and facial oils, and certainly no social media reminding us what our skin supposedly needed every morning and evening.
Facebook and Instagram did not exist back in the 80's. Mobile phones were still considered a luxury, and the earliest versions looked more like bricks than phones. Some appeared to need their own suitcase.
In my early twenties, I left the green fields of a small Irish community and landed in Sydney on a working holiday. The beaches, the outdoor lifestyle, the endless sunshine — after Ireland, where a sunny day felt like an event, it was a different world entirely.
Like many young women in the 80s, I wanted that golden tan I had seen in films and magazines. I sunbathed with the lowest SPF I could find, thinking it would help me tan faster. I had absolutely no idea what the Australian sun could really do to skin like mine.
It did not take long to learn.
The Lesson That Started It All
The Sydney sun was nothing like the gentle Irish sunshine I had grown up with, and SPF 50 quickly became non-negotiable — even on days when the rest of my routine was barely a routine at all.
The Cancer Council's "Slip, Slop, Slap" campaign was everywhere, and it stuck with me. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat. The message was simple, memorable and very necessary. Excessive UV exposure damages skin cells and raises the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, and in a climate like Australia's, that message truly mattered.
I still chased a tan for a few more summers. But I also started paying attention. Looking back, that was the real beginning of my relationship with skincare — not a ten-step routine, just the simple realisation that caring for your skin starts with protecting it.
The takeaway that still holds: Sun protection is not a summer habit — it is the foundation everything else is built on. If you do nothing else, a broad-spectrum SPF every single day is the single highest-leverage step in any skincare routine.
You can learn more about sun protection and skin cancer prevention at the Cancer Council Australia.
When My Skin Started Asking for More
Through my twenties and thirties, my skin mostly looked after itself. I did not think much about dryness or fine lines — there was not much to think about.
Then I moved into my forties, and the changes crept in quietly. My skin began to feel drier, it did not seem quite as bright, and I started noticing pigmentation, fine lines and changes in texture that had not concerned me when I was younger. Understanding what drives these midlife skin changes was the first step toward actually doing something about them.
This was when I began experimenting seriously — creams, oils, serums. Some made my skin feel noticeably softer and more comfortable. Others promised the world and delivered a great deal less. What I came to understand is that mature skin needs more than moisture — it needs targeted nourishment that works with the way skin actually changes over time.
What I learned is that effective skincare is not about chasing every new trend or filling your bathroom shelf with products. It is about listening to what your skin is actually asking for right now — because that changes.
The takeaway: Your skin's needs shift with age, hormones, climate and season. A routine that worked beautifully at 30 may not be the one your skin needs at 45. Reassessing is not failure — it is just good skincare.
We're Not Trying to Stop the Clock
Can skincare stop the ageing process? Of course not — and that stopped being the goal a long time ago.
The honest answer is that we cannot completely erase every line, undo every year of sun exposure or expect our skin at 60 to behave exactly as it did at 25. Part of that is simply biology — understanding how skin loses collagen and elastin with age helped me let go of unrealistic expectations and focus on what I could actually support. What good skincare can do is support the skin you have today: help it feel hydrated and comfortable, soften the look of fine lines, ease dullness and uneven texture, and protect against further damage. That is not a small thing. It is simply a more honest goal than promising to turn back time.
I have also come to believe that looking after our skin is part of a much bigger picture. As we age, we need to nourish ourselves from the inside as well as the outside. Quality food, movement, rest, hydration and being mindful of our overall health all play a role in how we feel and how our skin responds. Skincare is only one part of that balance — but it is still an important one.
Prevention continues to do the heaviest lifting. Consistent sun protection, along with keeping skin genuinely nourished day to day, is one of the kindest things you can do for the skin you will be wearing in ten and twenty years' time.
What I Would Tell My Younger Self
At 60, I am not trying to get back the face I had at 20. I am grateful to her, but I do not need to become her again.
What I want now is skin that feels hydrated, healthy and genuinely cared for — and the quiet confidence that comes from actually understanding what it needs. The goal is not to fight ageing or pretend it is not happening. It is to move through each stage of life with care, consistency and a little wisdom gained along the way.
Ageing gracefully, to me, is not about ignoring how you look. It is recognising that healthy skin was never about perfection. It has always been about nourishment, protection and consistency — applied to the skin you actually have, not the one you used to have or wish you still did.
There is no single product that works for everyone, and finding the right ones takes time. The answer is not necessarily to use more — it is to understand what your skin needs now and build a routine that feels realistic, enjoyable and simple enough that you will actually stick with it. If you are not sure where to begin, our guide to building an anti-ageing skincare routine that actually works is a good place to start.
That is the skincare journey I am still on. And if any part of my story sounds familiar, perhaps yours is just beginning.
Explore the SilkyBare hydrating and anti-ageing range — thoughtfully formulated to support your skin at every stage.
About the Author
Marie is the founder of SilkyBare and has spent four decades navigating Australian sun, changing skin and the search for a skincare routine that actually works. SilkyBare was born from that journey — a range thoughtfully formulated for skin that deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach.