'5 game-changing additions I made to my skincare routine in my 30s.'

What's that? You want to see my ID? Omg, you guys – I swear I'm actually in my 30s! Ha ha. Seriously – I'm so embarrassed...

In any case, I'm here to tell you about my skin. Specifically, what kind of products I've added to my skincare routine as I wander further into my 30s.

Because here's the thing: your skin changes. All the time!

You can be slinking through your 20s with lovely plump, clear skin and then all of a sudden, you wake up one morning and find yourself blessed with fine lines, dry skin and a dose of adult acne. Also, your knees hate you. Truly marvellous stuff.

Watch: Speaking on skincare routines - here's what I put on my face while I was up in the air! Post continues below.

And while you might have a trusty squad of core products you'll always use to cleanse and protect your skin, there are some other things that, while not essential, can help target specific concerns and level up your results.

Before getting into it, just a reminder that skin care is a 'you do you' space. You should always choose products and ingredients that reflect your specific skin concerns and needs – but, if you generally just want to keep your skin looking healthy, happy and glowy, please read on.

Here are five things I've added to my skincare routine since I hit my 30s.

1. Vitamin C.

SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum and Paula's Choice C15 BOOST. Credit: Myer, Paula's Choice.

Once I finally introduced vitamin C into my routine and used it consistently, I started noticing some major differences in the tone of my skin – radiant, more even and healthier-looking.

While some of them can be pricey as hell (looking at you SkinCeuticals), I think that having a potent and science-backed antioxidant on your skin team makes all the difference. It's excellent for brightening your skin and giving it that added glow while working a treat with SPF to neutralise free radicals and protect your skin from the s**tty effects of sun damage.

Two of my favourites are SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum, $242 (it's expensive as hell, but literally better skin in a bottle), and Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster, $55.

2. Vitamin A.

Medik8 Crystal Retinal and CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. Credit: SkinActive, Chemist Warehouse.

In case you're not across it, retinol (vitamin A) is a very good time for your face – especially if you're in your 30s. Known as the gold standard of skincare, it works to target a whole heap of different ageing concerns and is the one ingredient *everyone* can benefit from using. 

Smooth fine lines and wrinkles? Tick. Brighten dull skin? Tick. Tackle acne and breakouts? Tick. 

The one drawback? Retinol can be notoriously hard to get along with. The key? Finding one that works for your skin type and taking things slow. 

It's always best to ease your way into using retinol and allow your skin time to adjust (she's powerful), upping the concentration as you go. Remember, you really don't want to go too hard too fast with this stuff!

Some of my favourite options are Medik8 Crystal Retinal, $96, and CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum, $41.99.

3. Gentle exfoliants.

Go-To Glow Exfoliator and Sunday Riley Good Genes. Credit: Go-To and Sunday Riley.

Back when I was a baby beauty editor, I used to really enjoy exfoliating frequently and aggressively because it made my skin smooth and gave me lots of glow. 

Of course, I was just absolutely annihilating my acid mantle and stripping my skin of every little drop of moisture, turning it into an irritated, inflamed mess. 

But then I discovered this thing called mild exfoliants, where you could still get really beautiful, smooth skin without messing with your skin barrier. 

Since then, my skin has been happier, healthier and throws way less tantrums than it did before.

My staples? Go-To Glow Exfoliator, $40, and Sunday Riley Good Genes, $147.

4. Peptides.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum and Olay Niacinamide Honey Peptide Serum. Credit: Myer, Chemist Warehouse.

A fun fact: Every year after you turn 30, you lose about one per cent of collagen (the stuff responsible for keeping your skin plump, smooth and firm). For this reason, peptides have shuffled their cute way onto my skincare shelf!

If you don't know what peptides are, they're basically amino acids that give your skin the building blocks to produce collagen. In skincare, they can help improve the appearance of your skin, plumping, smoothing and hydrating for a healthy-looking complexion. 

Of course, they're in no way magic and won't reverse the depletion of collagen, but they keep my skin looking fresher, healthier and just better than it would be if I didn't use them.

I like The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum, $29.90, and Olay Niacinamide Honey Peptide Serum, $59.99.

5. Eye products.

Murad Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector and La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum. Credit: Mecca, Chemist Warehouse.

I’ve spent 32 years talking s**t about eye creams. Because I feel like they're just small, overpriced jars of moisturiser that don’t do much at all – or at least, not anything more than what your hydrating serum or face cream can do.

And while I still think that no one needs an eye cream (or any beauty product, really), in recent times I've found that some of them really do make a difference to my dark circles, puffiness and fine lines that have pleasantly decided to join me. Cute!

One of my top picks is Murad Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector, $115, for brightening my under eyes, and La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum, $55.

Want to hear more from Erin Docherty? Follow her on Instagram.

Want to share what products you've added to your routines in your 30s, 40s and beyond? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied/Canva.