You change your diet as you age, why should your skin care routine be any different?

What works for your skin at 20 just won't do at 40 - and by the time you hit 60, almost every woman needs a richer, more hydrating regime to combat the dryness that goes hand-in-hand with ageing. This is because during our twenties, skin cells gradually lose their elasticity and moisture, and our complexions no longer look as smooth and supple. However, there's a lot you can do to slow the inevitable and minimise the effect of ageing. Read on for a decade-by-decade guide to skincare, as well as a handy product suggestions list.

Your twenties
What to expect: Skin is settling down after the hormonal upheaval of teenage years, although oil production may still be relatively high. Towards the end of their twenties, many women experience a gradual shift towards dryness and may notice the very first fan of fine lines forming around the mouth. According to Dr Arnold Klein, a leading California-based dermatologist, 'Sun exposure ages your skin faster than anything else,' but, he says by limiting your time in the sun and wearing sunscreen, 'you can control this quite easily'. Dr Mary Ellen Brademas, who treats a number of famous clients at her Manhattan practice, agrees. 'Spending time in the sun breaks down collagen and elastin, which naturally give our complexions a plumped-up supple look, and as a result our skin doesn't look quite as healthy as it used to be.' Keeping your body well-hydrated by drinking a minimum of 2.5 litres of water each day and staying out of the sun as much as possible, will stand you, and your complexion, in good stead for a lifetime.

What you may need: Everyone's skin is different, but most people benefit from all, or a combination, of the following

• Lightweight cleanser
• Skin freshener for oilier skin
• Lightweight or oil-free moisturiser with SPF 15
• Overnight moisturiser
• Eye gel

Your thirties
What to expect: 'Ageing really begins at 30', says Dr Brademas. More fine lines develop as collagen and elastin start to break down, and our delicate skin under the eyes begins to thin. She warns that you're likely to have 'combination skin' that's oily in the T-zone (across the forehead and down the nose and chin) and dry elsewhere, but as a general rule, all skins tend to become drier, quicker. Broken veins may start to show up as tiny red dots, and towards the end of this decade, age spots and brown pigmentation marks, or 'sun spots', may appear. Even sleep starts to affect the way we look. According to Dr Klein, 'The lines from your nose to mouth will run deeper on the side you sleep on, and that particular corner of your mouth will look longer'. If you're skeptical, just look in the mirror and see what he means. Under-eye puffiness may become a problem, too, taking longer to subside after you wake.

What you may need: We suggest using moisturisers with a little more staying power.

• Gentle, slightly richer cleanser
• Rosewater or a gentle freshener for normal/dry skin
• Day moisturiser with minimum SPF 15
• Night cream
• Eye cream or cream/gel

Your forties
What to expect: Deeper lines begin to etch around the mouth and eyes, furrows appear on the forehead and circles under the eyes may grow into pouches. Most women's skin becomes noticeably drier. In the run-up to the menopause, and during this phase, skin may also become more sensitive. What's more, skin loses its resilience due to a breakdown of elastin and collagen. 'After 40, skin doesn't rebound as quickly,' observes Dr Klein. He warns that if you lose weight too quickly, excess skin on the face can remain saggy because it's lost some of its elastic quality. By being alert to this and other changes your skin undergoes, you can adjust your regime accordingly. According to John Gustafson, who runs the Personal Beauty Studio at Fenwick department store in London, 'Consider having a skincare consultation every time you get to the end of a jar or tube of a product, or at least a couple of times a year.' Spring and autumn are great times to do this because you'll be changing your skin care routine during these times anyway. Gustafson believes it's beneficial to change the products you use regularly, as skin can get 'used to' certain products and lose its healthy sheen and glow.

What you may need: Your daily regime should embrace products that offer specific anti-ageing benefits, going beyond 'basic' cleansing, toning and moisturising:

• Cleansing cream or pomade
• Freshener for dry skin
• Richer day moisturiser with SPF 15
• Anti-ageing night cream
• Anti-ageing eye cream or serum

Your fifties
What to expect: By now, skin starts to acquire true 'character' in the form of fine wrinkles, and the lines you develop in your fifties and sixties may deepen into folds. This is because, post-menopausally, there's much less oestrogen being produced and without oestrogen, skin becomes thinner and more fragile. It is also less able to retain moisture and the production of collagen and elastin slows down significantly. As Dr Klein explains, 'the loss of elastic fibres in the skin accelerates tremendously after 50,' so as well as wrinkling, skin can begin to sag and droop, and some women may develop a jowly appearance. In the fifties, skin tone is also likely to become more uneven, with an increasing number of 'sun spots'. Staying out of the sun is crucial if you don't want these spots to worsen, and while doing this won't erase the years, heading for the shade will help prevent sun from further diminishing the skin's 'bounce-back' factor.

What you may need: Treat skin with the TLC that it deserves, choosing products designed to help turn back the clock, but which aren't so harsh that they'll cause flare-ups in skin that's become more sensitive.

• Rich cleanser (in cream or pomade)
• Rosewater or ultra-gentle skin freshener
• SPF moisturiser with additional anti-ageing benefits
• Anti-ageing night cream
• Anti-ageing eye cream