Skin Changes With Age: Understanding Skin Function Throughout Life
NOVEMBER 2026 | A FOCUS ON SKIN HEALTH
Your skin has been with you since birth. But has it always worked the same way?
From a newborn's delicate skin to the hormonal transitions of adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, and menopause, skin changes with age as it responds to developmental, physiological, and environmental influences.
And while we often focus on how skin looks at different ages, an equally important question deserves attention: How does its function change?
This November, focusing on skin health, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reminds us that healthy skin care is a lifelong commitment. As our skin evolves, so should the way we care for it.
But beyond skin care routines lies another dimension: understanding the physiological processes that keep skin functioning, and how science can help us investigate them.
Healthy Skin: More Than an Appearance
Skin is our largest organ, and it has a remarkable range of responsibilities.
It protects against external aggressors, limits excessive water loss, contributes to temperature regulation, supports sensory perception, and participates in immune defense and tissue repair.
Among the many properties involved in healthy skin function, five are particularly relevant to objective biophysical assessment:
Skin barrier function: Limits water loss and helps protect against environmental irritants and microorganisms.
Hydration: Supports the physical properties and normal functioning of the epidermis.
Tissue water balance: Reflects water distribution within skin tissues, which can vary with physiology, age, and local conditions.
Sebum production: Contributes to the skin's surface lipid environment and varies with hormonal activity, age, and individual physiology.
Biomechanical properties: Reflect the skin's response to mechanical forces, including its elasticity and ability to recover following deformation.
These properties are influenced by genetics, hormones, environmental conditions, lifestyle, and age.
Importantly, there is no single measurement that defines healthy skin. Skin function must be understood in context, including anatomical location, age, individual variability, and the physiological property being investigated.
Skin Changes With Age: One Skin, Many Life Stages
Skin does not follow a single, uninterrupted trajectory from youth to old age. Its physiology responds to developmental milestones, hormonal fluctuations, environmental exposure, and biological aging.
Understanding these transitions helps explain why a skin care routine appropriate at one stage of life may not be suitable at another.
1. Baby Skin: A Barrier Still Adapting
A newborn's skin may look perfectly smooth, but its physiological environment differs from that of adult skin.
Although the barrier of a healthy full-term newborn is functional, the stratum corneum, skin hydration patterns, surface pH, and other properties continue adapting after birth. Premature infants have a particularly immature barrier.
Infant skin also has a relatively high surface-area-to-body-weight ratio, making appropriate product selection especially important.
What does baby skin need?
Gentle care is the priority. Short baths with lukewarm water, mild fragrance-free cleansers when needed, and appropriate moisturizers can help protect the delicate skin barrier.
Diaper-area care requires particular attention to moisture, friction, and prolonged contact with irritants.
For sun protection, shade and protective clothing are the first choices for infants younger than six months.
The scientific question:
How do epidermal hydration and barrier properties mature during early development, and how can infant-care formulations support this process without causing irritation?
2. Teenage Skin: When Hormones Change the Rules
Puberty brings a significant increase in androgen activity, stimulating sebaceous gland function and often increasing sebum production.
This can contribute to oily skin and acne. Yet increased oiliness does not necessarily mean that the skin is adequately hydrated or that its barrier is functioning optimally.
Frequent washing, aggressive exfoliation, and inappropriate acne products can also increase dryness and irritation.
What does teenage skin need?
A gentle cleansing routine, non-comedogenic moisturizing products when appropriate, daily sun protection, and targeted acne care based on individual needs.
The objective is not to eliminate all oil but to manage excess sebum while maintaining skin comfort and barrier integrity.
The scientific question:
How do hormonal changes and acne-care formulations influence hydration and barrier function in adolescent skin?
3. Skin in Your 20s: Establishing Healthy Habits
During early adulthood, skin generally maintains relatively effective barrier repair and tissue renewal, although these properties vary considerably between individuals.
Environmental exposure, sleep habits, cleansing practices, and cosmetic product use can influence skin condition long before visible signs of aging become prominent.
What does skin in its 20s need?
Consistent daily sun protection, appropriate cleansing, moisturization according to skin needs, and avoidance of unnecessary irritation.
A routine does not need to be complicated to be effective. Product tolerance and regular use are often more important than the number of products applied.
The scientific question:
Can well-designed daily skin care help maintain functional skin parameters under different environmental and lifestyle conditions?
4. Skin in Your 30s and Beyond: Early Physiological Shifts
From the 30s onward, gradual biological changes may become more apparent, although the timing and magnitude differ from person to person.
Dermal collagen organization, extracellular matrix components, and mechanical properties evolve with age. Environmental exposure, particularly ultraviolet radiation, can accelerate some of these processes.
Changes in hydration and barrier function are not uniform or inevitable at a particular birthday.
What does skin need at this stage?
Continued photoprotection, appropriate hydration support, and carefully selected formulations targeting individual concerns.
Some people may benefit from dermatologist-guided use of ingredients such as retinoids, while others may need to prioritize tolerance and barrier comfort.
The scientific question:
How can researchers distinguish improvements in surface hydration from changes in the skin's mechanical properties when evaluating cosmetic formulations?
5. Pregnancy: When Hormones Transform Skin Physiology
Pregnancy introduces substantial hormonal and physiological changes.
Increased estrogen, progesterone, and other hormonal influences can affect pigmentation, sebaceous activity, vascular responses, and skin sensitivity. Changes in tissue stretching and fluid distribution may also occur.
Some individuals experience increased dryness or irritation, while others notice changes in oiliness or acne.
What does skin need during pregnancy?
The AAD recommends a straightforward routine based on gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection.
Ingredient safety is especially important. Retinoids and certain other skin treatments should be avoided during pregnancy, and product choices should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
The scientific question:
How can researchers evaluate changes in skin hydration, tissue water, and mechanical properties during pregnancy, while developing well-tolerated skin care formulations that meet pregnancy-specific safety requirements?
6. Menopause: A New Physiological Environment
Menopause represents an important transition in skin physiology.
Declining estrogen levels are associated with changes in collagen content, dermal thickness, water retention, and mechanical properties.
Skin may become drier, thinner, more easily irritated, and less resilient. Some individuals also experience changes in wound healing and skin sensitivity.
However, menopause affects women differently, and chronological age alone does not explain every change.
What does menopausal skin need?
Gentle cleansing, regular use of moisturizers, particularly formulations containing humectants and barrier-supporting ingredients, and consistent sun protection.
Products should be selected according to skin tolerance, dryness, and individual concerns rather than age alone.
The scientific question:
How do hormonal transitions influence skin hydration, water loss, and mechanical properties, and which formulations demonstrate measurable benefits in menopausal skin?
7. Skin in Your 60s, 70s and Beyond: Supporting Changing Functional Needs
With advancing age, several physiological processes may become less efficient.
Skin often becomes thinner and more fragile. Sebaceous and sweat gland activity may decrease, and barrier recovery following irritation can be slower.
Dryness, itching, susceptibility to injury, and delayed wound healing may become more common. Medications, medical conditions, and environmental factors can further influence skin function.
What does mature skin need?
Gentle, fragrance-free cleansing, shorter lukewarm showers, richer moisturizers or ointments when needed, and protection from excessive friction and environmental exposure.
Sun protection remains essential at every age, along with regular skin examinations and dermatological care when necessary.
The scientific question:
How can formulations be evaluated for their ability to improve hydration, reduce excessive water loss, and support skin comfort in older populations?
From Skin Care Recommendations to Scientific Understanding
Understanding how skin changes with age is essential to developing skin care that responds to evolving physiological needs.
But how do we determine whether a formulation is truly responding to those needs?
For cosmetic and dermocosmetic companies, ingredient manufacturers, dermatological researchers, and clinical teams, this question goes beyond consumer perception.
A product may leave skin feeling softer, more comfortable, or better moisturized. These are valuable observations, but they do not necessarily reveal which physiological properties have changed.
This is where objective skin measurements become particularly useful.
For Cosmetic & Dermocosmetic Research
Developing skin care for different age groups requires understanding the specific functional properties that a formulation is intended to support.
Researchers can investigate questions such as:
Does a moisturizer increase stratum corneum hydration?
Does a barrier-supporting formulation reduce transepidermal water loss?
How long do hydration benefits persist after application?
Do different formulations produce different responses in younger and mature skin?
Can changes in mechanical properties be quantified following a cosmetic intervention?
By selecting appropriate endpoints, researchers can evaluate product performance beyond subjective impressions and support efficacy claims with quantitative evidence.
For Dermatological Research & Clinical Practice
Skin function measurements can complement clinical examination by providing additional information about the physiological condition of the skin.
In research settings, they can support the investigation of age-related changes, skin dryness, barrier disturbances, treatment responses, and differences between anatomical sites or patient populations.
They can also help document how selected functional parameters evolve during follow-up.
The goal is not to replace dermatological assessment, but to complement it with objective physiological measurements.
When Skin Function Becomes Measurable: The Delfin Approach |
Understanding skin function requires more than one perspective because hydration, water loss, tissue water, and mechanical properties describe different aspects of skin physiology.
This is where Delfin contributes to scientific skin research.
Through non-invasive biophysical measurement technologies, Delfin enables researchers to investigate specific functional properties of skin and tissues, quantify changes, and evaluate responses to cosmetic products, ingredients, and dermatological interventions.
From the earliest stages of skin development to the physiological changes of aging, different life stages raise different research questions. Delfin's non-invasive measurement technologies help researchers select the functional parameters most relevant to the skin they are investigating.
MoistureMeterSC™ — Stratum Corneum Hydration
Relevant life stages: Infancy, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, menopause, and advanced age.
The stratum corneum plays an essential role in maintaining the skin's protective barrier.
MoistureMeterSC™ assesses hydration in this outermost skin layer, providing quantitative information that can be used in moisturizer efficacy studies, formulation comparisons, and research involving different skin conditions or age groups.
MoistureMeterEpiD™ — Epidermal and Upper Dermal Hydration
Relevant life stages: Adulthood, pregnancy, menopause, and advanced age.
Hydration is not limited to the skin's outermost surface.
MoistureMeterEpiD™ measures tissue water content within the epidermis and upper dermis, offering a complementary perspective on hydration-related properties.
It can support research investigating tissue water changes following topical interventions and across different physiological conditions.
MoistureMeterD™ Compact — Local Tissue Water
Relevant life stages: Adulthood, pregnancy, menopause, and advanced age.
Changes in tissue water distribution may accompany different physiological or clinical conditions.
MoistureMeterD™ Compact uses tissue dielectric constant (TDC) technology to measure localized tissue water content at a fixed measurement depth of 2.5 mm.
This enables researchers to quantitatively assess localized tissue water content, investigate changes associated with edema and tissue hydration, and monitor tissue water variations over time.
It can also support the development and efficacy evaluation of cosmetic and dermocosmetic formulations targeting tissue hydration and localized puffiness, by providing quantitative measurements of tissue water changes following product application.
VapoMeter® (VX) — Transepidermal Water Loss
Relevant life stages: Infancy, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, menopause, and advanced age.
The skin barrier helps regulate the passive movement of water from the body to the surrounding environment.
VapoMeter® (VX) measures transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a widely used indicator of epidermal barrier function.
It enables researchers to evaluate water-loss changes associated with cleansing, environmental exposure, barrier-supporting formulations, and skin care interventions.
TEWL measurements must be interpreted under controlled conditions, since environmental humidity, temperature, and measurement procedures can influence results.
SebumScale™ — Skin Sebum Measurement
Relevant life stages: Adolescence, adulthood, and menopause.
Sebum production changes throughout life, particularly during hormonally influenced stages such as adolescence and menopause.
SebumScale™ objectively measures the amount of sebum on the skin surface, providing quantitative data for research into sebaceous activity and the efficacy of cleansing, oil-control, and skin care formulations.
Particularly useful for investigating hormonal influences on skin oiliness and evaluating formulations developed for different skin types and changing physiological needs.
ElastiMeter™ — Skin Elasticity
Relevant life stages: Adulthood, menopause, and advanced age.
Skin elasticity is influenced by the structural and mechanical properties of the skin and evolves throughout life, particularly with hormonal changes and aging.
ElastiMeter™ uses controlled indentation to objectively assess skin elasticity, providing quantitative data for research into age-related biomechanical changes and the efficacy of cosmetic, dermocosmetic, and aesthetic interventions.
Particularly useful for investigating changes in skin elasticity associated with aging and evaluating formulations and treatments designed to improve skin firmness and elasticity.
Each Delfin instrument provides objective, quantitative measurements of specific skin or tissue properties.
Whether used individually or in combination, these instruments support scientific investigations tailored to specific research objectives and the evolving needs of skin throughout life.
Healthy Skin: One Lifetime, Evolving Needs
From the first days of life to advanced age, our skin continually adapts.
The needs of infant skin are different from those of adolescent skin. Pregnancy and menopause introduce new physiological influences. And as we grow older, supporting skin comfort and maintaining its protective functions can become increasingly important.
The American Academy of Dermatology reminds us that good skin care should evolve with us.
For the scientific community, it also raises an important question:
How can we develop better skin care for every stage of life without first understanding how skin function changes?
Through objective biophysical measurement, researchers can investigate these changes, evaluate formulation performance, and generate quantitative evidence to support skin care innovation.
Because caring for skin throughout life begins with understanding what it needs, and how it functions.
Your Skin Changes With Age.
Do You Know How Its Function Changes?
Scientific and Educational References |
American Academy of Dermatology Association. National Healthy Skin Month.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dermatologist-recommended skin, hair and nails care for your baby.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dermatologist-recommended infant sun protection.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dermatologist-recommended skin care for your 20s.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dermatologist-approved pregnancy skin care.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Dermatologist-recommended anti-aging skin care.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. Caring for your skin in menopause.
American Academy of Dermatology Association. How to care for your skin in your 60s and 70s.
Discover Delfin’s full range of skin research Instruments at Skinlabs and see how advanced measurement tools can elevate your next research. |
PUBLICATIONS |
Comments