Your face is your most precious asset – and the condition of your skin largely determines whether you look youthful for your age or old beyond your years. So, how can you tell if your skin is normal for your age? Looking in the mirror may not be the most reliable way to find out – especially if the person looking back keeps making odd faces at you. Instead, take your facial fingerprint. All you need is a roll of Scotch tape (or any plain old clear adhesive tape, in case you haven’t been to Scotland recently). Make sure your face is clean (without makeup, sunscreen, moisturizer, or peanut butter for at least two hours). Place a piece of tape vertically on the middle of your forehead from your scalp to the area between your eyebrows. Move it to the outside corners of your eyes, across the apple of each cheek, and above your lip. Press gently in each spot, leave it for a few seconds, and carefully remove. Check the tape for lines and flakiness.
If your tape is completely smooth: You have the skin of a typical 30-year-old.
If you have flaky or dead cells but no lines: You have the skin of a typical 40-year-old.
If you have flaky cells and small lines: You have the skin of a typical 50-year-old.
Do this test every few months, and inspect the size of your pores with a magnifying glass. One of the ways to really assess skin health is to look at your skin often, to compare changes in things like pore size, oil, flakes, and wrinkles.