Find a gentle moisturizer
Keeping your skin properly hydrated is essential to maintain its elasticity and glow. You don’t need something super expensive that promises to time-travel your face back 20 years. Just make sure it absorbs well and avoid any harsh perfumes or chemicals that can irritate your skin as it ages.
Use sun protection every day
Ultraviolet rays, aside from increasing the risk of cancer, heavily damage and further age your skin. Be sure to use sunscreen whenever you’re out in the heat, and incorporate skin products that provide some additional SPF. This doesn’t just apply to your face, remember to care for your entire body!
Science is your friend
Some people fear using anything too chemical-sounding, opting instead for more organically sourced ingredients. This is fine, but cosmetic scientists have highlighted some naturally occurring and powerful ways to keep skin healthy with age. Retinol, a type of vitamin A, reduces signs of aging, and hyaluronic acid can reduce inflammation and trap moisture.
Exfoliate once a week
While exfoliating, by its nature, can be abrasive to the skin it remains a necessity. The production of dead skin cells increases with age, so a gentle scrub once a week with a light exfoliant will keep your skin smooth and your pores unclogged. Serums, masks, and toners all make it much easier to exfoliate the skin.
Healthy life, healthy skin
An often overlooked favor you can do for your skin is to live a healthy life! Much easier said than done, of course, it takes a lot of work and effort to be happy and healthy and your skin is only one of the reasons to do so. Make sure your diet is balanced and varied, try to go outside as often as you can, and don’t feel bad about taking a moment for yourself.
Skip the long showers
As relaxing as they are, they won’t do your skin any favors. Excessive exposure to hot water and steam will dry out your skin and undo all your hard work to keep it healthy. The same goes for baths, keep them short and sweet, and be sure to apply a full body lotion afterward to get some extra vitamins into your skin.
Remember your skin type
Everybody’s skin is different and has unique needs. This doesn’t change with age, but your skin can change a little over time. Keep an eye on your face during the day to see if your oily or dry areas have developed since you last checked. With this knowledge, you can make sure your routine is built around you.
Look after your mental health
Stress and anxiety are as bad for your skin as they are for your mind. By being kind to yourself, you’re also kind to your body. All sorts of stress-related symptoms affect the skin, from eczema to rashes. Some basic things you can do are to go for a walk once a day, and have someone close you can confide in.
Treat yourself to treatments
Instead of opting for formulas only found in hyper-expensive lotions, save money and treat yourself to professional services. Not only will they relax you and feel fabulous, but you get the benefit of somebody who knows exactly how to care for your skin. Get a glow massaged so deep into your skin that it lasts for days!
Keep a close eye on any changes
At 50 plus, the risk of conditions like skin cancer, fungal infections, and rashes increases. It’s a completely natural process and nothing to be afraid of, but you can minimize the risk by keeping your skin safe, protected, and healthy. Doctors recommend a yearly skin check-up to document any changes, but you can give yourself a quick scan every few months.
Know what goes into your make-up
It’s not just your cleansers and lotions you have to keep an eye on, but all the cosmetics you use regularly. This might include makeup, which can contain all sorts of irritants that might have been fine on your younger skin, but over time can cause new issues. Look out for products that contain perfumes, or any drying agents that help them set.
Prep skin with a cleansing balm before make-up
These are traditionally used to remove makeup, but they make an excellent first step in your routine after cleansing. The thick, luscious cream only needs a splash of water to lather up, which can then be wiped away gently. The effects are ultra-hydrated skin with an additional smooth layer of protection for your products to stick to.
Don’t wear your hair up too tight
While ponytails and the like are super convenient, any style that pulls the hair taught from the scalp is not only going to damage your hair and scalp but your hairline too. The skin around the hairline can become easily irritated and is often the first area to start thinning, so stay ahead of the competition and be kind to your kind to be kind to your skin.
Enter the Matrixyl
The cosmetics industry has helped keep alive our natural human drive to pretend we’re alchemists, making potions to sell at our small business. The chemistry behind anti-aging peptides like matrixyl goes down to the cellular level, where research shows it regulates and reactivates the genes in your skin cells. Who knew the secret to eternal youth would have such a cool name?
Get more antioxidants
This counts for both inside your system and on your skin. Whether you eat them, drink them, or bathe in them, antioxidants have a wonderful effect on the skin. Vitamins like A and C and minerals like zinc and copper are all antioxidants, and work to strengthen your skin against damage and reduce signs of aging.
Vitamin B12 helps to heal
As you age, your skincare routine becomes more about repairing existing damage to allow your skin to age naturally and flexibly. Vitamin B12 is going to work towards these goals in a few ways. It’s deeply moisturizing and will leave your skin silky and glowing, but it also does a lot beneath the surface to strengthen cell walls, which are thin with age.
Cut down on acids
Acidic ingredients are great for cleansing oily skin, and exfoliating, and are a common feature in many skincare products. They also help plump up the skin and add some color, so you may be tempted to use them to hide dull areas. However, the cumulative damage of the acid will start to outpace how quickly your skin can recover.
Use cream make-up
Cream makeup offers several advantages for aged skin that the traditional stuff just doesn’t measure up to. For starters it is much thicker than most formulas, meaning it sits on the skin without clogging pores and doesn’t have as much oil that can absorb into the skin. It also blends easily and offers full coverage without sitting too heavy on the skin.
Try collagen
Collagen is a protein that the body produces for several reasons, it helps keep skin healthy and elastic and strengthens your bones. As we age the body starts producing less, and the collagen we do produce isn’t as powerful. You can give your skin a little boost by ingesting certain foods or using them on your face as an oil or cream.
Don’t wash your face in the morning
Your body works hard overnight to repair itself and produce its natural oils to keep you moisturized and protected. When you wash your face in the morning, you’re undoing a lot of that hard work and stripping your face of its shield before heading out into the elements. A splash of cold water is still good for rinsing away sleep and dust.
Have different morning and evening routines
Your face will have different needs depending on the time of day! Starting with toner and an SPF is a great idea to set a foundation for your face. If you have extra oily skin, a morning wash won’t kill you but you should use a gentle cleanser if you can. In the evening, overnight products are your best friend.
Beauty sleep is REAL
Your lifestyle and overall health are going to have a huge impact on your skin. A good night’s sleep is everything when it comes to looking youthful and energetic. One night of poor sleep might make you look a little worse for wear, but long-term issues mean your skin isn’t getting the time it needs to repair, so invest in your rest.
Stay active
Getting around an hour of active cardio time a day will be enough for your skin to reap the benefits. The increased blood flow, oxygen intake, and general metabolic effects of exercise are essential to keep your body in top form, producing collagen and evening out your skin tone with improved circulation.
Consistency is key
Searching out and settling on your routine can be a long and arduous process, but it’s well worth the hassle to take care of our bodies and face. The most important thing is that it does become a routine. Very few products will give you instantly recognizable results, so your consistency is where the improvements will come from.
Be gentle
This applies to basically anytime your hands and face are in contact. It could be for cleansing, oiling, exfoliating, or even just rubbing your eyes in the morning. Whenever it is, remember to avoid agitating your face with excessive scrubbing. If you’re stretching your face around every time you moisturize, you’re only going to enhance any pre-existing fine lines.
Vitamin C can help with sunspots
While expensive laser treatments can fix most skin problems, not everybody is going to be able to drop that much just for a prettier face. Some issues, like acne scarring, sunspots, and other blemishes, can be reduced with a vitamin C application. It might not completely get rid of any deeper set blemishes, but it can certainly lessen their visibility.
Remove your makeup completely before washing
A cleanser is not the same thing as a make-up remover. Both have their places in your beauty routine and shouldn’t be used interchangeably. If your makeup isn’t completely removed, your cleanser won’t be able to do its job properly and you’ll end up clogging your pores and irritating the skin.
Minimize your vices
Everybody has something they know is unhealthy and do anyway. It’s a very human creature comfort, and sadly some of them will affect your skin. Mainly, drinking and smoking. Both of these have dehydrating effects on the body and can discolor or damage your skin in the long run. Cutting down is amazing, quitting is even better.
Consult your doctor
While every product and chemical mentioned in this article is available over the counter, some are available in higher concentrations through prescription. A dermatologist will be able to give you so much additional insight into your skin and let you know what areas you need to focus on to slow down the effects of aging.
Don’t neglect your neck
While not every part of your routine will apply to the neck, it’s important to remember the ones that do! Neck skin is much thinner and less elastic than facial skin, and is also something people tend to see when looking at your face. Applying moisturizer and sunscreen daily will allow it to age slower and keep you looking great.
Fancy a massage?
On top of being absolutely blissful, massages are actually fantastic for aging skin. The gentle, manual stimulation will encourage all kinds of positive effects, such as increasing blood flow and collagen production. It essentially gives the skin a little hand, encouraging it to work as hard as it did 15 years ago.
Use anti-inflammatory ingredients
Our eyes, cheeks, and the area around our mouths are all prone to inflammation from infection and irritation. There are plenty of homemade remedies for swelling, such as ice wrapped in a clean cloth and cucumber slices. They have the right idea, but you can always do more. Eye cream’s with caffeine, for example, have shown great results.
Invest in a humidifier
This applies extra if you live in a hotter, dryer climate. Humidifiers are good all year round for increasing air quality and do wonders for the skin as it ages. The moisture in the air will prevent the skin from drying out, which is the main cause of aged-looking skin. It will also clear out any pollution or debris that usually clings to the face.
Ditch the soap
While many people swear by soap and water for their face, it’s likely doing more damage than it’s worth. It does clean skin, but most soaps are designed for hands, which are tough and can take the heat. Your face is completely different and needs much more sophisticated care. Soap bars specifically formulated for the face are a different story.
Don’t overdo it
Going back to the alchemist mindset, there sure are an awful lot of different chemicals packed into every stage of your beauty routine. This isn’t inherently negative, but for the important ones like vitamin C, retinol, and hyaluronic acid, it’s good to practice moderation. These are powerful ingredients and too much will harm your skin.
The secret to serums
These are closer to what supplements are for a diet. You might not need them, but you’ll notice if you stop. Serums are highly specific and designed for individual issues like dryness or discoloration. They are light and a couple of drops are all you need for an application since they penetrate the skin so deeply. Remember to apply it to a damp face.
Shop responsibly
Don’t hit the drug store and load up your basket with every shiny lotion and potion you can carry. It’s a great way to lose money, and by the time you find the ‘hot’ in-trend item, the kids have already moved on to something else. Stick to classic, tried and tested ingredients that work for you, at a price range you’re comfortable with.
Be comfortable with what you have
Aging is natural and should be embraced. There’s usually a period during a person’s twenties, after the teen years but before aging sets in, where the skin is one of the last things on your mind. That mindset helps, as constantly worrying about your skin is going to stress you out and make it worse. Embrace your skin for what it is.
Know when to ditch something
Don’t keep blindly re-purchasing those products you’re not 100% on. If something hasn’t justified its place in your beauty routine after around two months, it might be time to look for an alternative! Sometimes products just won’t give you the same effects they do on others, because your skin is unique.
Clean your pillowcases
This advice is often leveraged towards teenagers that struggle with both hormonal acne and laziness, which seems to be most of them. Still, it’s a golden piece of skincare advice regardless of age! You’re going to be losing even more skin cells to the abrasion of your pillow as you age, so it becomes even more important to keep them clean, avoid anything too perfumed though.