Would you agree with me on this when I say that…
“Trying to have the best skincare routine in your 40s is more about aging gracefully and keeping your skin overall happy & healthy, rather than being stubborn about preventing aging completely?”
Unlike the concerns of your 20s & 30s like those stubborn breakouts(some women can them beyond that), your 40s bring a newer set of concerns like deeper-set lines, dark spots, face wrinkles and an overall loss of skin smoothness and plumpness.
This all leads us to a simple conclusion:
Your best skincare routine of the 20s and 30s would work no more in your 40s which implies combating the onset of aging signs by promoting skin proteins (of your 20s, 30s), collagen & elastin, should be your prime focus.
So, are you ready to battle those onsetting anti-sings of your 40s?
Then read below to find what is the best skin routine for the 40s to get back that lost glow, radiance, and youthfulness of your prime age.
What happens to your skin in the 40s?
Before you discover what is the best skin care regimen for you in your 40s, you first need to know what actually happens to your body and skin once you step in there.
This is important as knowing what exactly happens to your skin at this age would allow save you from making unhealthy choices for your skin that aggravates the skin concerns of your 40s and beyond.
Common skin concerns of the 40s
- Your skin gets easily dried
- Your skin has lost elasticity & its plumpness.
- You are developing your first wrinkles & age spots on your face
- Your skin gets easily itchy & irritated
- Your face is starting to develop yellowish & reddish undertone
- Your skin gets easily reacted to cold & hot
- Your skin becomes easily prone to sun damage
Best skincare routine for the 40s
So, you now know what exactly happens to your skin once you step in those 40s but just because you are stepping in your old age does not mean you can’t regain those youthful looks but it does get a little difficult and trickier.
It’s time to find out what is the best skincare regimen for this time period to age gracefully without wasting your resources to prevent the inevitable, normal aging process.
Step 1: Regular cleansing
Regular cleansing is the first important step for a solid skincare routine in your 40s. This serves two important skincare purposes.
- It helps in removing away and product buildup, dirt, sebum, surrounding pollutants and a potential infection-causing bacteria that you could get accumulated over the full day.
- Since this is the first step for any skincare routine, this allows the skincare products to enter into your skin surface more easily to do their job effectively.
When to do? Use both in the morning & at night
In the morning, when you wake up from sleep because dead skin cells shed accumulate over the skin surface and our your body releases its sebum at night. So, you need to cleanse them off to avoid getting clogging of pores.
In the night, after you have just removed your makeup, to remove away any makeup buildup that can potentially lead to clogging of pores and other skin complications.
- Avoid any cleansers with high pH that would make your skin vulnerable to irritation and infection e.g like natural soaps.
- Avoid any cleansers with sodium lauryl sulfate as it is considered very harsh.
Step 2: Toning
The second routinely step after regular cleansing is to use a good toner which would serve as a compliment for your hydrating efforts. Why use it after daily cleansing? Because it can easily penetrate a cleaner skin, free of any dirt & debris to express its benefits.
Toner is essentially a moisturizer that can quickly penetrate deep into your skin to help rebalance your skin pH while deeply hydrating it at the same time.
But toner is not only limited to these two functions only; it’s very dynamic in nature and is often enriched with a variety of ingredients intended to serve a variety of purposes i.e depending upon a toner, it can also contain acids, glycerin, antioxidants, amino acids, anti-inflammatories, and anti-aging ingredients.
Step 3: Deep moisturization daily
As stated earlier, as you age, your body starts producing less of its natural oil called sebum which helps to keep our skin adequately hydrated & moisturized.
Now while you can say I have less chance of suffering from acne but now your skin is most vulnerable to drying out easily. The appearance of fine lines, deep wrinkles are the first major results of a lack of adequate hydration of skin at this age.
So, protecting your skin barrier to keep its moisture intact is the only choice you have to avoid getting your skin flakier, drier and duller. Good moisturizers serve these two important purposes.
- Deeply hydrate & moisturize your dryness-prone skin
- They form a barrier on the skin surface to avoid the loss of moisture
Ingredients to look for in moisturizers
At this age, look for a moisturizing formula that is rich in humectants as these help bind water with them e.g glycerin and hyaluronic acid. These not only provide adequate moisturization but make a skin barrier to trap any potential loss of moisture out.
Or you can use a petrolatum moisturizer like Vaseline or lookout for a good face oil. Oils being lipophilic (smaller molecular structure), they can penetrate deep into the skin surface to deeply hydrate & moisturize your dryness-prone skin.
You can enrich your moisturizing experience by including some anti-aging ingredients like retinol and AHAs, which can be quite drying, an oil will rebalance hydration levels.
Step 4. Drink a lot of water for deep body hydration
Drinking plenty of water each and every day is exceptionally important for your overall health. It’s good for your organs, your energy levels, and — you guessed it — your skin.
According to Jean Rossolillo, a medical aesthetician and laser technician with Full Circle Health, drinking plenty of water is important because “hydrating internally can help our skin hold on to moisture.”
That’s important as you get older and your skin doesn’t automatically retain as much moisture as it did in previous decades.
While topical moisturization is important for keeping your skin plump and elastic to combat the aging effects of your 40s, but if you are not hydrating your body from inside while drinking a lot of water, this topical moisturization will be short-lived.
So, drink a lot of water to keep your body well moisturized by allowing it to deeply hydrate itself.
Step 5: Regular exfoliation
Another crucial step for a solid anti-aging skin care regimen is to routinely exfoliate your skin. This is crucial for a very good reason. As you are aging into your 40s and beyond, the ability of your skin to replenish old dead cells slows down as compared to your 20s and 30s.
As a result, when dead skin cells aren’t quickly replaced by newer, fresh skin cells, your body starts giving a dull and uneven look and even cracks, wrinkles, and fine lines. So what is the best way to deal with this scenario?
The simple answer is routine exfoliation as it would help you manually get rid of those dead skin cells to keep your skin looking fresh, youthful and elastic.
Moreover, routinely exfoliation, as a bonus, would remove away any dirt and product buildup on your face that can lead to other potential skin complications.
How to do it?
There are two main types of exfoliation.
- Physical exfoliation – as the name indicates, this type of exfoliation uses physical tools involving your hand like a soft brush, a soft sponge or a washcloth.
- Chemical exfoliation – as the name indicates these chemical exfoliants work by gradually dissolving the associated bonds between skin cells to make their detachment easier. Moreover what is best about them is that they are suitable for almost any skin type at any age.
Now regarding what to look for in a good chemical exfoliant for maturing skin? So, always look for exfoliants rich in alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), lactic acid, and glycolic acid; Always avoid harsh physical exfoliants, such as sugar scrubs and cleansers with beads, as they make your skin more susceptible to sagging.
Step 6: Never Ignore Sunscreen
This is one thing which you need to take seriously in your 40s as photoaging (aging due to harmful sun rays) is a common phenomenon in this age. Prolonged exposure to the sun leads to premature aging in two basic ways
- It causes the breakdown of your skin collagen & elastin which is directly responsible for thinning of the skin and fine lines & wrinkles.
- It causes texturing in your skin with uneven pigmentation.
So, don’t reserve the sunscreen for your beach day only – never forget to apply a broad spectrum (protecting from both types of sun rays, UVA & UVB) sunscreen on a daily basis.
In fact, a recent study shows that a daily application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen continuously for 90 days can treat age spots, bolster your skin texture and minimize wrinkles by up to 20-30%.
According to researchers, that was only possible because using a protective sunscreen could protect your aging-prone skin in the 40s from the harmful rays of UV rays which would allow your skin to preserve its natural abilities to keep regenerating healthy, youthful skin tissues.
Other good ways of complementing your harmful sun protection are
- All wear sun-protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts, hats, sunglasses
- Try your best to never step outside right in the middle of a scorching sun i.e from 12-3 pm to reduce your exposure to premature aging & carcinogenic UV rays.
Always opt for a creamy, hydrating based sunscreen that would kill two birds with one stone i.e not only would you be getting much-needed sun protection but you would get your regular moisturization as well.
Step 7: Anti-aging regimen
Establishing an anti-aging regimen that includes a set of different anti-aging products is the most important step for a fail-proof skincare routine in your 40s.
This should be very much understandable as the 40s is the age where your skin officially starts to age (although you can get those before if you don’t care for it) and setting up those anti-aging regimens would at least delay the inevitable to some extent.
This anti-aging found in them serves two very crucial purposes.
- Boosting production of collagen & elastin – They promote the production of skin tissues like collagen & elastin which preserve your skin’s youthfulness and prevent signs of aging.
- Prevent the pigmentation & age spots – Powerful antioxidants found in these anti-aging ingredients fight the environmental oxidative stress to minimize the appearance of signs of aging & pigmentation.
So, what’s included in an anti-aging skincare regimen? Let’s find out below.
1. Anti-aging serums
Anti-aging serums are lightweight molecular agents that can penetrate deep into the skin surface to serve the active ingredients aimed at rejuvenating skin overall health & strength.
The most common anti-aging ingredients found in these serums are Vitamin A derivatives called retinoids (which include retinol, tretinoin, tazarotene) and vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate).
These potent chemicals “help encourage healthy skin turnover and increased collagen production—resulting in fewer fine lines and firmer skin.”
Moreover, a peptide and growth factor-based serum can also prove to be ideal for people with mature skin people as the peptides essentially being amino acids help rebuild the skin’s epidermis and also stimulate collagen.
2. DNA repair enzymes
DNA repair enzymes are another important ingredient of the anti-aging regimen as those active ingredients found in them address the premature aging process at the molecular level by fixing DNA damage directly.
This is important because as you step into your 30s, your skin’s natural DNA-repair enzymes start to decline due to damage and start to accumulate hampering the normal functioning of skin cells which leads to pre-skin cancer in some cases.
Step 8: Don’t Ignore your eyes
In your 40s, while your face is the first thing people see but you can’t afford to ignore the areas of your body which could express possible signs of aging like your neck, hands and especially your eyes.
So, always protect these areas as well by using a good sunscreen and other skincare best practices, especially eyes, which is an integral part of your front face, clearly signals the onset of aging when you find deep wrinkles forming underneath it.
So, if you really want to look young at this point in life, then you can’t ignore your eyes. But what skincare routine you need to follow for eyes? Simply a good anti-aging eye cream.
Why Eye cream?
While it is true that being very delicate, your eyes are the first place to show the signs of aging however you don’t always need a special cream of your eyes as those being used for the face would suffice for them as well.
But, that being said, If you observe signs of crow’s-feet and dark circles that it’s time for some special eye treatment that laser focus these concerns.
Look for product formulas rich in both retinol and antioxidants as these would help in boosting suppressed collagen production to plump those lines/wrinkles to make your eyes appear plump, pigments-free and free of any dark circles.
Other best natural resources of dealing with those puffy & aging eyes are vitamin C, green tea and chamomile, etc.
Step 9: Try out some professional treatment
1. Laser therapy – Laser therapy treatment can penetrate deep into your skin to cleanse your pores, treat dark spots to improve the overall texture of your skin. Moreover, it can also help manage sun damage and rejuvenate the skin by improving its elasticity & strength.
2. A routine peel – Getting a monthly peel can prove to be a good idea for your skin in the 40s as the exfoliated skin will encourage the renewal of skin cells to reveal a newer, brightening & pigments-free skin underneath it.
3. Botox – Botox is essentially is the injection of pure Botulinum toxin A released under the wrinkled skin surface which can help smoothen the skin lying over it to minimize the appearance of those lines & wrinkles above it.
4. Wrinkles filler – Wrinkle fillers having a lot of synthetic compounds like HAc (hyaluronic acid) and collagen etc. A few of the popular examples of these treatments are Restylane, Juvederm, etc.
Step 10. Home remedies for skin routine in your 40s
You can include some of the following effective home remedies in the arsenal of your daily skincare routine in your 40s to boost your skin care regimen and make it more effective for preserving the glow of your 20s & 30s.
1. Egg whites
While egg whites are important for improving the overall skin appearance, the little thin membrane separating its white from the shell has been found to be more useful against combatting those wrinkles surrounding the mouth.
According to a study, a cream having egg membrane in it was found to reduce the deep wrinkles & stimulate the production of new collagen tissues making your skin newer, youthful and smoother.
Caution: People allergic to eggs need to stay away from using them as a treatment for wrinkles.
2. Essential oils
Using essential oils in combination with some carrier oil, this can be an effective natural remedy for minimizing wrinkles in your 40s without fearing any serious allergic reaction.
Generally, they are part of almost all types of skincare regimes which makes them a must in households.
Examples of these essential oils used with a carrier oil are.
- argan
- carrot seed
- Clary sage
- rosemary
- Sandalwood
- jojoba
- lavender
- grapeseed
- frankincense
- geranium
- pomegranate
- rose
How to use it?
- Simple take small amounts of any of these essential oils, mix them with a carrier to dilute to avoid any allergic reaction and apply over your face with your fingers.
- After 20-25 minutes, simply cleanse your mouth with cold water and use a good moisturizer after.
3. Massage
Recent research has proven that a regular facial massage or three to five minutes done with your fingers can be effective against wrinkles that can develop in your 40s as it helps stimulate the protein production under your skin surface to minimize any wrinkles and fine lines.
How to do it?
You can get it done both at home or at a local salon. At your home, you just have to firmly rollover your fingers in little circular motions to either side of the face and you are done with it in a few minutes.
Or alternatively, you can buy an at-home facial massager tool kit to do it at your freedom.
4. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is a proven natural skin remedy.
A past study spanning over more than 3 months found that taking a daily aloe vera gel supplement can stimulate the production of collagen to significantly improve the wrinkle-prone 40s to preserve the radiance of your past.
5. Olive oil
Recent research studies have suggested that olive oil could be a good remedy against those aging signs in your 40 by stimulating the increased production of collagen when combined with some of its by-products like stems & leaves.
A study reached the conclusion that a diet rich in olive oil and other vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, legumes, lentils, and beans could protect against those wrinkles as compared to a diet that mainly contained a lot of meat and heavy protein sources like meat, dairy, butter, etc.
6. Banana
Rich in natural oils, vitamins & mineral, Bananas used as a face mask can significantly improve skin texture, minimize those wrinkles-prone skin in your 40s.
How to use it?
- Simply mash half a banana and make a good past out of it and layer it off on your skin to sit on it for 20-30 minutes.
- After this much time, simply rinse it away with lukewarm water and apply a good otc moisturizer.
6. Antioxidants (vitamin C)
Antioxidants rich in Vitamin C, found in lots of fruits & vegetables can treat uneven texture in your 40s at home by stimulating the regeneration of new collagen skin tissues and could effectively protect against sun damage.
A study found that topical application of vitamin C in the form of a gel helped participants to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and sun damage on their faces by providing hydration, decreasing inflammation and enhancing collagen production.
Or alternatively, you can use OTC available quality vitamin C supplements.
Foods rich in vitamin C antioxidants are
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Lemon
- Lychees
- Papayas
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Parsleys
- Thymes
- Guavas
- Chili peppers
7. Minerals
Just like some vitamins, minerals as micronutrients in foods can protect against sun damage, skin damage in your 40s.
Especially, Zinc & selenium are of particular importance over skin health. Using them as a topical cream containing them has been found to protect against wrinkles, sun damage and harmful surroundings.
Foods rich in zinc are.
- oysters
- beans
- almonds
- oatmeal
- peas
- cheese
Foods rich in selenium are
- sunflower seeds
- yogurt
- spinach
- oatmeal
- bananas
Other best foods for anti-aging
There are other lots of foods that can help to minimize those ugly wrinkles on your face are in your 40s
- artichokes
- avocadoes
- chia seeds
- cinnamon
- egg whites
- ginger
- miso
- oatmeal
- salmon
- sardines
- sweet potatoes
- tomatoes
- Walnuts
8. Sleep well
Cluttering your bathrooms with a long list of skincare products and beauty brands won’t do much if you are not getting a good night’s sleep
According to Research, one night of poor sleep can lead to
- hanging eyelids
- swollen eyes
- Dark circles under eyes
- paler skin
- more wrinkles and fine lines
What happens to your face and eyes primarily due to these two reasons.
- During your sleep, your body, brain, muscles and your skin repair themselves by regenerating new cells.
- Moreover, the increased flow of blood towards skin allows it to rebuild its collagen & repair the damage from UV rays to help minimize those wrinkles & age spots.
Harmful effects of poor sleep on your skin are
- Your skin ages faster
- Your skin’s ability to cope with environmental stressors declines
- Personal dissatisfaction with skin quality
To conclude, while other routine steps of your skincare in the 40s are important, having a good night’s sleep is equally important too.
So, incorporate a mandatory 7-9 hours sleep as a regular part of your skincare routine to avoid undoing the good things you do to your skin daily at this age period.
Step 11: incorporate some facial yoga routine
There are some really good facial exercises you can do for your wrinkles-prone face in your 40s to further boost your skincare regime at this point in life. Most of them take at most 2-3 minutes.
Best Anti-aging facial exercises
The following are some of the best anti-aging facial exercises you can do at home according to Marie-Claire.
1: The V
It is effective against…
- Drooping eyelids
- Crow’s feet
- Eye bags
- Puffiness
How to do it?
- Start by pressing both of your middle fingers right in the center of your eyebrows and try to exert pressure with your index finger on the outer corners of eyebrows.
- While targeting your roof ceiling, try to raise the lower lids upwards to make a strong squinting and then get back to a relaxing position.
- Repeat this for 7-10 times and end with tight squeezing by closing your lower eyelids for 10 seconds.
2. The smile smoother
It is effective against…
- Sagging skin,
- lines and wrinkles
How to do it?
- Start by trying to make an “O” shape with your lips and your teeth hidden by it.
- Now, try to smile as widely as possible while keeping your lips hidden and repeat it for 7-8 times.
- Finally, while holding on with the smiley face by force of your index finger on your chin, try to move your jaw up and down while keeping it gentle.
- Repeat for 2-3 times while relaxing back.
3. Smooth the brow
It is effective against…
- Horizontal forehead lines
How to do it?
- Start by placing both your hands on forehead such that they are facing each other and your fingers are spread out between eyebrows and hairline.
- Now, gently try to sweep the fingers across the forehead while applying gentle pressure for tightening the skin.
- Finally, relax and try to repeat this for 7-10 times.
4. The flirty eyes
It is effective against…
- Deep eye hollows and drooping eyebrows
How to do it?
- Start by placing an index finger under your eyes such that they are pointing towards the nose.
- Now, while hiding your teeth, try to stretch away from the top and bottom lip from each other at the point of mouth.
- Finally, try to flutter your upper eyelids while being focusing your gaze on the ceiling for 30-40 seconds.
5. The giraffe
It is effective against…
- Lines and loose skin on the neck
How to do it?
- Start by looking straight ahead and placing your fingertips right at the lower bottom of your neck, try to gently stroke the skin upside while making sure your head is tilted back.
- Now bring the head back to the chest position and repeat for about 3-5 times.
- Finally, stretch the lower lip out as far as possible to pull the corners of the mouth down with your chin positioned upwards. Hold on to this position for a minute and try to take deep breaths.
Sample skincare routine in your 40s
So keeping in view the above steps what does a daily, weekly or monthly skincare routine in your 40s look like? Let’s find below.
Daily skincare routine
Following is your best skincare routine on a daily basis.
In the morning:
- Start by Cleansing your face
- Apply toner after a cleanser
- After toner, Use a good serum
- Finally, end your morning routine with a quality face moisturizer
Bonus step: you can also use an eye cream that if you have certain skin issues like dark circles, puffiness or crow’s feet
In the daytime:
Wear on sunscreen (only if you have to go out in the or sit and office area where sun rays reach directly)
At night:
- Start by cleaning up your face with a cleanser to remove away and makeup build-up or environmental dirt.
- Apply a serum to protect against developing those fines lines and wrinkles.
- Finally, layer on an anti-aging night cream rich in retinoids, Vitamin C and good moisturizing agents.
Weekly skincare routine in the 40s
- Weekly do exfoliation (both physical & chemical) that helps to remove away dead skin cells, dirt to reveal a youthful skin.
- Employ a homemade face mask once a week to get some deep moisturization. OR
- Use an exfoliating mask to supplement your skin cleaning efforts to stimulate the growth of new collagen & elastin tissues.
Monthly skincare routine in the 40s
Check the progress of your skin routine efforts and if you spot some discrepancies look back to know if you are doing something wrong with your routine and adjust accordingly.
Best skincare routine for the 50s
The following are some of the best skincare steps you can take to take care of your aging skin in your 50s.
- Start your day with a gentle cleanser
- Add an anti-aging serum to fight those wrinkles & deeper fines
- Add exfoliation with chemical ingredients like glycolic & lactic acid
- Add an antioxidant-filled vitamin c serum in your daytime to fight free radical damage & boost collagen production.
- Add an intensive anti-aging cream at night to boost your skin cells turnover rate by boosting collagen & elastin production.
- Add a moisturizer in your day rich in hydrochloric acid & niacinamide
- Always take sun protection measures by using a good broad-spectrum sunscreen rich in moisturizers.
- Try a weekly multipurpose homemade face mask for deep moisturizing and exfoliating purposes.
Best skincare routine for the 30s
The following are some of the best skincare routine steps that you can take in your 30s.
In the morning
- Start with gentle cleansing
- Clarifying toners that help rebalance your pH levels.
- Serum for deep penetration of some active ingredients
In the day time
- Moisturize
- Put on a broad spectrum SPF sunscreen of at least 30
In the evening
- Cleansing
- Exfoliating
- Serum
- Nighttime anti-aging cream
- Eye cream (optional)
(optional)
FAQs
Q: How can I take care of my face in my 40s?
Ans: You can take care of your face in your 40s by following the below-listed skincare routine effort
1. Regular cleansing
2. Regular toning
3. Daily deep moisturization
4. Routinely exfoliation
5. Daily sun protection
6. Anti-aging skincare regimen
7. Take care of your eyes & other body parts like hand, neck, etc.
8. Try some anti-aging home remedies like massaging, egg whites, essential oils, antioxidants/minerals-rich foods
9. Do some anti-wrinkles facial exercises daily
Q: How can I get flawless skin at 40?
Ans: You can get flawless skin in your 40s if you follow these steps
1. Regular cleansing
2. Regular toning
3. Daily deep moisturization
4. Routinely exfoliation
5. Daily sun protection
6. Anti-aging skincare regimen
7. Take care of your eyes & other body parts like hand, neck, etc.
8. Try some anti-aging home remedies like massaging, egg whites, essential oils, antioxidants/minerals-rich foods
9. Do some anti-wrinkles facial exercises daily
Q: How can I get glowing skin at age 40?
Ans: You can get glowing skin at your 40s by following these skincare routine steps.
1. Regular cleansing
2. Regular toning
3. Daily deep moisturization
4. Routinely exfoliation
5. Daily sun protection
6. Anti-aging skincare regimen
7. Take care of your eyes & other body parts like hand, neck, etc.
8. Try some anti-aging home remedies like massaging, egg whites, essential oils, antioxidants/minerals-rich foods
9. Do some anti-wrinkles facial exercises daily
Q: What is the best skincare routine for aging skin?
Ans: Below are the steps for the best skincare routine for aging skin
Ans: You can get glowing skin at your 40s by following these skincare routine steps.
1. Regular cleansing
2. Regular toning
3. Daily deep moisturization
4. Routinely exfoliation
5. Daily sun protection
6. Anti-aging skincare regimen
7. Take care of your eyes & other body parts like hand, neck, etc.
8. Try some anti-aging home remedies like massaging, egg whites, essential oils, antioxidants/minerals-rich foods
9. Do some anti-wrinkles facial exercises daily
