You might not want to hear this, but once you hit your 40s, your skin (like a lot of things) starts to change. This means your skincare routine needs to change with it.
While your skin may not look as great as easily as it once did, the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to keep it looking its best. That’s why, in this article, we’ll discuss what changes happen to your skin in your 40s and what you can do to address those changes.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Changes to skin in your 40s can range from the subtle (loss of elasticity) to drastic (the appearance of dark spots); however, with a good skincare routine, you can work to diminish the look of just about any unwanted change.
Good to Know: Skincare isn’t the only remedy to aging skin. Lifestyle changes can help visibly improve the look and feel of your skin if you’re now in your 40s.
Recommended Products: ‘A’ Game Retinol Serum, Youth Fairy Retinol Moisturizer, H2 Oh Yeah Hydrating Moisturizer, Eyes Eyes Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream, One Lip Wonder Lip Treatment, and Nectar of the C Vitamin C Serum.
What Changes Can Happen to Your Skin in Your 40s?
While you probably won’t see any changes right as the clock strikes midnight on your 40th birthday, chances are that as you approach 40 or shortly after, you’ll start to see your skin acting and looking differently than it usually does. Here are a few of the changes you might see in your skin after 40.
Dullness - You might find that your skin doesn’t have the same glow it once did. Unfortunately, once we turn 40, our collagen production decreases, causing our skin to lose its radiance.
As an adult, our skin usually regenerates itself about every 28 to 40 days or so; when we hit our 40s, that cell turnover rate is definitely on the higher end. That means that old, dead skin stays on the face longer, causing it to dull or even flake. It also means that makeup, moisturizer, and sunscreen won’t go on as effectively, because it’s sitting on top of old skin.
Loss of elasticity - You may also find that once you hit your 40s, your skin just doesn’t pop back the way it used to. That’s because your skin also loses elasticity as you age. That lack of elasticity translates to a sagging effect, which you may start to see at this age.
Increase in visible fine lines and wrinkles - For most, our 4th decade is when we see the formation of fine lines, especially around the lip and eye area. Both are places that can develop wrinkles fast, because our skin is more dry and we lack the amount of collagen and elastin we once had.
Increase in visible dark spots or age spots - Those little spots, caused mostly by too much time in the sun, start to show in your 40s. Even though we may feel too young to have something called age spots, unless you religiously stayed out of the sun your entire life (or lived under a rock), you shouldn’t be surprised when they appear.
Skin feels and appears drier - Even if you’ve previously had oily skin, your skin can suddenly start to look and feel really dry and dehydrated. This is most likely due to the drop in estrogen women experience in their 40s, especially when they reach perimenopause.
The Best Skin Care Routine for Your 40s
Although the changes to the skin in your 40s are numerous, so are the ways to keep your skin its absolute healthiest. If you’ve never really established a skincare routine, now’s the time! If you have a daily routine in place, it may just need a few adjustments:
1. Cleanser
The start to any great skincare routine, no matter what your age, is cleansing. Use a gentle but effective cleanser like like our So Clean! natural facial cleanser.
Once you’ve cleansed the skin, it’s a good idea to exfoliate 1-3 times a week. Exfoliants not only remove the remaining dirt and oil out of the skin, they prep the skin for other products, such as your serums, moisturizers and makeup, so apply more smoothly and work more effectively. You can do this with a facial scrub, a liquid exfoliant, or use a detox mask.
2. Toner
Next, follow up with a few spritzes of a hydrating toner. Our Rose and Shine natural rose water toner hydrates and smoothes the skin and has no added alcohol.
3. Serum
Use a brightening serum. As we mentioned above, as you get older, your skin loses its radiance, which is why it’s so important to restore it. A vitamin C serum (such as Nectar of the C) is your best bet, as it is known for its ability to brighten the skin and work to diminish the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots.
We also highly recommend incorporating a gentle retinol serum, such as beginner-friendly ‘A’ Game, to your evening routine. Retinol is an anti-aging antioxidant that is proven to encourage collagen production and increase cell turnover, effectively diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles and helping to firm your skin.
4. Eye Cream
Because the delicate area around the eyes has little oil in it, it’s crucial to use a product made specifically for this area, like our Eyes Eyes Baby anti-aging eye cream. In addition to helping to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, it also helps diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles and restores moisture to the skin.
5. Moisturizer
Because your skin is likely drier than it used to be, start with a hydrating moisturizer like H2 Oh Yeah. Formulated with hydrating hero hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich sea buckthorn oil, this face cream deeply nourishes dry skin.
If you are looking for a night cream to restore your skin as you sleep, this is the perfect time to use a retinol moisturizer. Youth Fairy was created to be the perfect “gateway” retinol moisturizer, keeping your skin smooth with soothing botanicals like shea butter, plant stem cells, and organic evening primrose oil. In a consumer perception study of women between the ages of 25 and 55, 87% saw an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and 90% agreed that their skin looks more even after only 6 weeks of using Youth Fairy.
6. Lip Treatment
Don’t forget your lips! As we lose collagen, our lips can come thinner-looking, as well as be more prone to dryness and lines. A simple lip balm isn’t enough– treat your lips with some of the same amazing anti-aging ingredients you’ll find in your other skin care products. One Lip Wonder contains peptides to plump your lips and plant stem cells to protect and smooth them.
7. Sunscreen
Finally, liberal use of sunscreen is an absolute must if you’re not doing that already. Protect your skin health and prevent premature aging by wearing sunscreen daily on your face, neck and even your hands.
Pro Tips for Taking Care of Your Skin in Your 40s
In addition to a great skin care routine, a few upgrades in your lifestyle can help improve the look of your skin in your 40s:
- Get more sleep - To avoid the puffy eyes and dullness that comes with a lack of sleep, try to get at least eight hours in each night.
- Try to control stress - We know– this is much easier said than done. But the truth is, stress does a huge number on your skin, so anything you can do to help alleviate the daily stress in your life will improve your skin health.
- Limit your sun exposure - We hope you know by now just how harmful the sun’s UV rays are for your skin. Limit sun exposure not just at the beach, but anytime you go outside. Wearing hats, clothing with UV protection, and staying in the shade are all great ways of protecting your skin from the sun.
There’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to taking care of your skin in your 40s, as there are many ways to keep up good skin health during this decade. To make it super easy for you, we’ve put together 5 of the main basics in our Deluxe Skincare Set.
