40 and Fabulous: Skin Care Tips in Your 40s

I know it’s a cliché to say that 40 is the new 30, but it’s not just something we tell ourselves to feel better. There’s an ongoing conversation in our society about today’s 30somethings and 40somethings aging more slowly than generations before and after. Everyone has a theory, from smoking rates to backfiring facial fillers. But all that aside, whether or not you feel like you look your age today, how you care for your skin can make a tremendous difference in your facial aging as well as your skin health, so let’s talk about what you should be doing for your skin in your 40s.

1. Prioritize Sun Protection

Your 40s is when you’re going to start seeing some signs of aging and accumulated sun damage that has developed – if you haven’t started seeing some of this already. It’s enough to make you wish you could go back in time and hand yourself a bottle of sunscreen. But it’s not too late either, because by protecting your skin now with daily sunscreen you can minimize further damage and give your skin a chance to recover. A wide-brimmed hat helps too by keeping your face in the shade.

2. Pay Special Attention to Your Eyes

Aging shows up a bit differently on everyone, but your eyes tend to be one of the first “problem areas.” The skin around your eyes is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your skin already, so it’s not surprising that aging takes a toll on it more quickly in the form of sagging skin, lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. Nip it in the bud early with an anti-aging eye cream.

3. Step Up Your Moisturizing Game

Even if you’ve never had dry skin before, you might start to see some dryness in your 40s. Our skin tends to get drier as we get older, especially in women as our hormones start to change. Now is the time to start being more consistent about moisturizing your skin, even if you’ve been able to skip it in the past. Use a quality moisturizer in the morning and at night. This helps with the discomfort and the flaky or dull look of dry skin and it also makes lines and wrinkles less visible.

4. Start Taking Advantage of Retinol

Retinol products are the ultimate go-to for anti-aging skin care. This powerhouse ingredient encourages cell turnover (meaning your skin cells are being refreshed more often) and it repairs skin damage to give you an overall younger look when you’re using it consistently. If you don’t already have some retinol in your skin care routine, add it in by using a retinol cream or serum. Start slow by using it a couple times a week and work your way up, but don’t use it more than your product instructs.

5. Consider a Cleansing Oil

Back to that point about skin getting drier as we get older, because of this, sometimes a traditional cleanser becomes too harsh for our skin in our 40s and beyond. No problem – try a cleansing oil instead. This product can still clear away dead skin cells and debris on your skin but without pulling out the precious little hydration your skin has. There are also some hydrating cleansers that can be a middle ground between a typical cleanser and cleansing oil.

6. Give Vitamin C a Starring Role

Vitamin C is one of those skin care ingredients that everyone should have in their rotation, but especially once you’ve hit your 40s. It can brighten your skin and it’s an antioxidant so it can help to minimize sun damage and premature aging. The easiest way to incorporate vitamin C into your routine is with a vitamin C serum or a cream, or you can swap out one of your current products with an option that has vitamin C.

7. Exfoliate a Few Times a Week

You might already be part of the exfoliation nation but if you’re not, your 40s are a perfect time to join the club. Your skin is constantly producing new skin cells and shedding old ones, but as you get older, it doesn’t shed those old skin cells as efficiently and smoothly as it used to. Exfoliating can help that process along and give your skin a smoother, more even look and a brighter skin tone.

Exfoliation can be irritating to your skin though so add it in at your own pace. You only need to do it a couple times a week, and you can start slow with once a week. If you have sensitive skin, look for exfoliating products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin.

8. Take a Holistic Approach

All of these tips are great to incorporate into your skin care routine, but remember that it’s not just your external skin health that matters. Your skin is an organ, and like any other organ in your body, it’s affected by your overall health and wellness. Healthy habits like eating a balanced diet of whole foods, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep will help your skin’s health and appearance, especially as you get older.

Making the Most of Your 40s

You might be starting to see some aging in your skin, but your 40s are a decade when you can invest in your long-term health and appearance. The skin care tips above can help you get into a habit of self-care and nourishing your skin that will serve you for decades more.