In your fifties, more than ever, if you take care of yourself, it shows. Bobbi Brown, Beauty Evolution.
The previous quote from Bobbi Brown, makeup artist maven, is my motto, my mantra, and I want it to be yours, too. If you eat a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet, exercise regularly, manage stress, and get enough quality sleep, it will show in the appearance of your skin. And you must apply SPF 30 or greater every day, rain or shine before you get out the door.
To be in your 50s today is different than it was years ago. Not that long ago, fifty was considered old. Now it’s barely middle age. A big part of looking good in your fifth decade is taking care of your skin. It was easier to get away with a skincare routine that was less than perfect when you were younger, but there is less wiggle room later in life. The focus of skincare for women over 50 should be to keep your skin healthy rather than focusing on having youthful skin.
With a gazillion anti-aging skincare products in the market, it is easy to get confused and not know where to start to select products that will work for you.
This post will provide helpful information to simplify your skincare routine if you are a woman aged 50 and beyond. I will explain what happens to your skin when you are in your 50s. I will also include information on what you need to know about product ingredients. Finally, I will describe the necessary skincare routine step by step for healthy, glowing skin, along with some practical beauty and skincare tips.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of today’s topic, I would like to note that the number one advice to glowing skin is celebrating your life. Embrace your flaws. Your lines and wrinkles tell the story of your life. The lines around your eyes show that you’ve spent time laughing. The lines on your forehead might indicate you are insightful or a deep thinker. Every line is part of your life’s story. Embrace who you are and the life you have lived and prepare for what’s ahead.
The following skincare products are highly recommended:
What happens to your skin when you are in your 50s?
With each decade, we start to experience a significant change in our skin and beauty. Lines and wrinkles become more noticeable as our skin becomes drier, thinner, with dark spots and uneven skin tone. For women over 50, these changes are going to be challenging.
Due to menopause, collagen and moisture levels continue to drop when you are over 50. On top of wrinkle forming, you might notice loose, sagging skin. Numerous factors contribute to these changes: time in the sun, smoking, diet, and heredity all have effects that become evident on your skin as you get older. Stress, gravity, and obesity also affect the way skin looks.
The typical changes of aging are inevitable. So, does our skin even stand a chance against the rapid decline in hormones and drastic changes our bodies go through in our 50s? The answer is yes. There are plenty of options for women over 50 who want to maintain healthy skin and enhance their natural beauty.
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The best 50s skincare routine step by step
When it comes to skincare in your 50s, know that nothing is super complex or overly involved to fear. While it’s important to adapt your routine as you live through the decades to maintain a plump complexion, that doesn’t mean that you need to get tangled up in an endless step ritual for your face. No one has time or patience for that.
Only you know your skin and its history. Don’t underestimate the appeal of going back to a more manageable, straightforward routine. After all, the more products you layer, the more chemical overload. Fewer products-but the right ones-can deliver your best-quality skin.
According to multiple certified dermatologists and plenty of studies in the subject, this should be your regular skincare routine when you are in your 50s:
It is that simple. Just cleanser, serum, and moisturizer with an SPF upon walking, and then a makeup remover, cleanser, and moisturizer or oil in the evening. And to simplify the tedious research for the perfect product in a sea of options, I would stick to one brand; it’s the most reliable way to go.
Let’s now analyze each of your skincare rituals step by step:
The best skincare for women over 50 begins with daily face-washing (twice a day). Use a mild cleanser with warm water to keep your face clean and fresh. Avoid scrubbing your skin, which eliminates essential oils and can dry it out. Always wash your face before going to bed to wash away the dirt and the grime of the day.
Dry complexions should stick with a cream cleanser.
To help maintain the skin’s pH balance after cleansing, it’s recommended to use a toner, which can also supply an extra layer of moisture and act as a carrier for the skincare steps that come next.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I’ll earn a small commission. Know that I only recommend products I’ve personally used and stand behind.
- Exfoliate.
It’s important to slough off the dead skin cells on your face so that they don’t clog pores.
In terms of exfoliation, both physical (scrubs) and chemical (AHAs and BHAs) may be used on mature skin but proceed with caution. Exfoliation at this age is necessary but don’t overdo it. With women over 50, the outer layer of skin becomes thinner and more delicate. Dermatologists recommend taking a minimal approach to physical exfoliation to avoid irritation.
Remember, each skincare routine should be tailored to the individual.
- Moisturize: serum+eye cream+face cream
I think this is an essential step in caring for your skin. When your skin is not well moisturized, it looks dull, tired, and older than it is.
As you age and your skin becomes drier, you might have to change your moisturizer to one suited to your new skin type. An extra-rich moisturizer will do wonders to make skin look fresher and lines less noticeable. Look for creamy textures that are oil-based. Or, if it’s your preference, opt for face oil. Oils are a soothing and healing treatment for dry, dehydrated skin. Apply face cream or oil twice a day.
Ultimate Miracle Worker
Remember to check ingredients (more about this later).
A rule of thumb to skincare routine over 50 is always applied to moisturizing products from thinnest to thickest.
Serum: It is a concentrated liquid that delivers potent doses of vitamin C or other skin-nourishing nutrients. If you use one every day, it will help your skin have a tighter, smoother appearance.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Serum
Eye-cream: Eye cream is key because most regular moisturizers aren’t gentle enough to use on the delicate skin around the eyes. You may want to have a light eye cream to put on in the morning and a rich, gooey one for the night.
Vichy LiftActiv Eye-cream
Masks: All types of skins can benefit from a mask once or twice a week. Clay masks are great for cleaning out pores. A hydrating mask will help rejuvenate dry skin.
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
Ingredients to look for
There are many products available in the market to treat the signs of aging. To make your life simpler, here are some of the most common ingredients to look for (recommended by dermatologists):
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Retinol.
- It has a laundry list of benefits that can help benefit more mature skin. Derived from vitamin A, retinol stimulates cell turnover. It boosts your skin’s ability to produce more collagen (the structural protein that makes up skin and that drastically decreases as we age).
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Hyaluronic Acid.
This acid is a very effective moisturizer because it can hold many times its weight in water. It locks in moisture. Furthermore, hyaluronic regiments can increase skin elasticity, less skin roughness, and overall, more quenched skin.
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Vitamin C.
This antioxidant helps all skin types synthesize collagen, the main structural protein in the human body. Increasing collagen results in plumper skin and the minimization of fine lines and wrinkles.
Tips for healthy, beautiful skin (from the inside out)
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Wear sunscreen religiously.
Nothing damages your skin more than exposure to the sun. Use products with at least 7% of zinc oxide and an SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply every two hours when you are outside.
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Make sure you have the proper cleansers and moisturizers.
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For mature skin is recommended to use creamy cleansers and thick moisturizing creams and oils to help lock moisture in. Apply at night and in the morning under your makeup.
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Invest in a product containing hyaluronic acid.
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Hyaluronic acid is a serum that effectively plumps up the skin and helps the skin absorb and hold onto moisture.
- Exfoliate weekly. Exfoliation is a must as we age. Use a dry brush to exfoliate before you shower, as moisturizer goes on much more smoothly when skin is exfoliated.
- Check your skin often for skin cancer. If there are changes in your skin that worry you, call your doctor right away.
- Soothe dry skin. In the cold months, when you are heating your home, use a humidifier.
- Eat right and hydrate. Again, good nutrition helps the body repair skin. Your skin needs moisture and drinking lots of water helps hydrate skin from the inside out.
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Try anti-aging products.
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If you are in your 50s, over-the-counter creams and serums can help enhance your natural beauty by rejuvenating your skin. Look for thick, creamy textures.
Conclusion
As we start our fifth decade, reduction in skin quality, meaning your skin’s thickness, amount of collagen, and volume, becomes apparent. “Skin in our 50s is also typically drier (and has less of a natural glow) due to hormonal shifts and a decrease in oil, “says NYC dermatologist Heidi Waldorf, M.D.
Therefore, moisturizing, and anti-aging skincare ingredients are paramount. Many dermatologists recommend creams containing retinol as well as those with hydrolyzed collagen.
There are hundreds of creams and potions out there that claim to work magic on mature skin. My opinion is that there are no miracles. However, I think that a disciplined skincare routine and the use of many of these products can make subtle differences in your skin tone and texture and how pronounced the lines on your face look.
Find what works for you and stick with it but make sure you build your 50s skincare routine around antioxidants, SPF, and retinol. A healthy lifestyle and good habits will do the rest.
This is a photo of me without makeup