Skincare Tips to Live by in Your 40s

Skincare in Your 40s - Radically Different 

Every decade brings about a new skincare regimen. In our teens, it's all about keeping acne at bay and wondering why on all the nights to get the biggest zit of your life on your chin, it had to be prom night. (I still can't let this go!)

In our 20s, it's all about prevention. Prevent fine lines. Prevent wrinkles. Prevent sun damage. And yes, still prevent acne. In our 30s, we're introduced to anti-aging. But what about our 40s?

If we had to pick one word to define skincare in your 40s, it would be maintenance. Obviously, we can't avoid the aging process entirely, but this makes it even more important to develop healthy skin habits and find a routine that works for you.

Even the best beauty device can't beat a consistent skincare routine with the ingredients you need. So let's cover 5 all-important skincare tips to live by in your 40s! 

1. Know your skin AND your ingredients

By 40, it's safe to say you should have a general idea of what your skin likes and doesn't like. If you don't, that's totally fine too! But in that case, you definitely want to start observing your skin, how it reacts to different conditions like weather, and what ingredients you might be putting on your face that could be incompatible.  

For example, people with oily skin should avoid moisturizers that contain petroleum, and instead opt for an ingredient like hyaluronic acid. This way, you don't exacerbate clogged pores. 

There are all kinds of different skin types: dry, oily, normal, and sensitive just to name a few. And they all work better or worse with different ingredients. Maintaining healthy skin as you enter your 40s begins with knowing your skin, and knowing what ingredients you should be using to develop a consistent, healthy routine. 

To find out your skin type, we recommend this short article by Cerave. 

2.  Protect your skin from the sun

Yup, we DID just find another way to talk about sunscreen. The sun produces corrosive and harmful UV rays that cause damage to your skin cells, accelerating aging and leading to premature skin aging in the form of wrinkles and fine lines. 

If you're not already, try to make sunscreen a part of your daily routine, ideally after you moisturize. And with sunscreen, it's important not to neglect to wear it on cloud or overcast days when you might think there's no harm in forgetting it. But your skin can actually still be exposed to UV rays even when the sun is gone. 

Some sunscreens combine multiple healthy ingredients, so try and find one that's compatible with your skin, and has an SPF of 30 at least. 

Protecting your skin from the sun becomes even more important in your 40s. We're already facing the natural aging process; we don't want to accelerate it even further by exposing our skin to the sun. 

3.  Hydration, hydration... and more hydration.

And even MORE hydration than that! Just messing with you. But seriously though. Next sunscreen, making sure your skin is properly hydrated is essential to keeping it happy and healthy in your 40s. 

As we mature, our skin naturally loses moisture and elasticity, through a decrease in hyaluronic acid production and collagen and elastin. 

You might recall from your teen years trying to take away oil and moisture from your skin to prevent breakouts. But it turns out, your skin is actually quite thirsty! And the loss of hydration is actually one of the biggest causes of premature skin aging.

Grab yourself a hyaluronic acid serum and a facial moisturizer, depending on your skin type.

4.  Incorporate treatments into your monthly skincare routine

Whether it's lasers, peels, LED lights, Microcurrent, or micro-needling, find out what's most suitable for your skin type and your skin needs, and go for it. 

Seeking professional treatments from your local dermatologist or trying your hands at an at-home therapy device is a great way to boost the effects you're getting from a proper skincare routine. 

On top of that, facials and facial devices can be incredibly relaxing for the skin, which we can all never have enough of. 

5. Remember your Retinol!

There's a reason why we dedicated an ENTIRE blog just to retinol - it's one of the greatest tools you could have in your arsenal for skincare in your 40s. 

It's great for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin texture, and preventing sagging skin by boosting collagen and elastin production. 

We'll save you the details (which you can read more about here), but if you haven't already added Retinol into your routine, by 40, it's definitely time. 

In Conclusion

What worked for your skin in your teens can be vastly different from what worked in your 20s, and the same goes for your 30s and especially your 40s.  

Your skincare routine isn't meant to stay the same. And the name of the game in your 40s is maintenance. Let's summarize the entire blog into 3 main points:

1. Know your skin and what ingredients work for you
2. Protect against the sun while keeping the skin hydrated
3. Incorporate treatments into your monthly skincare routine, whether at-home or with your dermatologist.