The Best Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine for Your 40s

With advancing age comes a little skin care wisdom. You’ve gotten to know your skin over the years, observed its changes, and addressed new skin care concerns. The one constant you may have noticed is that your skin’s needs do in fact change as you get older, and that is something that won’t end in your 40s—sorry! As you age, you may notice that your skin is starting to feel drier, for example, and that wrinkles and dark spots are becoming more visible. Of course, growing older isn’t all bad. Your skin tells your story and you should be proud of where you are today. You made it to your 40s—that’s a solid accomplishment! Still, if you’d like to address signs of aging in your 40s, there’s no reason you can’t do that. It’s all about changing your skin care routine to suit what your skin needs now. Keep reading for the best skin care regimen for your 40s.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #1: CLEANSE WITHOUT LOSING COMFORT

If your skin seems to be drier than it was in your 20s or 30s, there’s an explanation for this. As you age, skin loses moisture, nutrients, and natural oils, leading it to feeling drier and possibly even uncomfortable. And using a facial cleanser that isn’t formulated for dry, mature skin is a definite skin care no-no. Make the switch to a cream cleanser, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Nourishing Cream Cleanser, to wash your face without compromising your complexion’s comfort.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #2: MAXIMIZE MOISTURIZING

While you’ve surely figured out by now that you need to moisturize—it’s a must—you may need to kick things up a notch or two. If your aging skin is feeling drier than it did when you were younger, you may need to add a more hydrating moisturizer, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Honey Day Cream, to your anti-aging skin care routine. (In addition to moisturizing, this day cream for mature skin also helps to improve the look of skin’s radiance and elasticity). Be sure to moisturize twice a day—morning and night—after cleansing. Pro tip: Smooth your moisturizer onto your skin while it’s still damp to help lock in hydration.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #3: PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR EYE AREA

When it comes to aging, “it’s all in the eyes” isn’t so far from the truth. The delicate, thin skin around your eyes tends to be the first area to show signs of aging, and those are likely to continue to become more noticeable in your 40s. At this point, hopefully you’ve already introduced an eye cream into your routine—after all, it’s never too early to do so—but just in case you haven’t, get on that ASAP. Smooth on an eye gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey Eye Gel, in both the A.M. and P.M. as the final step in your anti-aging skin care routine.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #4: INCORPORATE A FACIAL OIL

Applying a facial oil may have sounded scary as a teen when your skin was likely a whole lot oilier than it is now, but there’s no reason to be afraid. Trust us, using oils in your skin care routine doesn’t mean you’ll have oily skin. Adding a facial oil into your anti-aging routine is another way to take your moisturizing to the next level. Look for a facial oil that helps give skin a glow and apply four to five drops to your face after applying your moisturizer.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #5: TRY A SERUM

Another skin care product that can come in handy in your 40s is serum. Look for one that addresses signs of aging, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. This serum is formulated with hyaluronic acid to immediately replenish and reduce wrinkles for visibly plumped, youthful-looking skin. Apply it in between cleansing and moisturizing morning and night.

ANTI-AGING SKIN CARE TIP #6: DON’T FORGET BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN

Contemplating skipping out on sunscreen? Think again. No matter your age, you should be applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of at least 15 every single day as directed. And of course, don’t forget to reapply at least every two hours (or immediately after swimming or sweating). In addition to sunscreen application, you should be taking other sun protection measures as well. These include limiting your amount of time in the sun (especially during the sun's peak hours from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.), seeking shade, and covering up exposed areas in long sleeves, pants, a broad-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.

Ready to prepare for the future? Next, head over to our article, 4 Skin Care Tips for Women Over 50.