How to Create a Skin Care Routine for Mature Skin

Skin care is an important part of life at any age and for those 40 and older, there’s a push to switch up your routine to welcome how your skin is aging. As the skin ages, you’ll want to refresh your beauty routine by adding hydrating moisturizers to target dryness and using serums for signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines and saggy skin. These signs of aging are often considered a bad thing, but they are a very normal part of having mature skin and aren’t something you need to conceal unless you want to. 

If you do want to prolong these signs of aging you can do so while embracing your aging skin with dedicated skin care for mature skin. Here, learn how to care for aging skin with insight from Michelle Henry, MD FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and L’Oréal Paris consultant, along with recommendations for skin care for mature skin that will help you refresh your routine, for a more radiant, and healthy complexion.

What Is a Good Skin Care Routine for Mature Skin?

The best skin care for mature skin is the one that works for you. Skin care can feel difficult and complicated at any age, so we’ve simplified the steps for you to make creating and updating your routine easy. 

With your skin care routine, the best thing to do is stay consistent and be gentle with your skin. Below, discover a step-by-step skin care routine for mature skin using products that will target concerns and leave your skin feeling soft with a revitalized glow.

Step 1. Wash Your Face

As skin matures, it can lose moisture, nutrients and natural oils, resulting in drier skin, Dr. Henry confirms. So, your first anti-aging skin care step should always be reaching for a cream cleanser, like L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Nourishing Cream Cleanser (because you always cleanse first no matter what). This gentle daily cleanser is formulated with moisturizing oils and soy seed protein that help nourish skin while gently — yet effectively — removing impurities like dirt, oil and sweat without over-drying your skin.

Step 2. Target Concerns With Serums

Common skin concerns for mature skin involve fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and dull skin, all of which can be targeted with the right serum. Dr. Henry recommends using a concentrated serum with skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide, retinol and hyaluronic acid. 

Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different. This means you may experience signs of aging, like drier skin, in your 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. “Most people by the time they're 40 will see more of those signs of aging to varying degrees. So you don't have more laxity by the time you're 40 than when you were 30 and are likely to have more sunspots by your 40s,” she says. Try one (or all) of the following serums to target aging skin concerns. 

L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum, 0.3% Pure Retinol

All skin care routines for mature skin should include retinol to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Introduce retinol to your nighttime routine by using this serum twice a week at first, and then increase the usage as the skin adjusts to the pure retinol. 

You’ll know your skin is ready for more frequent use when initial redness and tingling are minimized. After 12 weeks of continuous use, skin will appear smoother and more refined showcasing a brighter more luminous complexion with visibly reduced wrinkles. Always follow up with sunscreen in the morning. 

L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal 12% [Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid] Dark Spot Serum

Dark spots like sun spots (aka age spots) are a common concern for mature skin and there’s a reason for that. Dr. Henry shares that these types of dark spots are more prominent in aging skin since sun spots are cumulative damage that appears more over time, the longer you’re in the sun. 

Use this serum that’s formulated with niacinamide to help reduce the appearance of dark spots while the amino sulfonic and ferulic acids gently exfoliate the skin for a more luminous, brighter complexion. This quick-absorbing serum is gentle enough for daily use and can be added to your morning or nighttime skin care routine. 

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum

As previously mentioned, mature skin will start to get drier with age. While your moisturizer is a great way to help combat this, give the skin some extra love by adding this hyaluronic acid serum to your routine. The pure formula of hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates to visibly plump skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.  

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Skin Care Cell Renewal Anti-Aging Midnight Serum

As you age, your skin’s radiance can decrease due to reduced cell turnover that causes skin to sag and appear duller, per the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). This cell renewal serum can aid in making the skin look more radiant with its formulation of vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and patented antioxidants. Skin will be renewed overnight for a more radiant complexion, and after eight weeks of continuous, nightly use you’ll notice fine lines and sagging reduced. 

Step 3. Use Eye Cream or Eye Serums

As you age, your eye area can also lose elasticity and may appear saggy over time. To help hydrate this area add L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Anti-Aging Eye Cream Treatment to your skin care routine. This eye cream targets five signs of under-eye aging like dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and crepey skin (aka thin skin that folds and looks like crinkly crepe paper). Formulated with antioxidants and vitamin E, this eye cream can be used twice a day to boost skin renewal and protect skin from free radicals that amplify signs of aging. 

For those who prefer an eye serum, try L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid + 1% Caffeine Eye Serum to help plump, brighten and reduce crow’s feet. This serum is lightweight and quickly absorbs into the under-eye area for instant hydration and re-energized skin. This is thanks to the infused hyaluronic acid that helps skin retain moisture and caffeine to reduce dark circles and puffiness that become more prominent as skin ages. 

If you’re looking for temporary coverage use makeup like L’Oreal Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% hyaluronic acid to conceal under-eye bags while hydrating the area with the infused hyaluronic acid. Gently pat the eye cream concealer under the eyes for dark circle correction and an extra layer of moisture.

Keep in mind you’ll want to layer skin care based on consistency (thinnest formulas first). For the most part your thicker eye creams should go after your thin facial serums, and thin eye serums should go before thicker facial creams. 

Step 4. Moisturize Skin Daily

Moisture is key for mature skin that gets drier with age. Stick to facial creams that target dryness and other skin concerns like loose and dull-looking skin. Additionally, make sure you moisturize twice a day (once during the morning and once at night) and consider using different moisturizers for each time of day. 

During the day, use a lightweight moisturizer like L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Micro Hyaluronic acid + Ceramides line-plumping water cream that won’t feel heavy on the skin or clog your pores. Even though this moisturizer is light in texture, it is formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and ceramides to instantly plump skin, attract moisture and lock it in while absorbing quickly. 

When applying skin care at night, use L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Skin Care Cell Renewal Midnight Cream, Antioxidants to deeply moisturize the skin for 24 hours of hydration, leaving behind smooth and nourished skin the next morning. This night cream is ideal for all skin types and will help firm skin for a more radiant complexion with visibly reduced wrinkles. 

Another nighttime moisturizer option is L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Moisturizer with Retinol + Niacinamide, which is perfect for those who want the benefits of retinol without using an extra product. Infused with retinol and niacinamide, apply this moisturizer over your face and décolletage area (neck and chest) for firmer and tighter skin. 

Step 5. Wear Sunscreen Everyday

This skin care tip isn’t just for mature skin but for everyone. No matter your skin type or age, you should be using broad-spectrum sunscreen daily with SPF 30 or SPF 50 to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, UVA and UVB rays from the sun will cause aging and burning (respectively), prompting wrinkles, fine lines and sun spots to appear more rapidly. Use a sunscreen like L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion which protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays without leaving behind a greasy finish. Apply this sunscreen as the last step in your skin care routine for mature skin.

Next: 10 Makeup Tips for Women Over 50

Photographer: Stephanie Price, Photo Assistant: Thomas Miller, Digi Tech: Sergio Colon, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Content Director: Shalwah Evans, Visual Designer: Sarah Duvivier, Makeup Artist: Kelly Bellevue, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Stylist: Rika Watanabe, Wardrobe Assistant: Fausti, Model: Jacky Lee