Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

Alright, we’ve discussed how we should be taking care of our skin in our 20s and 30s so that in our 40s we are actually looking pretty good! Now let’s talk about what we can do to keep looking good as we age gracefully!

In your 40s the lines of movement between your brows and around you eyes and mouth don’t just disappear as they did in your 30s. What’s going on is hormonal changes, your estrogen level is tapering off so your skin becomes dryer. You will need to add moisture and collagen building ingredients such as peptides. Once again, a good protocol begins with a basic non-drying cleanser used in combination with some exfoliating to remove the dead skin cells. Because you are now using retinol regularly, you will need to get rid of any flaking skin.

Retinoids and peptides are two ingredient groups you should add into your routine if you haven’t already done so. Peptides can help rebuild collagen, especially when used in combination with skin texture-improving retinoids like retinol. You can opt for a serum as we discussed before, such as SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum.

Your mantra in your 50s should be moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! And, did I say moisturize? Loss of tone and sagging are your biggest issues now and creams and serums can only do so much. If you are looking for more dramatic results, use powerful products containing peptides, retinoids, alpha hydroxy and amino acids, and, you may be interested in some non-surgical alternatives such as microdermabrasion or facial sculpting. At Fantasia, we are always researching non-surgical solutions for you to keep you looking “youthful”.

An ideal cleanser for your age group would be a creamy cleanser which will hydrate while it cleanses. SkinCeuticals Cleansing Cream would be an excellent choice. You should choose a moisturizing cream that contains SPF to keep skin hydrated and protected. Because some ingredients such as retinoids can make skin more sensitive, daily use of sunscreen is a must.

Apply a peptide rich serum under your sunscreen to help build collagen. As previously mentioned, look for one that also contains antioxidants to fight free readicals or hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture. SkinCeuticals has some excellent serums. We’ve talked about the C + E, however, there is also Serum 20, C + AHA and Serum 15. I would recommend you talk with your dermatologist or Fantasia’s Esthetician for more information about these incredible products.

Make sure you have a good nighttime moisturizer. Remember, in your 50s and beyond it’s moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Do not be stingy with your moisturizer!

Actually, unless some new innovative products come along, and they probably will as the Baby Boomers are fighting  the aging process kicking and screaming, the regimen you have in place in your 50s will serve you well for the rest of your life. You can’t stop the aging process, but you can minimize it’s effects!

Most of us never start any kind of skin care until we begin seeing things in the mirror which disturb us. Perhaps you were fortunate to have a mother with beautiful skin who passed along her secrets. Better still, perhaps you were wise enough to listen to what she had to say.

As you age, your skin care protocol will change, at least it should change and evolve. Obviously a 20 year old skin needs far less maintenance than  50 year old skin. Typically in your 20s, the issues you are most likely to face are some acne and some discoloration from sun damage. The most important thing you can do is protect your skin with sunscreen, daily. And, don’t neglect your neck, chest and hands along with your face. A good regimen to follow in your 20s would be to use a light moisturizer containing sunscreen which provides UVA and UVB protection. Chose a product containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Remember, sun can cause premature aging and you don’t need to look like you are 40 something in your 20s!

If you are one to stay up all hours of the night drinking, smoking, partying, you should be aware that it will take its toll on your face (skin). You may want to kick start your anti-aging program now by applying a serum at night that contains Vitamin C. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum would be an excellent choice for you as it will help fight the free radical damage your lifestyle is causing. You will also need a good light moisturizer.

In your 30s, you may still be dealing with discoloration caused by sun damage or melasma (which is caused by birth control). Both are big skin care challenges. Now is a good time to start exfoliating regularly because skin only exfoliates naturally every 35 days as opposed to every 14 days as it was doing when you were in your 20s. A good regime at this stage of your life would begin with a good cleanser. If you were using a foaming cleanser in your 20s, you may want to switch to a non-foaming, non-drying cleanser. You should use a daytime moisturizer before applying your sunscreen product. Preferably use one containing antioxidants as there are studies suggesting that antioxidants act synergistically with the sunblock to help guard against photodamage. And, this can correct “old” damage!

Add a retinoid such as SkinCeuticals Retinol to help improve the overall texture and tone of your skin. The highest strengths of retinoids are prescription only, but, unless you have some major issues and are working with a dermatologist, the over the counter will be a good close second. Retinoids are applied at night, and caution- do not apply them to your upper eyelids as they will be too irritating.

If you feel like your skin doesn’t need additional moisture after applying the retinoid, use a basic moisturizer that does not contain additional retinol. No need to “over treat” your skin.

So, we’ve talked about the 20s and the 30’s. If every woman followed the above discussed protocols, they would look alot better in their 40s, 50s and beyond. We will talk about these age groups in our next post!