“In your 40s, signs of sun damage may show up more prominently with decreased skin elasticity and enlarged pores,” says board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D. “Hormones may be shifting, which means more dryness, irritation, and acne breakouts.” Here, some best practices: What does this mean for your basic routines? Start getting smart about the sort of products and actives you are using: Really research ingredients and their primary function so you can target your specific needs. Think about why you are taking each step of the routine: Does it make sense for you, or is it just something you’ve always done? Your 40s are about homing in on how you can best tend to your specific skin. But as we get older, and responsibilities start to pile up, perhaps extra skin care treatments start to feel like an indulgent afterthought. Don’t let that happen: At every age and every decade, be sure to make self-care a priority. Feldman recommends this as a reminder: “Mask on the W’s is how we remember to mask twice a week. Do it on Wednesday nights and weekends.” Antioxidants also help your body’s ability to neutralize oxidative stress.* If you don’t know, oxidative stress is what happens inside the body when you’re exposed to internal or external aggressors, and it wreaks havoc on all parts of your body. For the skin, it depletes our natural levels of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and just generally contributes to premature cell aging. If you are better able to combat oxidative stress in the body, you’ll fare out better long term. mindbodygreen’s cellular beauty+ contains four science-backed cosmeceutical ingredients:* astaxanthin, phytoceramides, ubiquinol CoQ10, and pomegranate whole fruit extract. These ingredients are clinically shown to support skin hydration, elasticity, smoothness, barrier function, wrinkle reduction, and cellular rejuvenation.* Astaxanthin, a highly potent carotenoid, helps skin deal with photodamage, while phytoceramides help support natural skin hydration and skin barrier function.* Bioactive ubiquinol CoQ10 and whole fruit pomegranate extract promote cellular rejuvenation, increase active CoQ10 levels (which decline with age), and deliver key antioxidants to combat oxidative stress.* She recommends adding a glycolic treatment to swipe over to help the sloughing process and brighten the skin. Not only that, but research shows that glycolic acid can promote collagen production1 in the skin by triggering a mild healing response. Do this every so often (once or twice a week) in the evenings, as AHAs can make your skin sun-sensitive. It’s important, though, that you don’t overdo it. We like this version from Halo Aesthetics because it incorporates kojic acid. Do keep in mind that fluctuations in weight can show up on your face (for example, rapidly losing weight can cause sagging skin). Do your best to maintain a healthy average and avoid the yo-yo effect that gaining and losing pounds can have on your skin as well as overall health.
