By the time you reach your 40s and 50s, you probably know a thing or two about skincare. But if you think you can continue with the same skincare routine as you did in your 20s and 30s, then think again.
By the time you reach 40, your skin cell turnover and the rate that you produce collagen has halved since your 20s. Meaning that you’re likely to have deeper wrinkles, more sunspots and an overall drier complexion.
Whether you’re a beauty connoisseur, or you’re just starting out in the skincare game, we delve into why your skin changes in your 40s and 50s and how you should adapt your routine to look after it.
What happens to your skin in your 40s and 50s? And how should you be adapting your skincare?
Your 40s and 50s are known as the ‘perimenopause’ phase, or otherwise the phase right before the menopause. This means hormones can be unpredictable which can have an effect on the skin.
Key changes to your skin in your 40s and 50s include:
- Skin’s life cycle begins to slow down and will become drier
- Face wrinkles will become deeper
- Skin will now start to sag due to the accelerated decrease in collagen and elastin
- Skin around the eyes and the jaw may start to sag
- More sunspots may start to appear
40s
Whilst your collagen and elastin levels start to decline after your mid-twenties, this is further accelerated as you enter your 40s.
Speaking to Self.com, Dr. Russak explains the impact that this can have on the skin. “The collagen and elastin fibers break, thicken, stiffen, clump together and lose their elasticity.”
As the skin’s life cycle continues to slow down, wrinkles that have already formed in your 30s will become deeper and more inset.
The good news is, you don’t just have to turn to expensive in-salon treatments to keep your skin looking its best in your 40s. There are plenty of effective devices that can treat ageing skin and keep your complexion looking younger, fresher and healthier for longer.
Our Resident Product Expert, Heather Talbot, says: “Microcurrent is a cost-effective solution to tightening and toning muscles. It works by increasing cellular activity encouraging the production of Collagen and Elastin which is in decline in your 40s.”
50s
The decline in collagen production continues into your 50s, with wrinkles continuing to become more defined and your skin becoming increasingly drier. You may also begin to see the appearance of age spots and sagging skin, you may notice that your face, neck and decolletage is beginning to droop.
In females, the menopause massively decreases oestrogen levels which can lead to the skin looking ‘thinner’ or more sallow. This is due to the increased water loss and loss of fat in the face.
In your fifties, we recommend using an anti-ageing device with laser technology. Laser warms the deeper dermal layers of your skin - triggering your skin’s natural regeneration process and renewing it from the inside out.
Heather says: “If your skin is losing its elasticity or you’re suffering from crow’s feet, laser is an effective way to kick-start the production of collagen and elastin. It’s easy to use and you will start to see visible results after just a couple of months.”
Read more: How We Age: Best Skincare Devices for Your 60s and 70s.
