FORTY-SOMETHING SKIN CARE
Janine Mendes-Franco
With age comes more wisdom and sadly, less collagen — the structural protein that gives skin its elasticity, helps keep it hydrated nourished and oxygenated, protects it from damage and even promotes new, healthy cell growth. As we get older, our bodies produce less of it, causing visible signs of ageing — and you start noticing the changes from 40 onwards.
What can you do? Plenty! But to properly address the changes you’re going through, your skincare routine has to change too. The good news is, it’s as easy as 1-2-3…
Derived from Vitamin A, topically applied retinol is super-effective when it comes to slowing the outward signs of ageing. It helps increase collagen production, minimising the appearance of any fine lines or wrinkles and making skin look and feel firmer. We have a variety of retinols of different strengths, and can recommend the one that’s right for you.
2. Be a hydration station
Dry skin automatically looks and feels older; skin needs to be properly hydrated in order to thrive. Make sure whatever moisturiser you use in your 40+ skincare ritual contains ceramides (lipids that hold moisture and help the skin barrier to function optimally) and emollients (which make skin soft and supple) — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is an excellent choice. It’s also a good idea to add hyaluronic acid into your routine, as it seals moisture into the skin very effectively, with amazing results.
3. Don’t wait…exfoliate
Even though your skin may have started to look a little dull on account of not naturally shedding as often as when you were younger, this is not to say that you should go crazy with exfoliation — twice a week should be sufficient enough to help the cell renewal process along and recapture that natural glow.
Microdermabrasion and chemical peels can also help with skin resurfacing, as can our amazing Oxygeneo facials, which give you similar results, but with deeply rejuvenating oxygenation effects that replenish and hydrate skin from the inside out.
With the right combo of products and treatments, moving forward from 40 can be absolutely fabulous!