Skin care in your 40s and 50s

Wrinkle creams, eye serums, and other anti-aging skin care products can help diminish signs of aging. To create a truly effective anti-aging skin care plan, however, it helps to start with healthy skin care habits. The benefits of healthy skin care habits include:

• Prevent (or clear up) a blotchy complexion

• Retain skin’s youthful firmness longer

• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles

• Keep complexion looking brighter and younger

• Avoid leathery skin

• Reduce skin cancer risk

To help you create your own anti-aging skin care plan, you’ll find key healthy skin care habits below. Years of research supports each of these recommendations.

Anti-aging skin care tips

1. Protect your skin from the sun. Sun protection forms the foundation of every anti-aging skin-care plan. The sun’s rays make our skin age more quickly. We have so much evidence that the sun prematurely ages our skin that there is actually a word to describe this effect. This word is “photoaging.” To help patients protect their skin from the sun and other harmful UV rays, dermatologists offer these tips:

   • Seek shade. Be sure to seek shade between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and whenever your shadow looks shorter than you are.
   • Cover up in style. Whenever possible, wear a wide-brimmed hat, pants, and long sleeves. Gloves help to minimize common signs of aging on our hands such as age spots. Sunglasses help reduce fine lines around our eyes.
   • Slather on the sunscreen every day before going outdoors. To protect your skin, apply sunscreen to all skin that clothing will not cover. You want to use a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, SPF 30 (or higher), and water resistance.

2. Forget about indoor tanning. The sun, tanning beds, and sun lamps expose you to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. These rays accelerate skin aging.

3. Apply moisturizer every day. As we age, skin becomes drier. Fine lines and wrinkles appear. Moisturizer traps water in our skin, giving it a more youthful appearance. For best results, use a facial moisturizer, body moisturizer, and lip balm.

4. Wash away dirt and grime twice a day. How you wash your face can affect your appearance. For best results, you want to wash with warm water and a mild cleanser rather than soap. You also should avoid scrubbing your skin clean.

5. Stop smoking. Tobacco smoke contains toxins that can lead to smoker’s face. Signs of smoker’s face include dull and dry complexion, loss of skin’s firmness, premature lines and wrinkles, and leathery skin.

6. Eat healthy foods. A healthy diet promotes healthy skin. Make sure you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

7. Get enough sleep. It’s called beauty rest for a reason. Sleep gives your body time to refresh and renew itself.

If you want to include anti-aging skin care products in your plan, dermatologists recommend that you select these products carefully. You can learn how to select these products by reading, How to select anti-aging skin care products.

Related AAD resources

• How to maximize results from anti-aging skin care products

• How to care for your skin in your 60s and 70s

• Face washing 101