Get Amazing Skin After 40 — Because Age Is Just a Number

Ingrie WilliamsUpdated: Jun. 04, 2018

You may be in your 40s, but you can still have fresh, radiant skin. Here’s how.

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Own your look and your skin

Your 40s are great, with everything from work to your personal life reaching new heights. But, while your life is picking up steam, your skin is slowing down. “After the age of 30, you’re losing one per cent of your collagen per year,” says Charmaine Cooper, Dermalogica education manager. By 40 that 10 per cent deficit leads to a change of tone and lustre. You’ll also notice more dehydration, lack of oil production and deeper lines, she says. Don’t be discouraged, though, there are lots of products to keep skin healthy and vibrant.

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Tip 1: Bring your A game

For all types of changes (think: fine lines, uneven skin tone, reduced firmness), the pros call upon vitamin A, available in variably potent forms as retinol, retinal or retinoid. “Retinol is a quintessential ingredient for anyone that’s concerned with aging,” says Cooper. “It’s one of the most brilliant vitamins that gets in there and helps speed up cell renewal. It’s also going to help [stimulate] the dermis to create more collagen.”

Widely suggested as an overnight treatment, timing is everything when it comes to retinol. It’s not recommended for pregnant women, and when using it, patience wins. “When you start using vitamin A, or anything that helps firm or promote collagen production, you can’t just use it for a few weeks. You won’t see the full manifestation until about six months in,” says Cooper.

An acclimatization period is also necessary. “The trickiest thing is that it can be irritating,” says Dr. Marcie Ulmer, a cosmetic and medical dermatologist at Pacific Dermatology in Vancouver. “Start low and go slow.” Work it into your routine once or twice a week at bedtime for the first few weeks then increase the frequency as your tolerance grows, and pair it with a nourishing moisturizer to offset side effects like flaking.

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Skin, woman with eye cream dotted under her eyes

Andrea Karr

Tip 2: Focus on your eyes

The furrow of the brow, across the forehead, and around the eyes are areas of expression where fine lines now become more prominent, says Dr. Sonya Abdulla, who treats patients at Dermatology on Bloor in Toronto. She recommends looking for products that aim to repair and rejuvenate, like ones containing growth factors. “They are certainly playing a role and we’re seeing them across the board, from Vichy Liftactiv Eye Supreme to SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex,” she says.

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Tip 3: Do the dew

As you begin to add new products to your regimen, don’t forget the basics, like daily moisturization. Well-hydrated skin is healthy skin; creating a strong lipid barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out.

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