Your post-40 skin: how to love and look after it
Smart skincare habits in your 40s are essential for keeping your complexion youthful, happy and ageless. It’s not about fighting the passage of time, but embracing it with grace and poise, so you can continue to look and feel as good as ever. And the tips below will help you do exactly that.
1. Cleanse with care
Opt for a gentle cleanser that’s also packed with anti-ageing nutrients, so you’re feeding your complexion as opposed to depleting it of goodness (as some harsh cleansers can do). Use it morning and night to remove make-up before bed and prime your skin for other products in the morning.
A good option if you like a deep clean is Olay Anti-Wrinkle Face Wash with exfoliating particles – this helps to promote renewal of the skin’s surface while hydrating and soothing the complexion thanks to powerhouse ingredients like vitamin B5. If your face is on the dry or sensitive side, opt for a creamier cleanser, such as Olay Essentials Conditioning Milk, which contains aloe and cucumber to soothe skin while doing away with impurities.
2. Incorporate the miracle workers
If you don’t use a serum yet, now’s the time to start. They contain effective skin-boosting ingredients in a much more concentrated and absorbable formula, so you’ll really see a difference in your complexion.
Use a daytime serum, such as Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Firming Serum, which contains a concentrated amino-peptide complex for firmer-looking skin. Follow up with Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Firming Moisturiser SPF30 to keep skin looking and feeling great while protecting it against sun damage.
3. Adjust your make-up
You may be tempted to increase the amount of make-up you use to cover up any recent changes in your complexion, but caked-on or powdery foundation is actually less flattering as it settles into fine lines and wrinkles, making them more noticeable. Your aim for make-up now should be to increase hydration and create a natural glow – so a tinted moisturiser, for example, is a good way to even out your skin tone while adding a dewy radiance. And always choose one with a sunscreen of at least SPF15 to protect your skin from sun or environmental damage.
4. Brighten up your look
Rather than focusing on heavy eye make-up, opt for a flattering pop of blush or bronzer on the apples of your cheeks and sides of your forehead to breathe life into your look. Beat dark grey or purple shadows under your eyes with a yellow-toned under-eye concealer, and keep your eyebrows groomed and shaped – this will help lift your whole face, making you look more awake.
5. Focus on fats
Eating a healthy diet helps to make skin glow and look its radiant best. This means avoiding unhealthy trans fats that cause your skin to look dull – found in baked goods and fried and processed foods – and increasing your intake of healthy fats to keep skin supple and reduce inflammation and blemishes. Make sure you add foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, avocado and dark green leafy vegetables to your daily menu.
How do you keep your skin looking youthful? Let us know in the comments section below, and be sure to find out more about smart skincare and discover savings at Olay.