What skincare should you be using in your 40s, 50s and 60s? And is there anything you should avoid?
Holly Wainwright wants answers.
In Mamamia's new video series, the podcast host and author sits down with beauty and skincare experts to learn the basics for mature skin.
In this session, she speaks to Dr Leona Yip, dermatologist and director of Skin Partners, to talk all things skincare. Here are the 6 biggest takeaways.
1. The number one thing to know as your skin ages.
Before we get into what you should put on your face, there are a few things you should know first.
As we get older, our skin changes, and our collagen starts to deplete pretty rapidly.
"By the time were in our mid-40s, we lose approximately 25 per cent [of our collagen]," Dr Yip told Holly.
"And when you're in your mid-50s, you lose about 35 per cent."
You lose more and more as you age, and things like excessive sun exposure, cigarette smoking and pollution only accelerate this.
That's why your skincare routine in your 40s and 50s should focus on repair and regeneration.
"You want to build and replace collagen [and also protect the skin]," she said.
Watch: What do I put on my skin these days? Post continues after video.
2. Is there a point where it's too late to start taking care of your skin?
That's a hard no, folks.
Speaking to Dr Yip, Holly shared how she only really discovered skincare in her late-40s. Worried that might be an issue, she asked whether it's ever too late to start.
"Definitely not," Dr Yip told her.
"These days people live longer and longer, so [in your] 40s and 50s, you're still a baby. It's never too late.
Yep, being "too old" for skincare to work for you is a big old myth you can disregard immediately.
3. The skin concerns you should focus on.
"The first thing we need to do is protect, protect, protect," Dr Yip said about mature skin.
"Sun protection really is our best and cheapest long-term investment."
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
After that, hone in on repairing the skin.
Environmental aggressors can lead to skin damage, collagen breakdown, pigmentation and premature skin ageing, so consider using antioxidant-rich products.
4. The products you should include in your routine.
Skincare doesn't have to be complicated. You can whittle that routine down to a few key steps that take less than 10 minutes.
But which products should you rely on?
In the morning, Dr Yip suggests using a Vitamin C serum to protect your skin, and in the evening, she suggests retinol to help regenerate collagen and improve skin texture.
You can also incorporate a chemical exfoliant weekly. Either a glycolic acid - which is an AHA - or lactic acid if you have sensitive skin. It'll help with skin renewal.
"As we get older, our skin looks more dull because it doesn't renew itself as regularly as it used to in our 20s," Dr Yip told Holly.
"Active ingredients are really important to help protect, repair and generate."
5. The simplest routine women in their 40s and beyond can follow.
With so much advice and so many products, Dr Yip recommends seeing a professional who can do a skin assessment and advise which specific products to use.
"It's particularly important if you have sensitive skin," she said.
Image: Mamamia.
However, there are key steps she suggests if you want some guidance on the type of products to buy. The brands are up to you.
Dr Yip says that a four-step skincare routine is a great starting point - use a cleanser, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen.
"Cleansing, I would suggest we do twice a day," she told Holly.
"In the evening - to remove your makeup, debris and grime - and a brief cleanse in the morning to remove the products you applied in the evening."
The dermatologist says to use whichever serum you like, depending on what you want to target.
Finish with a moisturiser and broad-spectrum sunscreen in the morning, and moisturise again in the evening.
6. And what to avoid.
"Physical exfoliants with scrubs and seeds," Dr Yip told Holly.
Yep, we're looking at you, St Ives Apricot Scrub.
"We don't want to use those because they can traumatise the skin, cause irritation and [they] strip oils off the skin," she said.
Instead, go for a chemical exfoliant with AHAs. You only need to use it once to twice a week.
Also, avoid squeezing a pimple as it can cause post-inflammatory redness, hyperpigmentation and scarring, and ditch infrared saunas.
"A common mistake that people make, which they don't realise, is they think infrared saunas are a treat and a luxury," Dr Yip told Holly.
"But they're actually really bad for your skin. The radiation and the heat aggravates skin pigmentation and it breaks down collagen.
"Infrared saunas: it's a no-no."
See the full video and watch their conversation here.
Feature image: Supplied.
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