How to Care for Your Skin After 40

Eye care is a big part of skin care after 40.

Around the age of 40 people begin to see significant changes in their skin. Skin problems like uneven skin tone, the appearance of wrinkles or dryness are common complaints from women this age. To reduce the appearance of aging and to meet your skin's changing needs, you must adjust your skin care regimen. Combat shifts in hormones and cosmetic changes with the best care for your skin. Be proactive and add steps that address these specific issues.

Things You'll Need

• Cream based gentle cleanser
• Sunblock or moisturizer with SPF
• Moisturizer
• Eye care products
• Towel
• Exfoliating body scrub
• Petroleum jelly
• Cucumbers

Instructions

1. Change your cleanser to a gentle formula with a light exfoliant. As we age, the skin's repair rate slows, making rough scrubs too harsh for sensitive skin. Use a cream-based cleanser. Wash your face twice daily, once in the morning before your makeup application and once in the evening.

2. Apply sunblock to your face in the morning after you have cleansed your skin to fend off harmful UV rays. Sunblock hinders the development of age spots or uneven skin patches. Alternatively, you can use a moisturizer that contains an SPF of 15 or higher.

3. Moisturize the skin twice a day, once after the sunblock application and once in the evening before bed.

4. Dab on the appropriate eye care product to your eye area before you rest at night. Use a product that moisturizes crepe-like skin, reduces puffiness and erases dark circles.

5. Steam your face once a week to pull out toxins. Lean over a sink of hot water and place a towel over your head. Breathe in the steam for 1 minute before washing your face.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat elbows and knees with an exfoliation treatment once a week. Follow up with petroleum jelly.

• Apply petroleum jelly to your heels and hands after each shower.

• Sliced cucumbers make a nice treat for eyes at the end of a busy day.

• Visit your dermatologist if radical changes in your skin occur like dark spots or skin sensitivity.

References

• Prevention; Anti Aging Skin Care Tips From Dermatologists; Amy Keller
• Forty Something: Skin Beauty After 40