How Your Skin-Care Routine Should Change in Your 30s, 40s, and 50s

Just like your body changes as you age, your skin also transforms in your thirties, forties, and fifties.

“Our skin evolves as we age. Its fundamental structure, the way it responds to external stress, and its hormonal environment are all changing as we get older,” says Brooke Corbett, MD, board-certified dermatologist in Las Vegas. “Each decade of life brings new concerns that require additional skin support.”

Some skin-care routines remain the same as you age, such as cleansing each morning and night, applying sunscreen before heading out the door, and using a vitamin C serum and retinol for anti-aging purposes.

But there are some things you’ll want to add to your skin-care routine to combat the unique challenges each decade brings. Read on to learn more.

Strachan recommends spending this decade focusing on sun protection and preventing collagen loss and suggests using the following staples for skin care in your thirties:

• Sunscreen
• Cleanser
• Moisturizer
• Vitamin C serum
• Topical retinoid (if not pregnant or breastfeeding)

Morning

When you’re in your thirties, your routine can be simple. Strachan recommends this skin-care routine:

1. Cleanse Washing your face in the morning is key for removing oil that your skin produces overnight. And because water and oil don’t mix, you’ll need a cleanser rather than just water to really clean effectively.

   [3]

2. Apply Vitamin C Serum Vitamin C is one of the top serums for aging skin and is loaded with antioxidants that can slow down the aging process and decrease collagen breakdown.

   [2]

   Begin incorporating it into your routine in your thirties to even out skin tone and lighten dark spots as well.

   [4]

3. Moisturize With Built-In SPF and Hyaluronic Acid Sun protection is the best prevention method of premature aging from the sun. You’ll want to apply SPF of 30 or higher before leaving the house.

   [2]

   This can be the last step of your skin-care routine, or you can find a moisturizer that offers UVA protection, an SPF of 30 or higher, and hyaluronic acid, which boosts hydration and reduces fine lines and wrinkles to tackle both sun protection and hydration needs.

   [5]

Night

Give the skin some TLC before jumping into bed. Strachan recommends this step-by-step skin-care routine in your thirties:

1. Cleanse Use a gentle cleanser — the words “gentle cleanser” should appear right on the bottle and indicate the product is nonabrasive and doesn’t contain alcohol.

   [6]

    This will help remove dirt and pollutants that accumulate on the skin during the day.

   [3]

   If you’re battling acne in your thirties you may be tempted to wash your face multiple times throughout the day. Don’t. Overwashing can be inflammatory and actually promote bacterial growth.

   [7]

    Instead, look for face wash with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to unclog pores.

   [8]

2. Apply Topical Retinol Retinoids and retinols can help to reverse signs of aging from the sun, especially when you start using them early. They promote skin cell turnover and collagen production to tighten fine lines and wrinkles.

   [2]

   It’s important to apply retinoid at night versus the morning because it can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

   [9]

    Take it slow when you start. “Retinoids can be initially irritating to the skin, so if you're a newbie, I recommend starting out applying your retinoid only two to three nights per week,” Dr. Corbett says. “Also, you only need to apply a pea-sized amount to the entire face.” Keep in mind that retinol is not recommended for pregnant women.

   [10]

    You should also speak with your healthcare provider before taking retinoids like tretinoin while breastfeeding, as the effects haven’t been studied.

   [11]

3. Moisturize Again, the best moisturizers for your thirties are those with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture. These can also be particularly helpful if the retinol tends to dry out your skin.

   [8]

Expect a lot of changes to your skin in your forties. “In our forties, collagen and elastin breakdown accelerates, leading to noticeable skin laxity; hyperpigmentation or uneven tone often becomes more prominent due to accumulated sun exposure; and hormonal changes of perimenopause cause drier skin and a duller complexion,” Corbett says.

Even the structure of your face starts changing in your forties as fat pads decline and facial bones are reabsorbed. “With less sturdy structural support, our skin appears to sag and tends to hang in the jowls, brows, and nasolabial folds (creases in your skin extending from both sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth, also called smile lines or laugh lines),” Corbett explains.

The best skin-care products if you’re in your forties include:

• Cleanser
• Sunscreen
• Retinol or peptide serums
• Vitamin C serum
• Alpha-hydroxy acid serums
• Dark-spot-reducing serums
• Thick, cream-based moisturizer

This is also the decade that many begin antiaging treatments and procedures such as dermal fillers to address structural changes, neurotoxins to address wrinkles, and microneedling, biostimulators, or radiofrequency treatments to stimulate collagen production, Corbett says.

Morning

Corbett recommends this daily skin-care routine for fortysomethings:

1. Cleanse Again, go for a gentle cleanser. “I recommend a simple drugstore cleanser without any active ingredients to give you a fresh palette for the rest of your routine,” Corbett says.
2. Apply a Vitamin C Serum “Antioxidants are essential to protect skin from environmental stressors throughout the day and boost the protective effects of sunscreen,” Corbett explains.
3. Moisturize The best moisturizer will be fragrance-free and contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides to lock in moisture and protect the skin barrier throughout the day, Corbett notes.

   [13]

4. Slather on Sunscreen Try a tinted mineral sunscreen, which has physical sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) along with iron oxides that protect skin from visible light, which can lead to pigmentation.

   [14]

Night

Here’s what your ideal nighttime skin-care routine in your forties should look like.

1. Wash With an Oil-Based Cleanser “Oil-based cleansers are best at gently dissolving makeup and leftover sunscreen,” Corbett says. You can also separately use a makeup remover if needed. Go for fragrance-free because it’s gentler on the skin.

   [8]

2. Apply Retinol or Peptides Retinol will regulate skin cell turnover to smooth out uneven skin tone and texture and stimulate production of collagen and elastin, Corbett says.

   [9]

    If you’ve tried retinol and can’t tolerate it, try a peptide-containing serum instead. Peptides, which are anti-inflammatory amino acids, can address signs of aging, dullness and dryness, and discoloration.

   [15]

3. Address Skin Tone Issues on Non-Retinol Nights Rather than overloading the skin with products each night, which can cause irritation and decrease product effectiveness, use non-retinol nights to apply a pigment-correcting serum or an alpha hydroxy acid to address skin tone, Corbett suggests. An alpha hydroxy acid like glycolic acid can brighten the skin and reduce pigmentation.

   [8]

4. Moisturize With a Thick, Cream-Based Moisturizer You may have gotten away with a light moisturizer in your thirties, but you’ll want to adopt more of a moisturizing routine for aging skin during this decade. Go for a rich, hydrating texture in your forties to combat the dryness you may be experiencing, Corbett says. A cream has a higher oil content than lotion or gel, so it offers more hydration.

   [16]

During this decade, you’ll want to focus on moisturizing and protecting your skin from the sun (yes, still). Aim to include these mainstays in your routine:

• Cleanser
• Thick, creamy moisturizer
• Sunscreen
• Peptides
• Retinol
• Vitamin C serum

Morning

Strachan says to start your days in your fifties with these three skin-care steps:

1. Wash With a Gentle Cleanser To help with dry skin, choose a gentle, water-based cleanser like a cream cleanser versus a foam cleanser, which can be more irritating. Use lukewarm water because hot water can further dry out your skin.

   [19]

2. Apply Vitamin C Serum This antioxidant is key to your anti-aging skin-care routine and will also brighten and soften your skin.

   [12]

3. Apply a Moisturizer With SPF Look for broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher before going outside.

   [20]

    You can also give tinted moisturizer a try if you haven’t yet. These sunscreens provide sun safety by blocking UV light and visible light while also evening out your skin tone with the tinted base.

   [14]

Night

For your nighttime routine in your fifties, Strachan recommends the following:

1. Wash With a Gentle Cleanser The loss of collagen and elastin that occurs as you age makes your skin more fragile, so treat it gently.

   [21]

    Exfoliators and scrubbing with a washcloth can irritate the skin and make it feel drier, so choose a gentle cleanser instead.

   [12]

2. Apply Peptide Serum These amino acids help the skin create more elastin and collagen, two proteins that decline with age.

   [15]

   “Peptide serums contain tiny signals that tell the skin to renew and repair,” Corbett says. “These can be a good alternative to retinoids if you find them irritating.”
3. Apply Retinol and Eye Cream You may notice fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes during this decade. The skin here is extremely delicate, so carefully apply a retinol-containing eye cream to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and keep the skin hydrated. But be careful not to get the product into the eyes to avoid irritation.

   [17]

    
4. Slather on a Rich Ointment Because the skin becomes drier as we age, moisturizing is important. It will help the skin retain water and give it a younger-looking appearance, too.

   [20]

   Ointments work best, but they can be greasy, which is why you’ll want to apply them at night.

   [22]

• Skin-care needs change as you get older, and your skin-care routine should look different in your thirties, forties, and fifties.
• There are some steps of a skin-care routine that remain the same across the decades, such as applying sunscreen, using a vitamin C serum and retinol, and cleansing the face twice a day.
• By tailoring your skin-care routine to your age-specific needs, you’ll be better equipped to address issues that arise, such as anti-aging and pigmentation problems.