How to Nurture Your Skin At Ages 40 and Beyond

Skincare can be started at any age, but as we get older our skin needs and concerns may change. 

Skincare and self care is starting to get more popular at all ages and for men too. About 30% of anti-aging skincare are also purchased by men. 

47% of women surveyed also report aging as one of the things they're most stressed about.  

If aging is a large concern for you, remember that everyone ages and it's completely normal. Not everything you see on TV, advertisements, or social media is real.  

But if you're looking to take care of your skin as we age, here are steps to keep your skin healthy and looking its best.

Best Time To Start Using Anti-Aging Skincare?

The skin's natural building block is collagen. Collagen is responsible for keeping skin smooth and plump and taut.   

Collagen starts decreasing by 1% at age 25,  and increases significantly more for women after menopause.  Women lose up to 30% of their total collagen in the first 5 years after menopause.  

Early prevention like sunscreen can be used at any age, the earlier the better! 

Stronger ingredients or treatments like retinol or microneedling can be introduced in your mid to late 20's for anti-aging purposes. 

Timeline for an anti-aging skincare routine: 

Early 20s: Focus on prevention.  Daily sunscreen, gentle cleansing, hydrating moisturizer, antioxidant serum with vitamin C.

Late 20s & 30's: Adding additional treatments:  retinol 1–2x/week,  occasional exfoliation.  Home microneedling once every 2 weeks with a 0.5mm length needle.  

40s and beyond: Layer in more advanced methods:  microneedling once every 2 weeks ( Banisher 3.0), peptides, richer moisturizers, more frequent retinoid use.

Steps for an anti aging skincare routine

AM Routine 

1.  Cleanse and Prepare

Cleanse skin once in the morning, and once in the evening.  Use a cleanser that is suitable for your skin type.  

2. Antioxidant Serum - Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) to brighten, even tone, and protect from free radicals.

3.  Moisturizer with Peptides or Ceramides

Peptides stimulate collagen production and ceramides reinforce the skin barrier. Look for hydrating ingredients like glycerin and squalane. 

4.  Eye Cream

Look for peptides, hyaluronic acid, and caffeine.  Peptides will boost collagen to reduce fine lines, hyaluronic acid helps with moisture and caffeine can reduce puffiness. 

Eye creams with vitamin C or licorice root extract can help brighten hyperpigmentation and dark spots which is a common aging skin concern. 

Choose a formula light enough for day and something free of silicones so it won’t pill under makeup

Recommended product: Instant Lift Brightening Eye Creme.  Contains several collagen building and brightening ingredients in one cream.  

5. Sunscreen  - UV exposure can cause 80% of the signs of visible aging like crepey skin appearance, fine lines, and discoloration. 

If your skin is on the sensitive side or feeling irritated, mineral sunscreens could be a more gentle option. If your skin is deeper toned, tinted sunscreen or chemical based sunscreens may work better. 

PM Routine

Similar to the AM routine but here we'll focus more on deeply repairing and boosting the collagen in the skin.  

Continue to cleanse in the evening to remove any dirt or pollution on the skin.  A fresh clean base allows your skincare to properly absorb into the skin.  

Night 1:

Active Treatment Night (Retinol + Moisturizer)

Use a Retinol : The gold standard for increasing cell turnover and collagen production.

Start 2–3 nights a week if new to retinoids, building up to every other night.

Follow with a nourishing moisturizer to buffer irritation.

Night 2:

Microneedling Night (Banisher 3.0)  used every 1 to 2 weeks

How it helps: Microneedling creates microchannels to stimulate collagen in the skin and enhance serum and skincare absorption.  

Post-treatment: Apply a hydrating, non-irritating serum.   Avoid exfoliating acids or retinol right after microneedling.  You can use something with vitamin c to enhance the effects of your vitamin c serum, or a product with peptides.  

Microneedling Size Guide:  0.5mm size is ideal for microneedling at home since it is the minimal length to stimulate collagen.  You can switch to the 0.25 mm head for areas with thinner skin like right underneath the eyes or for lip plumping.   

Recommended product: Banish Kit 3.0 home microneedling tool.  Backed by dermatologists and the safest and easiest home microneedling tool to use.  

Night 3:

 Recovery & Hydration Night

Apply a rich moisturizer with hydrating ingredients and if it contains peptides, vitamin c, or niacinamide to also repair and increase collagen, brighten the skin and lock in moisture.

Helpful Tips: 

Don't forget about your neck and chest area!  Signs of aging skin can also be visible in those areas first as they're often  exposed to the sun.  

If you're looking for emerging newer ingredients that have anti-aging properties, here are a list of preventative aging ingredients to look for and incorporate in your routine.  

Best Anti-Aging Ingredients In Skincare Routine for 40+

Lifestyle Support for skin over 40

1. Focus on a protein & collagen-rich diet.