If the candles on your 40th birthday cake have yet to cool, but you’re already seeking skincare advice, you’re not alone. It seems like once women officially pass ‘over the hill,’ changes in skin elasticity and brightness suddenly become glaringly obvious. And once perimenopause begins? Forget about it! It can feel like a race against the clock to fight fine lines, wrinkles, and facial sagging.
I’m here to remind you that, no, your 40s are not the end of great skin! While it’s true the normal fluctuation of hormones and decreases in collagen that occur throughout perimenopause and into menopause can change your complexion, your 40s can absolutely still be fabulous. Take a look at the ideal skin treatments I recommend to keep your skin looking fresh, flawless, and, yes, 40!
Whether you’re 14 or 44, beginning an effective skincare routine means finding a proper cleanser. Your cleanser helps to remove any impurities from the surface of your skin, so the skincare you apply afterward can absorb optimally. When hunting for a cleanser in your 40s, you may notice that recent changes in your skin demand alternative skincare ingredients.
For instance, perimenopause and menopause are known to cause dry skin. As your body produces less estrogen, it will create less oil and hold onto less water, which can cause your skin to appear flaky and dull — and emphasize fine lines and wrinkles! Hormonal fluctuations in your 40s can also cause adult acne, even if you didn’t struggle with pimples when you were younger.
Not all cleansers are the same, and the products that work for your sister or friend may not suit you. The correct cleanser for your skin will leave it feeling clean, not tight or dry, and polished, not greasy or shiny. Cleansers I recommend for women in their 40s include:
After a cleanser, I advise women in their 40s to apply an exfoliating mask or a peel to encourage cellular turnover. The term ‘cellular turnover’ is a fancy way of referring to the natural shedding of dead skin cells called desquamation. New skin cells are created every 28 to 40 days and travel up through the epidermis until they reach your skin’s surface, replacing your dead skin cells.
Skincare products like exfoliating masks and peels help to buff old, dead skin cells from the skin’s surface so they can be replaced by younger, fresher skin cells. The result? More youthful, fresher-looking skin! Products I recommend to boost cellular turnover in your 40s include:
Collagen — or really, a lack of collagen — plays a significant role in typical signs of aging, like facial sagging along the under eyes and jawline. Women’s skin loses close to 30% of its collagen during the first five years of menopause and continues to lose about 2% yearly for the next 20 years. As collagen decreases, your skin can lose its firmness and start to sag.
If you want to reduce signs of aging in your 40s, it’s essential to incorporate skincare ingredients that act as building blocks for your skin to rebuild damaged areas and stall further collagen reduction. Products I recommend to stimulate collagen production and fight signs of aging include:
Of course, your skincare routine is only complete with skincare devices! Skincare devices improve the efficacy of the products you layer on your skin. They also play an integral role in helping your fascia, or connective tissue, release and reshape your face. If you want to address sagging skin in your 40s, I recommend stocking up on the following skincare devices and learning how to use them properly.
This is your sign that your 40s are a time to embrace your skin — you just need to give it a bit of love! If you’re feeling uncertain about addressing the skin concerns accompanying perimenopause and menopause, I invite you to join me in the Christine Byer Beauty Club. Members access personalized support for skincare questions and unlock savings on anti-aging skincare!
Some people, me included, will try anything to get rid of a turkey neck for good—even go under the knife to reclaim a chiseled jawline! But after 23 years as a licensed esthetician, I’ve worked on enough turkey necks to know that surgery is not always the way to go.
Keep reading to discover the most effective approaches to fixing a turkey neck, including my preferred nonsurgical treatments!
