Skin Care for Older Women: 10 Top Tips

Aging gracefully may be more about attitude than appearance but the better we take care of ourselves, the more joyful and resilient that attitude may be. Indeed, research demonstrates that self-care is one of the keys to confidence [1]—and there are few savvier ways to foster self-assurance than flaunting healthy, luminous skin, regardless of age.

One of our top questions we hear from people is “Why is my face aging so fast?” That said, the skincare tricks and tips you may have relied upon in your 20s and 30s may not be working as efficiently as they once did. If so, you may be eager to discover more specifics about skin care for aging skin.

Luckily, there are myriad methods to protect, treat, and care for your skin. Read on for 10 brilliant ways to sustain your radiance throughout the years.

1. Adjust Your Temperature

Hot baths—and hydrotherapy in general—don’t just feel wonderful and relaxing: They’re also linked to a host of therapeutic benefits [2]:

• Curbs inflammation
• Promotes circulation
• Alleviates aches

The temperature you choose, however, can make an immense difference on your skin—particularly mature skin, which may have a more difficult time retaining moisture [3]. Harvard Health is just one expert that recommends:

• Limiting showers and baths to five to 10 minutes
• Avoid using hot water, which can deprive your skin of its natural oils and leave you more vulnerable to getting dry skin

When you do get out of the bath or shower, pat your skin rather than rubbing it dry: friction may cause even more dryness and irritation.

2. Toss Products That Provoke Any Sort of Ouch

You may have heard rumors that feeling a slight tingling or burning sensation after applying a skincare product is a positive sign; that the product is “just doing its job.”

The American Academy of Dermatology says otherwise—and, in fact, instructs dodging products that induce any sort of irritation unless your dermatologist has assured you that this may happen [4]. PROVEN Skincare utilizes advanced technology to carefully add ingredients into your personalized skincare set that can potentially cause irritation. Gradually, your custom formulations will transform and will incorporate the necessary ingredients to target your specific skin concerns.

Not only can irritating products be harmful, but aggravation also exacerbates the signs of aging—which is all the more reason to find ingredients and products that work specifically for your individual skin type and concerns.

3. Prioritize Exfoliating

It’s irony at its finest: Time seems to speed up as we grow older, while systems throughout our body tend to slow down—including the rate at which we turn over cells and grow and greet new ones [5].

Whether it’s performed with a mechanical tool, a brush, or a chemical like glycolic acid, exfoliating may help in this regard. After using a gentle facial cleanser, layer an exfoliating toner with anti-aging ingredients that reduce the appearance of dark spots and stimulate new skin cell production. In addition to sloughing off dead skin cells that may have built up on your skin, exfoliating encourages cell regeneration and may [6]:

• Brighten your complexion
• Promote circulation, which may help bring fresh nutrients to your skin
• Enhance your skin’s overall appearance

If your skin tends towards the dry side, as older skin usually does, you might want to consider an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) as your exfoliator. And if you have sensitive skin? Refrain from using mechanical tools.

4. Make a Solemn Vow to SPF

Everyone ages differently and at unique rates. And yet, what holds true across the board is that sun damage can accelerate several signs of aging, namely [7]:

• Hyperpigmentation and an imbalanced skin tone
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Damaged skin barrier
• Melasma
• Broken blood vessels 
• A red, inflamed neck

But it’s not just about how your skin looks. Sun damage, which you’re just as prone to when you were older as you were as a toddler, increases your chances of skin cancer.

With this in mind, the importance of wearing a daily moisturizer with SPF cannot be overstated. Seek out shade when you are outside and wear a hat and protective clothing. Whether it’s rain or shine, snowy or cloudy, a broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher is vital to shielding your skin from further harm and minimizing the damage you may have already faced.

5. Reach for Collagen-Rich Eats

A large part of skin care for aging skin revolves around replenishing the key proteins you make less of as you age: Elastin and collagen.

Both of these keep your skin supple, plump, and structured. But you may become depleted of them with each birthday that passes in a process called elastosis [8]. This may lead to crepey skin, sagging, and more wrinkles—the most telltale signs of aging.

While anti-aging products like alpha hydroxy acids and retinol may stimulate the synthesis of these skin-saving proteins, you must also nourish your skin from the inside out. 

Several foods are rich in collagen and may also bolster collagen production. Consider adding the following to your grocery list [9]:

• Bone broth
• Citrus fruits, like grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes
• Fish and shellfish
• Egg whites
• Garlic
• Tropical fruits, such as mangoes and pineapple
• Berries
• Dark, leafy greens
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Cashews

You may also want to invest in collagen supplements to level-up your skin’s buoyancy.

6. Curb Your Sugar Intake—and Keep Refined Carbs to a Minimum

It’s hardly news that sugar and refined carbs can wreak havoc on your body and brain, from causing energy crashes to upping the chances of gaining unwanted pounds.

Sugar and refined carbs are also destructive to your skin. Why? Because they can trigger inflammation and damage collagen [10]. 

If you are craving something sweet, indulge in a piece of dark chocolate: it’s deemed an anti-inflammatory food [11].

7. Rejuvenate With Retinol

If you haven’t woven retinol into your skincare routine yet, now is the time to do so if you want to nail proper skin care for older women. 

Derived from Vitamin A, retinol is lauded as one of the most effective ways to decrease the signs of aging and improve skin integrity. In addition, retinol may [12]:

• Minimize the appearance of age spots
• Enhance skin tone
• Improve overall buoyancy and radiance

Fortunately, retinol is available in a wide variety of products—and at a wide variety of price points. Browsing through the selection, you’ve probably wondered, “Do anti-aging creams work?” The answer is yes, they can, but it’s largely dependent on the ingredients. Talk with a board-certified dermatologist or take our Skin Care Quiz to determine what ingredients meet your anti-aging concerns. We recommend starting off slowly and apply a night cream infused with Granactive Retinol with your custom PROVEN formula.

8. Adopt a Skin-Rescuing Sleep Routine

Sleeping can grow increasingly elusive as you age. Medications, sleep apnea, chronic conditions, existential crises, and more can impact the length of quality of your sleep [13].

Insomnia and interruptions in your sleep cycles lead to a shorter fuse the next day, to be sure. But they can also disturb all of those restorative tasks your skin is attempting to do as you rest.

All adults need seven to nine hours per night. If you’re struggling to fall asleep and stay there, one of the top pieces of advice is to plan for bedtime:

• Eat dinner—and enjoy your evening libations—two to three hours before bed.
• Decrease the amount of time you spend in front of your devices, ideally cutting off your exposure to blue light two hours before you get underneath the sheets.
• Save your bedroom for the essentials—sleep and relaxation—to persuade your brain into associating it only with pleasure and rest.
• Savor a soothing cup of hot tea before bed; chamomile, valerian, passionflower, magnolia, and lavender tea may prompt a better night’s sleep [14].

9. Invest in Products With Vitamin C

Vitamin C has garnered a glowing reputation for, well, restoring glow. Its antioxidant properties can do wonders for the skin, including [15]:

• Enriching skin tone
• Repairing damaged skin (and cartilage)
• Decreasing the appearance of wrinkles

Whether it’s a gel, serum, or infused in your night cream, Vitamin C may give you that brightness you’ve seen fade.

10. Consider Your Gut Health

While your gut may seem incredibly far away from the skin on your face, neck, and chest—the places that tend to show the signs of photodamage the most as you age—increasing research reveals that intestinal health can affect the condition of skin. 

The connection between the two—what’s known as the “gut-skin axis”—has been linked to rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema [16]. While none of these conditions will necessarily make you appear older, per se, they can cause itchiness, redness, and irritation, which may work against the flawlessness you’re after.

Moreover, an imbalance in your gut can precipitate inflammation, which may fuel the signs of aging [17].

Improve your overall gut health by [18]:

• Eating mindfully and slowly – Certainly, there are times when you must eat quickly. All in all, however, aim to thoroughly chew your food to avoid “shocking” your digestive system.
• Adopt smart stress-coping strategies – Ongoing stress can take a major toll on your gut and your skin. In fact, chronic stress can alter your DNA and prompt—or deepen—the signs of aging [19]. Yoga, meditation, walking, and even spending more time with your pet when you’re stressed can help stave off dysbiosis (or an imbalance of bacteria in your gut).
• Up your fiber intake – Fiber is essential for gut health. Whole grains, nuts, apples, legumes, broccoli, asparagus—all are rich in fiber and may help turn your intestinal health around.

Defy Age With PROVEN Skincare

The changes that happen to your skin as the years go by necessitate a change in your skincare routine as well—and how you approach your health and wellness as a whole. With a few small tweaks to your lifestyle and list of products, you can move forward with that happier attitude—and grace.

Amplify your experience with PROVEN Skincare. We know that everyone needs a unique cocktail of quality ingredients to obtain healthy, bouncy, and beautiful skin. This is precisely why we design skincare regimes according to each individual’s skin type, needs, and aims. Take our quick, yet comprehensive skin quiz, and we’ll provide you with a list of ingredients and the products that feature them to achieve your goals.

Find your way forward with Proven and experience the difference a tailor-made skincare routine can make.