Amazing Skin in Your 40s

In your 40s acne is less of a problem.  The skin still has a nice glow; however, it does lose its plumpness and moisture.  Your girlish look will change to a more mature look.  Other changes include:

• Thinner lips
• Drier skin
• Marionette lines deepen
• Cheeks can look hollow
• You may look more tired having deeper lines around your eyes and droopier upper eyelids

Ways to combat the common signs of aging in your 40s

Day:

• Switch to a cream cleanser with ingredients like urea, glycerin, and petrolatum to seal in moisture.  Yeast or algae extracts will help brighten the skin
• Spot-treat specific skin conditions like excessively dry areas or redness flare-ups with a moisturizing serum after cleaning
• Follow the serum treatments with an SPF moisturizer that contains a reparative ingredient like retinol to improve fine lines
• As the skin becomes more dry in your 40s, a primer will help to hydrate and prep your face so makeup goes on smoothly and lasts all day
• Use an opaque concealer to cover brown spots and redness around the sides of the nose
• Follow with light-reflecting foundation to soften lines
• Coat lips with a lip plumper to add fullness

Night:

• Exfoliation is necessary
• Use a less irritating treatment on your more delicate skin
• Apply a cream with exfoliating polyhdroxy acid that gently removes dead cells
• At bedtime, apply an eye cream that includes a silicone polymer to help tighten the upper-eyelid area and retinol to smooth lines

Your body:

• The skin around your neck thins and starts to lose elasticity
• Slather moisturizing neck creams with ingredients like retinoids, glycolic acids and vitamins C and E
• Some dermatologists recommend Botox injections at this time to  help smooth and relax the neck muscles
• The elbows and knees can become dry, hyper-pigmented, and thickened from bending and supporting your weight.  Exfoliate these parts twice a week with a scrub or a moisturizer with AHAs
• Layer a thick cream on top of elbows and knees after exfoliation treatments for some extra conditioning

Best anti-aging pro treatment:

• Fraxel:  This is a doctor-performed procedure.  The doctor will beam tiny laser onto the skin to eliminate old cells while leaving the healthy ones intact.  The benefits for 40-year-old skin are that it diminishes sunspots and fine lines, strengthens elasticity and stimulates collagen production.  The procedure is expensive; at least $1,500 per session and it could take up to five sessions to se optimal results.

Choose hydrating products that gently exfoliate to keep your skin looking radiant.

Source:  Pearl N. Amazing skin in your 30s 40s 50s. Health [serial online]. June 2007;21(6):122. Available from: MAS Ultra - School Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed August 4, 2008.

Written by:  Connie Limon  To find more skin care articles and tips visit http://smalldogs2.com/SkinCareTips  To find a variety of reprint articles visit http://www.camelotarticles.com