Skincare after 50

It’s rare that I post a photograph of myself, especially one that’s sans makeup. I’m fresh from the salon and my hairdresser has done another beautiful job with the highlights and lowlights. But more importantly I wanted to show you my face. I recently turned 64 years old, and I’m pretty proud of my skin.

So while I have your attention, let’s take a moment to talk about Skincare.

Washing your face with a bar of Ivory or Dove soap might work for some, but your skin needs better care than that. One of the things that I didn’t realize was how dry my skin became after menopause. The glow was gone, it was just flat. I do see a dermatologist once a year for an all over skin cancer check. One thing you can do is to talk to your dermatologist about your skin and ask what you can do to get it looking better, how to get that glow back.

A few years ago I began a new skincare regimen for both mornings and evening time. It was after I had those two back to back photodynamic therapy sessions to treat the multiple precancerous spots on my face that I realized how really dry and dull my skin looked. After the photodynamic therapy, it had a more youthful look and feel, call me crazy but I wanted to keep my skin looking like that, looking fresh.

There are two things I’ve stopped using altogether- exfoliating facial and body scrubs along with clay masks.

My skin is dry and those two things didn’t make my skin look or feel any better. The exfoliating scrubs with those microbeads or worse the mines with silica (that’s sand by the way) made my skin worse by scrubbing and disrupting the skin barrier. It made my skin more sensitive. I used a Clarisonic cleansing scrubber for years not realizing that it was the main cause of my skin sensitivity to many skincare products, everything stung my skin. The air conditioning and heating systems in our homes and cars also contribute to drying-out skin. And those super dry spots on my face are called ‘actinic keratosis’, I was having my dermatologist cryogenically remove those precancerous spots from two to three times a year, they came back even after having photodynamic therapy done twice.

I finally tamed those actinic keratosis spots by changing my skincare products and no, I’m not paying thousands of dollars nor am I having them frozen again (that’s so painful).

You can have great looking skin without spending hundreds of dollars on a jar of face cream from Le Mer. There are great skincare products available at places such as Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens that won’t break the bank. And if you’re wanting a bit more, you can go to Ulta Beauty, Sephora or my favorite, H Mart for some Korean Skincare products.

Another thing- hot water isn’t going to open your pores, that’s such a misnomer. Your pores are open 24/7/395, nothing is going to open them more. I use tepid water, that’s slightly warm to lukewarm water when washing my face. I use a creamy jelly facial cleaner it’s one that is hydrating, it’s a dermatologist tested face wash. I use my fingers and gently wash my face, it removes excess oils and makeup (when I wear it) and leaves my face looking fresh.

I use spf 50 sunscreen on my face, décolletage, arms and backs of my hands every single day regardless of the weather. Look for a full spectrum sunscreen, one that blocks UVA and UVB. Read the label, most people don’t apply enough sunscreen to their face, and yes you need to reapply sunscreen every 40 to 80 minutes if you’re sweating or are in the water. After applying you need to wait 15 to 20 minutes before you go out in the sun or water.

The gamer changer for me was when I started using Differin Gel, that’s 0.1% adaplene, it’s an acne treatment on my face at night and Roc derm correxion firming serum stick on my neck and décolletage (that’s your neck and chest). It’s fantastic at skin cell turnover. I use it 3 times a week along with a handful of other great skincare products of various brands. Just a pea sized amount is all you need. This is available over the counter.

My skin is positively glowing, it hasn’t glowed like this since I was in my 40’s.

I’m all for anyone who wants their skin looking and feeling better, be it through a new skincare routine or something else. We each have to do what’s right for us.

There’s a product and price point that works for everyone. VaniCream and Cerve have excellent skincare products that really work. Check out Korean skincare products, they’re fantastic. Trader Joe’s is the king of Dupes! They’ve got some excellent quality skincare products that will knock your socks off!