As skin ages, certain changes occur and these demand that we make changes to our skin care regimen. Aging skin becomes thinner, rougher, drier and more sensitive, and hence will bruise and burn easily. Also, skin loses it elasticity and this leads to wrinkles, which is the bane of most women’s lives.

After age thirty-five, most women begin to pay extra attention to their skin and body. One of the first steps is to develop a beauty regimen and find products suitable for your skin type and age.  

For every woman over thirty-five her beauty regimen should be as follows:  

·           Cleaning / cleansing: As we age, cleaning the skin with harsh cleaners is a definite no. It’s best to use cleansers that are cream based as opposed to soap. Soap tends to dry the skin and aging skin needs to be kept hydrated to retain its smooth look and minimize wrinkles and crows feet. Persons with dry or sensitive skin should not wash more than once per day if possible.

·           Toning: While toning is important it is not essential for everyone, especially if you use toners with alcohol, which dries the skin. Toning is great for oily skin, but persons with dry or sensitive skin can generally forego this activity occasionally.

·           Treat / repair: This is a must for mature skin. Aging skin needs to be treated for prior damage that occurs over time. Aging skin needs to be treated for age spots, wrinkles including crow’s feet and emotion lines such as laugh lines. Products that contain Retin A are useful as they help combat signs of aging.

You will also want to get the right mask for your skin type. Hydrating masks are important in helping skin retain much needed moisture to help keep skin supple and young looking.

·           Moisturizing: Do not use your regular moisturizer for your eyes. It is best to use eye creams (cr?mes) to moisturize the eye area. Moisturizing is vitally important for mature skin.

·           Sun protection: This is important for all stages of life, whether you are young or old. Sun damage in your youth increasing significantly increases the risk of skin cancer later in life. Other blemishes that tend to occur frequently on aged skin such as age spots are partially as a result of sun damage.

The above steps can be done twice daily for best results. However, there may be instances when you may need to do one more often such as using sunscreen if at the pool or beach.

To counter dull, lifeless skin exfoliation is necessary. This process removes the dead skin on the surface, exposing the newer healthier skin beneath. Twice weekly exfoliation is generally sufficient, unless you have problems such as acne and need to exfoliate more often.

Last but not least, the way in which you apply skin care products and makeup will impact the way your skin looks. The best time to apply skin care products (use products formulated especially for aging skin and your skin types) is after you have cleansed the skin. Make sure to read the directions carefully as the benefits of some rejuvenating products are reduced if you use a moisturizer first.

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