50s
FANTASTIC 50S AND ONWARDS
What’s going on? Hormone fluctuations, thanks to menopause, play a huge part in what your skin is like in your 50s and upwards. ‘Menopause creates a drop in the level of oestrogen, this makes it difficult for skin to retain moisture, resulting in dry and sagging complexion, which gives skin a duller and more sallow appearance,’ says Preema. It also means that those fine lines that had been creeping in become more deeply set and a lack of elasticity can cause folds, deep wrinkles and sagging skin.
What to do: Menopausal skin can get very dehydrated so avoid foaming cleansers that can dry out the skin and choose rich cream options instead. Whilst it’s also still essential to be layering on serums packed with active ingredients, your skin may need richer day and night creams too. ‘Retinol is also a key ingredient as it promotes cell regeneration and can stimulate the production of new collagen, which decreases the appearance of wrinkles and smoothes the skins surface,’ says Preema. Also known as Vitamin A, Retinol is the gold standard anti ageing ingredient and has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. You can get medical grade Retinol prescribed by a dermatologist, but it can be a balancing act to make it work for your skin without aggravating it too much. Otherwise the big beauty brands all offer Retinol based products with a lower concentration that is still very effective.