Once you hit 40, your skin starts to noticeably change. It gets drier, you begin to see fine lines and wrinkles, it loses that healthy plump look, and the list goes on. While we can’t change genetics or make time stand still, there are ways to prolong the inevitable, and stay looking younger for a while! And it all starts with good skin care.

Now more than ever, it’s time to commit to a good skincare routine. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but you have to learn your skin and use the right products.

Cleansing

Never underestimate the power of a good cleanser! And, did you know you should cleanse for a full minute? It allows the ingredients to stay on your skin long enough to actually reap the full benefits.

Starting with a good clean face will help your skincare products sink in and really do their jobs. A lot of people, myself included, swear by double cleansing. This ensures that your skin is super clean, and ready to fully absorb all the products that will follow. More on double cleansing later! Here are a few cleansers I’ve personally used and recommend:

For Dry to Normal Skin

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Contains hyaluronic acid for hydration, and doesn’t dry your skin out. It’s super gentle, yet effective and affordable!

For Normal to Oily Skin

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

Removes oils without drying your skin out. It is actually formulated to continuously hydrate for 24 hours!

For All Skin Types

Tatcha – The Rice Wash

Pricey, but a great option for normal, dry, and combination skin. It contains amino acids, superfoods, and AHAs to restore radiance, and hyaluronic acid for hydration and plumpness.

Should I Double Cleanse?

Double cleansing is washing your face with an oil based cleanser, then immediately washing again with a water based cleanser. Oil based cleansers remove oil based dirt, sunscreen, pollution, makeup, and sebum (sebum buildup causes acne at any age). The water based cleanser will then clean deeper, removing impurities and any traces of oil left behind from the oil cleanser. Double cleansing allows skincare products to penetrate deeper and work even better.

If you wear sunscreen or makeup, you should definitely be double cleansing (even if you have dry skin). And since oil based cleansers are so efficie

nt at removing oil based dirt, those will oily skin should double cleanse, too. So basically, everyone can double cleanse!

Oil Cleansing

You can oil cleanse with micellar water, regular oils like olive oil or coconut oil, or cosmetic oil based cleansers. No matter which you choose, you should massage it into the face for 60 seconds. My tried and true favorites are below:

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water

This is probably the quickest way to oil cleanse if time is an issue. Just saturate a few cotton pads and gently smooth over face until you see no more dirt or makeup. No need to massage for a full minute!

Tatcha – The Camellia Oil

A 2-in-1 makeup remover and cleanser, and the one I personally recommend. It’s non-drying, and great for combatting fine lines and wrinkles.

Toning

After thoroughly cleansing, it’s time to tone! Toner balances the ph of your skin, hydrates, and enhances your skin’s ability to soak up all the products that are applied afterwards. There are tons of great toners out there, but here are the ones I recommend:

Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

This toner is 97% made of natural ingredients, and extremely gentle. It calms irritated skin and hydrates. While it’s great for all skin types, if you have dry skin you may want to use 2-3 layers.

Kanebo FreePlus Moist Care Lotion 2

This is the toner that transformed my skin from dry and patchy to smooth and hydrated! Like Soon Jung, this toner is also great for layering on dry skin. All other skin types can use the recommended one layer.

Retinol

If you’re 40 or older, you should DEFINITELY be using a retinol. It’s the holy grail of anti-aging skincare products! Retinol increases collagen production and promotes quicker cell renewal, resulting in smoother, firmer, more youthful skin. It also clears and prevents clogged pores, and evens skin tone. But what most people love about this product is its ability to smooth and prevent fine lines and wrinkles!

Retinol is available both over the counter and by prescription (the prescription form of retinol is called tretinoin). Here are 3 I’ve used and absolutely loved.

La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum

I recommend this if you’re just starting retinol. It’s not as harsh as the creams but still yields beautiful results. It can be used daily from the start. No acclimation period!

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

This is as close to prescription retinol as you can get! I’ve used both this and prescription Tretinoin and I honestly saw no difference between the two. Since this is a true retinol, you have to start slow – once or twice a week. Otherwise you will have peeling, flaking, sore skin (fittingly dubbed “the retinol uglies”). I recommend this cream if you don’t want to bother with a prescription.

Prescription Retinol (Tretinoin)

Comes in strengths from 0.025% to 0.1%. It’s recommended to start at the lowest concentration until your skin can tolerate it daily, then move up to the next strength if you’re not happy with the results. You can skip the dermatologist visit and get tretinoin online. The company I use is Nurx.

Serums

There are so many serums to choose from! We’re going to focus on the ones that are the most beneficial to aging skin. We need hydration, lifting, plumping, and firming!

Clarins Double Serum

This serum has a cult following and is a best seller because it works! It firms, smooths, hydrates, boosts radiance, minimizes pores, and visibly reduces wrinkles – all in 7 days! Works for all skin types. I try to never run out of this. When I do, my skin gets dry and textured again.

bareMinerals Skinlongevity Long Life Herb Anti-Aging Serum

Also for all skin types. It contains herbs and niacinimide, which is clinically shown to reduce the look of fine lines, improve skin texture, and boost radiance. This serum really improved my skin’s clarity!

Fresh Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence

Another best seller. This essence increases luminosity, evens tone, smooths skin, and protects against environmental pollution. It contains hyaluronic acid for hydration. While it’s a great essence/serum, I would recommend the other 2 over this one.

Hyaluronic Acid

There it is again! Hyaluronic acid. Yes, most of the products on this page contain it, but there’s no substitute to using it by itself in your routine. Try these:

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

This is my favorite hyaluronic acid serum, hands down. It contains Vitamin B5 and CeraVe’s 3 essential ceramides. Click here to read my review on it.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum

This is the most popular choice, partly because of its low price, and partly because of its effectiveness. At only $7, the world has fallen in love with it!

TruSkin Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum with Vitamins C + E

This is another popular and well loved one. And their customer service is amazing!

Moisturizer

As skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture. But, whether your skin is oily or dry, everyone should use a moisturizer. Thick and rich creams are better suited for dry skin, while light, water-based formulas are best for oily skin. Here are a few that are amazing!

For Dry Skin:

Tatcha – The Dewy Skin Cream

This is hydration on steroids! It’s a super rich, thick cream that moisturizes even the driest of skin. It plumps, hydrates, firms, and gives an unbelievably dewy glow you have to see to believe.

For Normal to Oily Skin:

Tatcha – The Water Cream

A pore minimizing water based, oil free moisturizer that treats signs of aging like dullness and uneven texture. This water cream looks like a cream, but as you apply it, you can feel the water burst through. It’s not heavy or thick at all, making it the perfect moisturizer for oily skin.

For Oily Skin:

Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturizer with Willowherb

Smoothes skin and minimizes pores, moisturizing with a matte finish. No shinies here!

Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturizer with Willowherb

Slugging

Okay, so the name sounds gross. But it’s extremely beneficial for dry, aging skin. Despite what TikTok may tell you, slugging is a K-Beauty trend that originated in South Korea. Slugging is using an occlusive (like Vaseline) over your moisturizer and as the last step of your routine, to trap water into your skin for maximum hydration. This is best done at night, and you will wake up to baby soft, hydrated skin!

Vaseline Original Healing Jelly

Vaseline is the best and most widely used product for slugging. Fragrance free and dermatologist recommended. And no, Vaseline will not clog pores.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

This is the second best choice for slugging, as it contains 41% petrolatum.

CeraVe Healing Ointment

This is another popular choice. It contains 46.5% petrolatum with a non-greasy feel.

And there you have it – the basics of skincare over 40. It may seem like a lot, but your skin will thank you!

Vitamin C is hailed as one of the best anti-aging ingredients on the market, and it’s never too early to start using it. This is one beauty product EVERYONE needs to be using. For the best benefits, it’s recommended that your serum contain 20% L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). This can be a bit drying, so look for serums that contain hyaluronic acid, or you can use it separately. Before we get to the best Vitamin C Serums for your budget, let’s explore why you need to incorporate it into your skin care routine:

Brightens Skin

By speeding up cell turnover, Vitamin C brightens dull skin and fades hyperpigmentation (dark spots), leaving your skin looking vibrant, bright, and healthy. It also reduces redness and inflammation.

Restores Youthful Looking Skin

Topically, Vitamin C stimulates collagen production, which makes skin firmer and reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and signs of aging.

Protects Against Sun Damage

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens skin and slows cell damage caused by the sun and free radicals. Of course this does NOT mean to stop using sunscreen!

Not all Vitamin C Serums are created equally. For example, the purest form of Vitamin C is L-ascorbic acid, and it’s the best at penetrating the skin barrier. Another form of Vitamin C is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which is less potent and less likely to cause irritation. Whichever you choose, you should opt for 10% to 20%. ALL Vitamin C Serums should come in dark containers to keep the sunlight out. Sunlight degrades Vitamin C. If your serum turns brown or changes color, toss it. Now – which Vitamin C Serums are the best?

Best Vitamin C Serums

Obagi Medical Professional-C 20% – $133

This amazing serum is pricey, but worth every single penny. It is 20% L-ascorbic acid (the best in my opinion), and contains hyaluronic acid to moisturize skin. The feel of this serum is pure luxury. Unlike most Vitamin C Serums, Obagi FEELS moisturizing to the touch. It’s not as watery as other Vitamin C serums. This is actually quite hydrating!

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum – $33.99

This is the Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate form of Vitamin C, and is equivalent to 15% – 20% L-ascorbic acid. It contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, ferulic acid, Konjac root, chamomile extract, and clary sage, all ingredients your skin will love. Check out their before/after pictures!

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum – $19.99

This is the gentler Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate form, and TruSkin has added in lots of skincare goodies: MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), a potent anti-inflammatory that supports collagen and keratin, botanical hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E.

Ole Henricksen Truth Serum – $24

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, and Ole Henricksen’s #1 age-defying serum. Infused with the brand’s trademarked “True C Complex” and collagen, this serum is effective and hydrating.

I have personally used and love each one of these serums. If you have sensitive skin, I recommend any of the Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate ones. If you’re already serious about your skincare and want maximum effectiveness, I recommend Obagi Medical. No matter which you choose, you will see results. Remember, it takes about 6 weeks of consistent use to see results!

Do you currently use a Vitamin C Serum? Let me know your favorites below!

Have you ever wondered how some people have such beautiful, soft, and radiant skin? Well, they all have a few things in common. While genetics can play a role in your skin (making you acne prone, oily skin, etc.), your skincare regimen and overall lifestyle determines how your skin ultimately looks and feels. Keep reading to discover 5 habits of people with great skin

1. They Drink LOTS of Water (The 8×8 Rule)

This one may be obvious, but it is SO important! Drinking 8 eight ounce glasses of water each day helps skin maintain its elasticity, and show fewer fine lines and wrinkles. It also flushes toxins that clog small pores, preventing pimples and acne. The more hydrated your skin is, the less your pores will clog. Hydration is also one of the secrets to dewy, glowing skin.

2. They Don’t Over Exfoliate

You definitely should be exfoliating, but ONLY 1-3 times a week. This includes chemical exfoliation (AHAs, BHAs, salicylic acid) and manual exfoliation like face brushes and products with exfoliation beads. And you definitely don’t want to do both in one day! Signs of over exfoliation include redness, inflammation, uneven skin tone, dryness, and irritation.

3. They Moisturize

Some people with oily skin mistakenly think they don’t need to moisturize, but this simply isn’t true. There is a difference between oil and hydration. Oily skin is caused by excess sebum (an oily substance). Hydration comes from water. Therefore, you CAN have oily, dehydrated skin! And if you’re using acne products, you DEFINITELY need to be moisturizing. For oily skin, you should use an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer like Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel-cream or CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion. For dry skin, you’ll want a thicker, cream consistency like Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream or Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.

4. They Dermaplane

Dermaplaning is an exfoliating treatment that uses a sharp, single blade to scrape away dead skin and fine hair you didn’t even know you had! The results are immediate and include smoother, brighter skin. Dermaplaning also allows for deeper product penetration, making your skin care routine more effective.

5. They Use Retinol

Retinol is known as the gold standard for beautiful skin, and dermatologists recommend you begin incorporating it into your skin care routine in your mid-20s. It’s an exfoliant that stimulates collagen and increases skin cell turnover rate. This increased turnover rate sloughs off dead skin cells sooner, revealing the healthy new skin underneath. Skin will be soft, smooth, bright, radiant and clear with continued use. Although Retinol is considered the holy grail of anti-aging skincare, you should start using it in your 20s for best results.

I didn’t include the obvious ones like gently washing your face everyday with a cleanser instead of soap, and getting enough sleep, but they are equally as important. So is using a CLEAN cloth to pat your face dry everyday instead of reusing one – bacteria builds up and can cause breakouts.