Staying Fit
Photo collage: AARP; (Source: GettyImages (3))
Women 50-plus may be the most experienced consumers of skin care. Each season new products still entice us to buy products that smooth, plump and erase all evidence of time, sun exposure and lack of attention. Social media may tout them as the latest Holy Grail solutions, but don’t believe everything you see on TikTok. Some new skin care products are worth it, but others are definitely not. I’m not a dermatologist, but I am a beauty editor with over 40 years’ experience. Here’s my honest 2024 guide to level up your routine in time for spring:
Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Hydrating Gel
Courtesy: Olay
1. Trust the peptides push
You’ve heard about this ingredient before, but now it’s a skincare rock star. Peptides are amino acids that form the building blocks of proteins, which include collagen and elastin — the underlying support system of skin. Creams and serums with peptides help firm that scaffolding for a bouncier smoother texture. Some peptides known as neuropeptides can reduce forehead creases and frown lines and can be found in products like BeautyStat Peptide Wrinkle Relaxing Moisturizer ($72, beautystat.com) and Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection Amplified Wrinkle-Fix Refillable Serum ($65, sephora). But be realistic. Don’t expect the kind of tautness Botox injections and fillers produce. Peptides are usually tolerated well by those with sensitive or redness-prone skin and are an alternative to retinol. Look for peptide moisturizers like the Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Hydrating Gel ($40, ulta.com) and Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer ($37, amazon.com) that include hydrating and soothing ingredients. You want extra moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin and squalane in the formula too.
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(Left to right) Pixi Beauty Overnight Retinol Oil; LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream Moisturizer
Courtesy: Pixi; LilyAna Naturals
2. Try pampering retinol formulas
Retinol is legendary for reversing the signs of sun damage and minimizing wrinkles. It accelerates cell turnover (which decreases as we age) to slough off dull dead cells on the skin’s surface. It has a rep for causing dryness, redness and irritation that for many mature women cancels out the benefits. Folks on social media rave about the “retinol sandwich” by applying retinol over and under moisturizer to minimize the negatives. This can help dilute the drying effect of applying retinol on bare skin, but it also lessens the results. New formulas are designed to do the same thing more effectively by buffering retinol with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, hyaluronic acid and sunflower seed oil, combining it with the more gentle plant version of retinol known as bakuchiol, peptides or ceramides and/or lowering the dosage of retinol. All aim to enable retinol-treated skin to look plumped, dewy and radiant. Good examples include the LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream Moisturizer ($30, lilyananaturals.com) with skin quenching hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil, shea butter and aloe; the Tru Alchemy Retinol Reset ($65, amazon.com), a blend of retinol, bakuchiol, squalane and hyaluronic acid; the Pixi Beauty Overnight Retinol Oil ($17, amazon.com), with peptides and ceramides and the Glossier Universal Pro-Retinol ($38, sephora.com), with low-dose 0.5% retinyl sunflowerates (a derivative of retinol) and sunflower seed fatty acids.
Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil
Courtesy: Neutrogena
3. Switch to souped-up cleansers with oil
Remember wanting oil-free everything, from foundation to moisturizer? Well, oil is back big time for women 50-plus, especially in the cleanser category, where its ability to gently dissolve makeup and sunscreen while soothing and hydrating make it an excellent choice for aging skin. This is especially true if you’re a daily makeup wearer with an evening double-cleanse routine or you have very dry skin and want an a.m./p.m. cleanser that won’t leave your face feeling tight and sensitive. However, the new oils are far from the bottle of olive oil sitting in your pantry. They’re elevated formulas that benefit from technological advances. For example, the CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser ($14, target.com), designed for dry to very dry skin, is infused with the humectant hyaluronic acid and the emollient squalane (and has the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance), the EltaMD Oil-in-Gel Cleanser ($35, lovelyskin.com) with meadowfoam seed oil turns into a silky oil on contact with water and the Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil ($11, walgreens.com) offers a gentle silky cleanse but can break down stubborn makeup when necessary. Get over the fear; oil cleansers are efficient at product residue removal and can help prevent clogged pores, skin irritation and breakouts (even in mature skin) and won’t mess up your makeup or pillowcases.
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