The Best and Worst Skin Care Habits of Women Over 50

DRMTLGY Firming and Smoothing Advanced Neck Cream ($54, ulta.com) with peptides and ceramides; or Gold Bond Age Renew Neck & Chest Firming Cream ($16, cvs.com), with hyaluronic acid, especially if doing so gives you the necessary incentive. But the most practical and cost-efficient strategy is to include your neck and chest in your daily face-care cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen routine. The extra mileage means you’ll use products up faster, but the same hyaluronic, peptide, ceramide, niacinamide and antioxidant-powered creams and serums will help firm, hydrate and freshen in one seamless swoop.

(From left) L’Oreal Paris Agę Perfect Le Duo Serum; L’Oreal Paris Agę Perfect Le Duo Serum; Tula Skincare 24-7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream; OleHenriksen HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil; La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Hydra Sunscreen SPF 50 with Hyaluronic Acid.

AARP (Target; CVS; Kohl’s, 2; Ulta)

3. The worst habit: applying skin care in no special order

    The best habit: applying skin care from the thinnest product to the thickest  

You’d never apply a heat protectant before shampoo, or blush before foundation. The same goes for a skin care routine. There’s a specific order dermatologists always suggest, and it’s based on texture for better absorption. “In general, start with a clean face and go from lightest to heaviest,” Day says. “For example, serum, gel, lotion, cream, ointment or balm. You won’t need all, but that’s the order in which they would be used.” 

This makes sense, and yet many women are confused by all the new formulas popping up. They ask:

“What goes first, face serum or eye serum?” (Answer: face.)

“Can I apply a face oil under sunscreen?” (Answer: yes.)

“My eye cream is richer than my face moisturizer, so where does that go?” (Answer: before or after, your call.)

It has gotten so complicated that women are layering an unnecessary number of products into their morning or evening skin routines. As Zeichner puts it, “Combining incompatible ingredients and layering too many products can backfire. A more-is-more attitude doesn’t necessarily improve results and may even cause havoc with skin health. Stick to one corrective serum at a time, and edit down products to those with ingredients that solve your particular skin concerns. Focus on protection and hydration for day; repair and restoration overnight.”

My advice? The one thing to remember is to always apply serums before creams, day and night. The smaller molecules and concentrated serum formulas penetrate more deeply than any cream, so they go first. Serums do not hydrate, so a topcoat of cream is essential to increase moisture and to add more do-good ingredients like ceramides, peptides and niacinamide. Two more tips to know: Applying a skin-brightening vitamin C serum before moisturizer during the day helps boost the benefits of your sunscreen and doubles as a spot fader … and of course you don’t want (or need) sunscreen in your nighttime moisturizer.

(From left) Good Molecules Pineapple Exfoliating Powder; Versed Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliating Cleanser.

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4. The worst habit: over-exfoliating or not exfoliating

    The best habit: using a mild polishing cleanser once a week

Cell turnover — the skin’s natural process of shedding old, dry, dulling cells to expose fresh, radiant skin beneath — slows with age. This sluggish situation also prevents serums and creams from penetrating and doing their makeover work. Think of it as applying floor polish to a dirty floor. It’s a problem for many women over 50 with thin, sensitive skin. They say, “Exfoliating causes irritation, I can’t do it anymore,” or “Scrubs are too gritty, and peels make me nervous.”

All true. “Listen to your skin,” Day cautions. “If your skin stings or burns when you apply a product, you’ve overdone it. Take a break or try something more gentle.”

My advice? Don’t give up, but don’t be fooled by exfoliating products basically designed for younger, thicker, oilier skin. Avoid anything that says “deep-clean.”  There’s a new generation of soothing peels and exfoliating powders that mix with water in the palm of your hand and carefully buff away dead cells and amp up glow without irritation. Try Good Molecules Pineapple Exfoliating Powder ($16, ulta.com), Versed Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliating Cleanser ($20, cvs.com), .Tatcha The Rice Polish in Gentle ($69, sephora.com) or the e.l.f. Gentle Peeling Exfoliant ($11, walgreens.com), for a fresh start.

5. The worst habit: overdoing the wrong retinol

    The best habit: using a low-dose retinol with caution

Women are aware that retinol is the gold standard for sun-damaged skin. It’s famous for softening the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots, and for rebooting collagen production over time. The seductive benefits encourage some women to apply too high a concentration, apply retinol incorrectly or mix it with vitamin C. The result is usually irritation and dry, flaky skin.

My advice? The drier or more sensitive your skin is, the weaker or more “coddled” your retinol formula should be. Retinol comes in serum and cream form. You might try a retinol sandwich (the “coddled” strategy) by applying a light layer of moisturizer (one that’s free of AHAs, vitamin C) before and after applying a retinol product, whether it’s a serum, an oil or a cream (and yes, this is the exception to the serums-before-creams rule). You can also look for fragrance-free retinol creams buffered by hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and retinol serums and oils with lipids that protect the skin’s barrier layer.

Try Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Regenerating Cream, Fragrance-Free ($40, walgreens.com); L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Hydrating Pressed Night Moisturizer With Retinol ($39, cvs.com); Byoma Sensitive Retinol Oil ($22, ulta.com); or The Inkey List Starter Retinol Serum ($14, sephora.com). Whether you’re new to retinol or retrying it, start slowly and gradually work up from once or twice a week to every other night for safe, optimal results.

(From left) RoC Hydration + Replumping Serum Stick; Plum Beauty Rose Quartz Facial Roller; Olay Regenerist Face & Neck Lifting Treatment.

AARP (Target, 2; CVS)

6. The worst habit: playing DIY dermatologist, using harsh devices on fragile skin

   The best habit: playing it safe with products and gentle tools

In-office procedures like lasers and ultrasound are performed by expert, board-certified hands, and trying to duplicate or imitate the results yourself is tricky at best and dangerous at worst.

“At-home devices — especially red light masks — appear to be trending, and they do have a big visual appeal right now thanks to social media and availability everywhere from drugstores to department stores,” Zeichner says. “The reality is they can’t compete with the safety and controlled benefits of in-office, doctor-supervised procedures. Even no-heat derma-rollers are potentially disastrous. Unlike simple jade rollers, they pull and damage thin, mature skin. It’s all smoke and mirrors as brands promote quicker, more inexpensive alternatives to true medical care.” 

My advice? Avoid any DIY sonic cleaning brushes, microdermabrasion kits, needling pens, microneedle rollers and dermaplaning facial razors, and consult your doctor before using an LED mask or a handheld device. Instead, get a safe, soothing circulation boost from classic jade and rose quartz face rollers, like Plum Beauty Rose Quartz Facial Roller ($12, cvs.com), to blend in serums and creams. Or try products designed with similar roller-ball tips, like Olay Regenerist Face & Neck Lifting Treatment ($35, target.com), a peptide neck cream; RoC Hydration + Replumping Serum Stick ($29, target.com), a moisture booster with hyaluronic acid and peptides; or Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Anti-Puff Eye Roller ($13, walgreens.com), to deflate and brighten eyes with caffeine and vitamin C. Chill all in the fridge before use to counteract puffiness and wake up your skin.

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7. The worst habit: constantly changing skin care

   The best habit: testing one new product every six weeks

The cycle of new skin care has accelerated, and social media wastes no time bombarding consumers with newer, better and improved products at what seems like a daily pace. This has elevated what I call “beauty anxiety.” Women say, “I don’t want to miss out on what could be the next best thing to improve my skin.” See what I mean? This encourages a constant buy-and-toss routine that never gives new products a chance to strut their stuff. Aside from a realistic 48-hour evaluation to test sensitivity, redness and irritation, a new skin care product needs at least 6 to 12 weeks of consistent use before you can evaluate its performance.

My advice? Take it slow. Try adding one new product at a time into your existing routine. One of the best ways to do this safely is to stick to a familiar brand, an update of a specific product you already successfully use, or a sister product. For example, try the serum if you love the eye cream; test a night-cream mask if you love the day cream; or try a new-for-you brand that emphasizes ingredients you know work for your skin concerns and tastes, from hyaluronic acid to shea butter. Uncertain of how your skin will react? Stick to fragrance-free versions of the product.