The 12 Must Do’s for Skin Care in your 40’s

Our skin guru and Academic Coordinator Donna Cummins-Campbell has previously shared her expert secrets for skin care in your teens, twenties and thirties, but this week we put the focus on skin care for your forties! Think tips, tricks and product recommendations to feel good about your skin! For the forty somethings follow this regime to get that radiant skin glow you dream of… Images via: unknown, DuJour Magazine, Mario testino Dear 40 something, What a fun decade! A decade where you start to love all of your flaws and get to know what makes you tick. This is an age where pigmentation begins to become more noticeable, fine lines may appear deeper and in the later part of this decade, skin may feel more drier than normal, this is due to hormonal changes occurring in this age group. Professional treatments are required to target skin concerns and a diligent approach to your skin care regime is required. You may start to notice your skin becoming slightly lax, have you noticed your eyelid skin when you apply your eyeshadow? All of a sudden you will notice these changes, so relax and understand, it is just part of the ageing process and we all have to go through it. What you can do, is to ensure your skin is as healthy as possible to minimise the signs of ageing. This is my recommendation for the 40 something: Morning

1. Cleanse just the once with a Milk or Cream Cleanser. As your sebum production begins to slow, it is more important not to remove your skins valuable barrier but to refresh your skin in the morning preparing it for the day ahead.
2. Specialised Serum: Protect the skins immune system and inhibit the production of pigmentation with the application of a Serum containing 5%-10% Niacinamide (Vitamin B3).
3. Specialised Serum: Add another layer of serum providing collagen boosting nourishment with Vitamin C and a great treatment for pigmentation, not to mention antioxidant protection. I prefer a lipid soluble form like: Ascorbyl TetraIsopalmitate (VCIP).
4. Eye Cream: containing peptides will help with any lines and puffiness around the eyes. A small amount is all you need around the eyes.
5. Moisturise with a ceramide-based moisturiser. The skins cell membranes are made up of ceramides which are a component of the skins valuable lipids.  Ceramides are components of the cells that participate in cell turnover.
6. Sun Protection: with a broad spectrum, zinc-based sun screen no matter what season it is.
7. Mineral Makeup: Add a layer of good quality mineral makeup to even out skin tone and to assist with sun protection.

Images via: Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello , Vanity Fair , Mario Testino for Vogue Evening

1. Cleanse with the same milk or cream cleanser you used in the morning, but this time do it twice to remove pollutants, excess perspiration, oil, makeup and sunscreen.
2. Clarify the skin with a very gentle AHA Lotion or Serum. This will help maintain a nice smooth texture. I do not recommend over-use of any acids on the skin as long term use has seen many skins become sensitive and damaged. Use only 2-3 times per week.
3. Eye Cream containing peptides will help with age lines around the eye area. Use outward movements to help with draining excess lymphatic fluid and reduce the puffiness you may notice.
4. Moisturise with  a Vitamin A based moisturiser. You may also use a Vitamin A Serum and add a ceramide moisturiser over the top. Your Skin Care Therapist will be able to prescribe the correct dosage for you. Vitamin A is excellent in treating all skin types particularly ageing. Vitamin A is known as a normalising ingredient as it has the ability to normalise damaged skin cells. Vitamin A will also help with cell turnover which tends to slow with age. I prefer either a Retinol or Retinaldehyde product. If you are new to Vitamin A, better start slow, applying every second night. If you notice some irritation, then lower the amount of days you apply until you build tolerance. Don’t stop using it, we need Vitamin A and it is the best nutrient for an ageing skin.
5. Go With the Flow! This is an age where we start to realise that not everything has to be done right now! By going with the flow, we reduce our stress levels and gain more quality in our lives. My theory is, if it is not meant to happen, then many obstacles are put in front of us, this is going against the flow. When we go with the flow, everything goes smoothly and in the right amount of time, there is no waiting and no obstacles. So remember, if it is right, it will happen – smoothly – and with the flow! Ask yourself next time things are not going your way, “Is this the right thing for me? Should I just wait and see what happens?” I bet, if you do, it will all work out for you.

Professional treatments will focus on improving the ageing appearance of skin. Some modalities worth while considering are: LED, Radio Frequency, Sonophoresis, Dermal needling (incorporating platelet rich plasma) and IPL Photo Rejuvenation treatments. See your professional Skin Therapist to discuss the best options for you and your skin. Enjoy this decade – life is good. Dxx Donna Cummins-Campbell is Academic Coordinator at The French Beauty Academy and shares her expert beauty knowledge with students of our Diploma of Beauty Therapy course. You can find more amazing skin care advice from Donna on her personal blog My Skin Coach