How To Have Beautiful, Glowing Skin In Your 40s And 50s

Last updated on : June 14 2021

How To Improve Your Skin As You Age

It's an exciting time for anti-aging in the fashion and beauty sectors.  

A recent finding from Newcastle University shows the activity of one enzyme found in the mitochondria (or 'battery') of skin cells significantly declines as we age, causing fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness in the skin. 

The researchers note that their findings mean "we now have a specific biomarker, or a target, for developing and screening anti-aging treatments and cosmetic creams that may counter this decline in bio-energy." 

The health and beauty industries may still be a few years away from targeting specific areas of the powerhouse of cells that halt aging signs. But there is plenty we can do right now for youthful skin that glows and is firm and line-free. 

If a beautiful skin in your 40s and 50s is your aim, then prepare to take a multifaceted approach to health and beauty – one that begins within.

Try the eight steps below to regain your youth. 

1. Feed The Matrix

In her seminal book on aging and nutrition, The Beauty Revolution, Leslie Kenton notes that skin is a complex matrix that requires fresh fuel (food) to perform at an optimal level. 

Today's fast-food, high-sugar diet contributes to obesity, but also "makes us tired, ill, and creates high levels of toxicity in the body." 

It encourages free radical damage and undermines youthful skin functions, destroying the contours, making skin puffy, dehydrated, highly prone to allergic reactions, and slack." 

Much of the problem has to do with the effect that high sugar diets have on insulin resistance. 

In essence, too much glucose in the bloodstream causes ordered collagen fibers (the basic building blocks of our skin) to bunch up, which results in lines and loss of firmness.

2. A Mediterranean Diet Leads To Beautiful Glowing Skin

A diet that comprises high-quality proteins, organic fruits, leafy vegetables, and good fats (including cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil) provides the skin with moisture and antioxidant power it needs to work optimally.

It is essential to consume raw or clean foods as much as possible because they contain more biophoton (or 'light energy'), helping the skin maintain its youthful structure. 

Also, try to include living sprouts in your diet; sprouting foods like mung, chickpeas, lentils, and adzuki boosts their Vitamin B and C content. 

Finally, your healthful diet should be supported by radically eschewing smoking and alcohol. 

Alcohol ages skin significantly, since it is a diuretic (i.e., it dries out skin), it impairs the immune system, causing a depletion of vital nutrients in the body. 

From the time one is young, it is essential to consume alcohol responsibly since the long-term effects of heavy drinking on the skin can be challenging to reverse through diet alone. 

However, those with prematurely aged skin may consider taking supplements like MSM, carnosine, or nicotinamide enhancing our skin cells' energy production. Although always consult your healthcare provider before taking supplements. You might not need them, and some are dangerous.

3. Adopt An Ideal Skincare Routine 

As skin ages, it loses moisture, natural oils, and nutrients, becoming drier. 

Your skincare products should contain significantly more moisture (as well as additional anti-aging ingredients) to help stave off wrinkles and lend a smooth, luminous look to the skin.

Additionally, try to use organic skincare products to avoid any damage caused by chemicals or harmful synthetic substances. 

Your day and night time routine should begin with a gentle, soap-free moisturizing cleanser. It doesn’t matter if you opt for foaming or cream cleanser, so long as you notice that skin feels plump and pampered rather than dry and tense immediately after application.

Your toner should also be moisturizing rather than mattifying. Use Serums and oils at this stage before your day or night cream.

4. Try Helpful Acids And Retinol

When caring for mature skin, there are two components to look for in skincare products: alpha-hydroxy acids (such as glycolic and lactic acid) and retinol (a vitamin A derivative whose 'stronger' cousin, Retin-A, can only be purchased with a prescription). 

Both wield a host of benefits, including targeting pigmentation and resurfacing the skin. 

However, they should not be used simultaneously, since the combination can irritate the skin. For this reason, you might try using your acid-based product in the daytime and your Retinol cream at night.

5. Sunscreen Is Key

Both UVA and UVB rays can wreak havoc on the skin. So it is essential to wear a good sunscreen daily. 

As noted by The World Health Organization, "Chronic overexposure to the sun can change the texture and weaken the skin's elasticity.

Sun-induced skin damage causes premature wrinkling, sags and bags, and easy bruising. Sun exposure may produce up to 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging." 

Indeed, clinical studies have shown that women with low sun exposure levels look up to 16 years younger than those who live in sunny areas and do not protect their skin against the sun's rays. 

Ideally, the optimal sunscreen is a physical block. It is thicker and often zinc-based and reflects UVA and UVB rays away rather than absorbing it. 

If you wear makeup on top of your sunscreen, then a sunscreen-containing moisturizer with an appropriate SPF for your skin type is critical.

6. Help From A Plastic Surgeon

Facial aging involves more than a loss of quality of the skin.

As human beings age, fat from the cheekbones begins to drop downwards, sometimes forming 'jowls.' At the same time, the eyelid area can take on a 'hollow' appearance.

In other words, some areas of the face can lack volume, while others can have excess fat.

These days, there is plenty that plastic surgeons can do to correct this change of volume. For instance, autologous fat transfer (taking fat from one area and transferring it to another) can increase the cheekbones' capacity, around the eyes, or in other hollow regions.

The effects are natural and long-term, some lasting permanently.

7. Fillers and Botox

There are many non-invasive options for more youthful-looking skin, including Botox (used in areas like lines on the forehead or between the eyes) and fillers such as Juvederm (often used in folds around the nose and mouth).

Results are impressive and last between six months and a year.

If you are interested in these age-busting treatments, talk to your doctor or nurse about the available wealth of products.

One includes Endolift, a multi-injection of highly concentrated vitamins, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid for skin rejuvenation and luminosity.

Peelings (some of which are natural or 'green' yet very effective) can also target dullness and fine lines, while anti-aging facials by companies such as the Dutch company, Medex, cross the barrier between medicine cosmetics.

8. Laser Treatment For Skin Aging

Two of the most popular treatments for turning back the hands of time are Fraxel and Fractora. 

You may have seen the latter being applied by celebrities in reality shows such as Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. 

Their popularity reflects their ability to make changes at a deeper level than creams and serums. 

Fractora (or fractional resurfacing) relies on bipolar radiofrequency technology and a matrix of micro-pins to firm skin up, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, combat skin irregularities, and bestow skin stunning luminosity. 

Use it on active acne or old acne scars and firm up skin in the neck area. The treatment is minimally invasive. The only side-effect is a little redness, which subsides in a couple of days. 

It would be best if you stayed out of the sun afterward. Avoid this treatment if you will be holidaying in a sunny area or plan to visit a beach area. Usually, you will need around three applications (one every four to six weeks) for optimal results.

Fraxel is sometimes recommended instead of Fractora, particularly for stretch marks. It is also used on the face to improve texture, lessen the appearance of pores, target fine lines, and reduce acne scarring.

Unlike Fractora, you can't use it on active acne.

Conclusion

For gorgeous glowing skin in your 40s, 50s, and after that, it is essential to take a preventive approach throughout your lifetime.

Giving due importance to one's diet and protecting skin against sun damage is essential. High toxicity levels are the main culprits for everything from deep lines to fine wrinkles, sagging, dullness, and even premature aging. 

Besides caring for skin from the inside, commit fully to a day and night time skincare routine, investing in products that work. 

Active products such as Retinol or alpha hydroxy acid help stimulate skin renewal and regeneration. Moisture is also crucial since one of the most significant skin problems in one's later life is dryness.

If you find your skin needs an extra push of youth, see a plastic surgeon about treatments such as Botox, fillers, and (potentially) autologous fat transfer, which will correct the volume shifts that accompany aging. 

Finally, ask about laser treatments such as Fractora and Fraxel, which are highly effective without being invasive. 

By approaching skincare from every relevant angle, you will look years younger and feel the appealing boost in self-confidence that comes from knowing you are taking the very best care of yourself possible.

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