How does skin change in your 40s? | Sunscreen | Cleanser | Anti-aging serums | Moisturizer | Exfoliator | Bonus products | Meet the experts
For most of my life, I’ve credited my good skin to two products: a gentle cleanser and a powerful sunscreen. But something happened when I hit my 40s — I noticed my skin no longer glowed like it used to and it always seemed to look and feel dry. When I noticed a few sun spots on the top of my right cheek, I realized it was time to elevate my morning and evening beauty routines.
With so many anti-aging products on the market boasting ingredients you’d never thought you’d put on your face (acids! oils!), it can be hard to figure out where to start and how exactly to create the best skin care routine for your 40s.
So we reached out to top dermatologists across the country to help simplify the process. From anti-aging creams to serums catering to your 40-something skin, they broke everything down. Everyone we spoke to listed sunscreen as the most important topical to keep forty-something skin looking great, followed by an appropriate cleanser, anti-ager, moisturizer and exfoliator.
What happens to your skin in your 40s?
“Fine lines, dryness, sun spots and a loss of firmness are all things women begin to deal with in their 40s,” says Dr. Mona Gohara, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “Plummeting estrogen levels directly affect collagen production, skin thickness and hydration, so it’s important to develop an anti-aging skin care program, and stick with that program, during this decade.”
Here you'll find a quick guide to what you’ll need when it comes to choosing the right ingredients for your face because, as Gohara stresses, “At this age, prevention — not just correction — should still be your goal.”
Sunscreen for your 40s
When shopping for a sunscreen in your 40s, experts note you should be looking for the words zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and iron oxide on the label.
“Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide protect against both UVA and UVB rays, while iron oxide guards against skin-damaging blue light from computer and cell phone screens,” notes Gohara. “Look for a SPF of 30 or higher and slather on half a teaspoon on your face daily, including your ears and neck, before applying makeup. If you drive, be sure to protect your hands, as UVA rays can penetrate glass, resulting in sun spots.”
Paula's Choice Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30
Size: 2 fl oz | Key ingredients: 13% zinc oxide, willow bark extract, antioxidant blend
This slightly tinted sunscreen not only provides sun protection, but also helps even out skin tone and make skin feel firmer, according to the brand. For proper protection, it's recommended that you apply a liberal amount 15 minutes before sun exposure.
EltaMD UV Facial Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+
Size: 3 oz | Key ingredients: Zinc oxide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
Despite having zinc oxide, EltaMD UV Facial Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+ doesn’t leave your skin with a whiteish tint. It's also formulated with hyaluronic acid, which can help keep your skin hydrated and firm.
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Key ingredients: Shea butter, jojoba esters
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 is oil-free, goes on clear and works as a makeup primer to control shine. The vegan formula should be applied as the last step in your skin care regimen before you apply makeup, at least 15 minutes before you step out into the sun.
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield
Size: 0.21 oz | Key ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin
Gohara recommends keeping this brush-on SPF powder in your glove compartment. With SPF 50, the water-resistant formula provides both protection and sheer tinted coverage.
Cleanser for your 40s
In your 40s, derms recommend using a cleanser containing ceramides, glycerin and vitamin E.
“Ceramides are lipids that help retain moisture, glycerin is a humectant that pulls water from the deepest layers of the skin, while vitamin E also adds moisture,” says Dr. Martha Viera, volunteer faculty at the University of Miami Department of Dermatology.
“Before cleansing, wash your hands thoroughly to avoid dirt or bacteria from touching your skin and splash your face with lukewarm water prior to application to activate the cleansing ingredients. Start and end your day by washing with a quarter-sized amount of cleanser, applying it in a circular motion over your face and neck.”
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Size: 16 fl oz | Key ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
Ceramides are a core ingredient in every CeraVe product. (ICYMI: "Cera" in CeraVe is short for ceramides!) Other star ingredients include niacinamide and hyaluronic acid for moisture and hydration.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Cleanser
Size: 13.52 fl oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, ceramide, niacinamide, panthenol (vitamin B5)
Viera likes La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser because it’s designed to balance the skin’s pH levels, protecting the skin’s sensitive barrier. It is formulated to cleanse the skin without stripping it of moisture thanks to ingredients such as glycerin and niacinamide.
Bioderma Sensibo Foaming Gel
Size: 6.6 fl oz | Key ingredients: Citric acid (for exfoliation)
Bioderma's cleanser has a soothing gel-cream texture that turns to foam when activated. The gentle formula works to remove makeup while also hydrating the skin.
Anti-aging serums for your 40s
You’ll need two anti-aging products in your 40s: a morning serum that contains moisture-drawing hyaluronic acid and antioxidants; and a night serum that includes peptides and retinol (retinol should be applied at night as it can make your skin sensitive to the sun).
“Be sure to layer your anti-ager under your moisturizer and consider a serum which, thanks to their small molecular makeup, absorbs quickly and deeply,” says Dr. Arisa Ortiz, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at the University of California at San Diego. “Antioxidants like vitamin C, E, B5 and resveratrol attach themselves to free radicals, preventing the free radicals from latching onto and damaging healthy skin cells, while retinoids and peptides exfoliate dead skin while stimulating collagen and softening lines.”
Rodan + Fields Intensive Renewing Serum
Size: 60 capsules | Key ingredients: Retinal, peptides
Ortiz likes Rodan + Fields Intensive Renewing Serum because it’s lightweight, absorbs easily and has the highest levels of vitamin A for a nonprescription product. The serums are held in small capsules that you can open to smooth all over your skin.
Obagi Professional-C Serum
Size: 1 fl oz | Key ingredients: Vitamin C
Obagi Professional-C Serum contains L-ascorbic acid, a vitamin C derivative that softens the look of pigmentation and encourages collagen growth. It can be applied to the face, neck and chest in the mornings and followed with sunscreen.
Moisturizer for your 40s
To tackle dry skin in your 40s, Gohara recommends looking for ingredients that help boost and maintain moisture, including niacinamide, ceramides, glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
“To be most effective, apply your moisturizer after your anti-aging serum. Dot your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose, and then rub in a circular upward motion both morning and night,” advises Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and author of "The Pro-Aging Playbook."
Darphin Hydraskin Light Gel Cream
Size: 1.7 oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, cucumber and kiwi fruit extracts, hyaluronic acid
This moisturizer comes in a soothing light gel-cream formula and uses hyaluronic acid to fortify the lipid barrier to prevent dryness. It can be applied twice daily after a serum is applied to the skin.
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream
Size: 1.7 oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, nutri-peptide blend, shea butter, jojoba oil, ceramides, squalene, aloe, rosemary leaf extract, lactic acid, citric acid
Formulated with your skin barrier in mind, this cream calls hyaluronic acid, a triple-lipid complex and a nutri-peptide blend key ingredients. It can be used in your morning and evening skin care routines to keep skin hydrated and nourished.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Moisturizer
Size: 1.6 oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
Frank likes Caudalie’s brightening moisturizer, a lightweight gel that contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid for a boost of hydration. It can be applied in the mornings to the face and neck to brighten and moisturize the skin.
Pause Collagen Boosting Moisturizer
Size: 2 oz | Key ingredients: Glycolic acid, niacinamide
Pause Collagen Boosting Moisturizer contains skin-conditioning fatty acids and B vitamins that work to promote healthy skin. The formula features the brand's "Pause Complex," which combines vitamins, antioxidants and peptides that help boost collagen production.
Exfoliator for your 40s
Acids in exfoliators help remove layers of dead skin cells to promote cell turnover, clear pores and reduce pigmentation. Look for words such as glycolic, lactic, mandelic or salicylic acid on the label.
“Apply a dime-sized amount of facial exfoliator two to three times a week at night,” Jarrod tells us. “Just don’t overdo it — too much exfoliation can rob skin of the fatty acids that protect the skin barrier.”
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Size: 2.6 oz | Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, colloidal oatmeal, licorice root extract
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant contains salicylic acid and foams up into a paste when activated with water. The formula can be applied daily to the skin to slough off dead skin cells and even out your complexion.
PCA Skin Pore Refining Treatment
Size: 2.1 oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, mandelic acid, rosemary leaf oil
This treatment addresses skin care concerns by exfoliating, purifying and smoothing the skin. Depending on your skin type, it can be used up to three times a week to improve the appearance of your complexion.
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
Size: 1.69 oz | Key ingredients: AHA blend, salicylic acid, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, fruit extracts
Frank likes Drunk Elephant's T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, which has an eye-popping 25% AHA blend that includes glycolic, lactic and citric acids to smooth and brighten skin. Since the formula uses clean ingredients, it is fragrance-free and won't leave the skin feeling irritated.
Bonus products for your skin care routine
Our experts say there’s no harm incorporating a neck or eye cream into your routine in your 40s.
Neck creams
Look for targeted ingredients in a neck cream — such as tetrapeptides — to promote collagen formation, antioxidant algae extract to protect against free radicals, glucosamine to stimulate hyaluronic acid and improve hydration while decreasing wrinkles, and omega-3 fatty acids to add moisture.
“Apply a dime-size amount in the morning and evening, working your way up the neck to the jawline until the product is evenly distributed and absorbed,” guides Gohara. “Neck creams tend to be thicker than traditional moisturizers, so allow more time for them to absorb and be sure to follow up with a sunscreen in the morning.”
Prai Ageless Throat & Decolletage Creme
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, squalane
This neck cream has shea butter and hyaluronic acid to plump lines and effectively smooth the skin. For best results, the brand recommends applying the moisturizer twice daily to target areas.
Skinbetter Science Techno Neck Perfecting Cream
Size: 1.7 fl oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, hepta-peptide 7, glycerin, niacinamide, squalane, hyaluronic acid
With its patented NOw Complex, Skinbetter Science touts benefits like strengthening and firming the feeling of neck and chest skin, improving texture, increasing suppleness and more with this neck cream. It can be used in either — or both — morning or nighttime skin care routines.
Revision Nectifirm Advanced
Size: 1.7 oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, tri-peptide 38, squalane
Viera likes Revision Nectifirm Advanced, which uses peptides to smooth dry skin. Other ingredients such as lingonberry extract work with the skin's natural microbiome to provide soothing results.
Eye creams
Look for ingredients like caffeine to reduce puffiness and dark circles, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to plump fine lines, and arginine, growth factors and retinol to boost collagen production.
“Apply a pea-sized amount twice daily by gently patting the cream on with your ring finger,” Viera said. “Be sure to use any eye products containing retinoids at night to avoid sun sensitivity.”
The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
Size: 0.5 oz | Key ingredients: Caffeine, glycerin, jojoba esters, hyaluronic acid, citric acid
This budget-friendly eye cream aims to reduce the appearance of puffiness, under-eye bags and fine lines. If you're layering several products in your routine, the brand recommends applying this after any treatments and before moisturizer.
RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream
Size: 0.5 oz | Key ingredients: Retinol, glycerin, panthenol
This eye cream uses a derivative of vitamin A to accelerate the removal of dead skin cells, leaving you with visibly brighter skin. It targets concerns such as crow’s feet, under-eye wrinkles, deep wrinkles and fine lines.
Neocutis Lumière Illuminating Eye Cream
Size: 0.5 fl oz | Key ingredients: Glycerin, chamomile extract, caffeine, citric acid, hyaluronic acid
Viera likes Neocutis Lumière Illuminating Eye Cream, a lightweight cream that contains antioxidants to protect against environmental damage. In addition to its protective qualities, it can also be used to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.
Skinbetter Science Interfuse Eye Treatment Cream
Size: 0.5 fl oz | Key ingredients: Peptides, caffeine, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, citric acid
Caffeine and vitamin C join forces in this eye cream to reduce puffiness and brighten the under-eye area. It is also packed with humectants to help lock in moisture and promote healthy skin.
Meet the experts
- Dr. Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.
- Dr. Martha Viera, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and cutaneous surgeon at her namesake practice in Coral Gables, Florida.
- Dr. Arisa Ortiz, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at the University of California at San Diego.
- Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and author of “The Pro-Aging Playbook.”
