While you wouldn’t expect to have the peachiness of youth at 40-something, you can still have lovely skin.
The big change is likely to be the breakdown of collagen, with a loss of elasticity. Sun damage in the form of brown spots and patches may appear, though less so if you’ve been vigilant with your suncare.
Skin Care
The key products are a creamy cleanser, gentle facial scrub, non-drying skin toner, day moisturiser, night cream and oil or serum, face mask, plus a multipurpose balm for lips, cuticles and the rest!
Moisturise as much as you can. Face, neck and cleavage in the morning and top to toe at night or after bathing. A serum is a must to supplement & augment your moisturiser. LPB would recommend products that loaded with antioxidants, retinol, fruit acids & essential fatty acids. You will be spoilt with choices, from Neutrogena to N.V Perricones. My favourites are Dr Sebagh’s High Maintenance, Trilogy’s Age Proof & Elemis’s Pro-collagen range
I also like to use Estee Lauder’s Perfectionist as a serum / primer.
I love rosehip seed, borage seed, passionflower seed, camellia oils, with argan oil being my favourite. There is evidence that botanicals can be as effective as high-tech ‘anti-ageing’ synthetic compounds, sometimes more so.
Gently exfoliate at least once a day with a soft face cloth. Use a more intensive exfoliating treatment once a week. Choose a type with smooth, spherical beads that buff wouldn’t scratch. Manual scrubbing will enhances the sluggish circulation.
Never under estimate the power of massage, this can helps to tone & perk up your facial musculature. I would recommend using essential oils from reputable manufacturers such as Aromatherapy Associates, Amanda Lacey, Caudalie & Darphin.
If thread veins and broken capillaries are a problem, go to a dermatologist or specialist vein clinic. The only effective method of removal I have found is laser therapy.
Stress can affects collagen production, as does lack of sleep, so find ways to relax, such as yoga and meditation, and balance these with exercise you enjoy, which can be as simple as a walking.
Make-up
I would recommend foundations that are sheer and moisturising; Forget about matte finish foundations that tend to accentuate flakiness or fine lines; Also beware of opaque, full coverage bases as these will age you more. Estée Lauder’s Futurist Age-Resisting or Re-Nutrix range is a good choice, so as NARS’s Sheer Glow, Lancome’s Photogenic range. Dewy finish is the key word here.
Make-up artist Bobbi Brown has a silky shimmer blush that looks fresh and natural; At 40s, you need some radiance to give your complexion a lift but beware of glitters that might lodge into your dilated pores. I like NARS Multiples for cheeks and eyes; the naughtily named Orgasm shade gives skin a fabulous glow.
For eyelids, I like beige and earthy tones ( Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier has a great palette ), plus a thin trace of gel eyeliner ( M.A.C. or Bobbi Brown ) over the upper lid line only. Apply the thin line close to your lashes with a thin, stiff brush. I find that rimming your eyes completely ( full lower lash lining ) at 40s seems to accentuate the lost of tone around your eyes.
To help define your complexion, contour / sculpt the cheekbones after ” popping ” the apples of your cheek with a rosier /pinkier blush ( cream blusher preferred ). I would recommend a cream bronzer such as NARS’s Multiples ( Malibu, Malaysia ) or By Terry’s liquid bronzer.
Barbara Daly advises using a lipliner pencil to create a crisp outline which looks youthful, but it must be in a natural colour – a dark line round paler lips is very ageing. I personally think a nude / pale/ beige lip colour is extremely ageing in your 40s. Perhaps you should be more adventurous as you are wittier, more resourceful, confident & charismatic by now, after what you have been through in life.
Artwork by Matt Armstrong.
Vanity is my Sanity 