In your 40's

How your skin works

In our 40's all the processes governing our skin – both our face and body – start to slow down and although we don't expect to have the peachiness of youth when we are in our 40's, we can still have lovely skin.

This is where women with oily skin come into their own. For the rest, however, the natural reduction in sebum (oil) production brings drier skin and the potential of lines. We may notice our less pump lips. Cell turnover is slowing down too, so the top layer of dead skin cells (stratum corneum) tends to become thicker and less bright.

The big change is likely to be the breakdown of collagen, with a loss of elasticity, meaning your skin is likely to become slacker, particularly around the jawline.

Menopause changes typically start around 44, often bringing stress, poor sleep (due to night sweats) and spotty outbreaks in some women. Oestrogen keeps our skin moist, supple and soft but declining levels of oestregen contribute to skin dryness and lack of suppleness.

If you have enjoyed too much such over the years and not enough suncare, you may see start to see some skin damage in the form of brown spots and patches.

Recommended skin care routine

Recommend key skin care products are:

• a creamy cleanser;
• a gentle facial scrub;
• a non-drying skin toner;
• day moisturiser;
• night cream;
• oil or serum,;
• face mask; and
• a lip balm to keep your lips supple and moist.

The rest of your body deserves extra special care too and a good body scrub will rid your body of any unwanted dead skin cells!  After cleansing, treat your skin to a rich body cream. 

Moisturise from top to toe as often as you like - face, neck, body and cleavage! Moisturise after bathing to help trap in moisture.  Make moisturing part of your daily routine and you will be amazed by the result.  A good creams will absorb into the skin easily.

Look for natural anti-ageing products that promise youthful skin benefits. Plant-based ingredients bring so many benefits to ageing skin, particularly antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Avocado oil, rosehip seed,  passionflower seed oils and not forgetting the magical argan oil are all have wonderful anti-ageing properties.  There is evidence that plant-based ingredients can be just as effective as high-tech ‘anti-ageing’ synthetic compounds, sometimes more so.

Moisten dry eyes with a spray which doesn’t disturb eye make-up.  Clarymist is a good for this and has been  clinically proven to treat dry eye syndrome. A good to help reduce eye puffiness is to fill a basin with cold water, plus ice cubes if they’re handy, and splash my your eyes ten or so times, then pat dry with a soft towel. The puffiness diminish within minutes.

Gently exfoliate at least once a day with a soft fact cloth to help get rid of dead skin cells. Using a more intensive treatment once a week or so.  Facial exfoliation shouldn’t stop at the chin: gently buffing the neck and upper chest helps keep ageing skin softer and smoother.  The body switch to a more gritter formulation such as sugar or salt scrubs.  Dry body brushing can help even out the bumpiest-looking skin, and also combat cellulite by giving blood and lymph a boost.

Bath oils are another wonderful way to literally soak up the goodness of these moisturising marvels.  A dessert spoonful of almond, apricot or peach kernel oil softens even the most parched skin and is especially useful during winter months.

Pura Naturals has an amazing selection of both face and body scrubs and our Pura Indulgence Skin Care range is packed full of moisturising nutrients and essential oils.

And don’t forget your hands – the more hand cream, the better. If nails are flaking, apply oils directly to your nails. Give your feet some TLC too. Well-kept feet not only look good in their own right but the comfort factor will show in your face.

Look out for our new range of  organic hand and nail care systems, coming soon!

Skin sensitivity is often an issue in our 40s, so look for products with fewer ingredients and be selective. Even the chemical components of natural essential oils, such as citral and linalool, can trigger allergies.

Tips on problem skin

If thread veins and broken blood vessels are a problem, see a dermatologist or specialist vein clinic. If you’re  prone to redness, avoid extreme temperatures such as saunas, hot steam baths, or freezing plunge pools.

Stress affects collagen production (which impacts on your bones and can lead to osteoporosis) as does lack of cell-repairing sleep, so always find time to relax and unwind, making sure you balance this with exercise you enjoy, which can be as simple as a walk in the fresh air.

If you suffer from hot flushes, a good tip is to spray a natural chamois leather with eau de cologne and apply it to the back of your neck and forehead.

Enjoy a good healthy skin care routine, reep the benefits of a glowing complexion and remember, relax!! :-)

Tanya xx