By now the skin's oil production starts to slow down and most skins will be getting drier. Those with oily skins will now have a big advantage.
The breakdown of collagen and elastin, mainly due to declining oestrogen, means that the structure of the skin becomes looser and you may notice slight sagging of the skin. Also, the padding of fat over your cheekbones may start to slip, altering the contours of your face. The change in face shape will be more significant in very slim women. If there was every a good reason to put on a few pounds, this is it!
The decrease in collagen means the skin is also likely to be thinner and more fragile. This makes it more sensitive, particularly to UV radiation and pollutants. Confusingly, although melanin production generally starts to decline, it’s more likely to be overproduced sporadically, resulting in pigmented ‘age’ spots or patches. The most common trigger of skin pigmentation is the sun so tend to appear on exposed areas if the skin. Give your skin a helpng hand with extra protection, nourishment and hydration. As sebum (oil) production declines and the skin is also more fragile now it’s more important than ever to support the skin barrier by applying oils.
Recommended Skin Care Routine
The following products recommended for use daily are:- facial skin are cleanser;
- toner
- daytime moisturiser;
- night cream and an oil;
- a day and night eye cream or serum;
- with a gentle exfoliator and mask for weekly use.
Make sure not to forget your neck and by taking both your moisturiser and night cream down to your bosom. Always use a cream-based cleanser, never soap, as it is too alkaline for drier skins and avoid anything that foams on the face, as that usually means it contains a detergent, most likely sodium lauryl sulphate.
When choosing a daytime moisturiser, opt for a formula containing plant oils such as avocado, apricot or peach kernel. Also look for antioxidant vitamins or extracts such as vitamin E, beta-carotene, green tea, grapeseed and pomegranate extracts.
At bedtime, be generous by giving your skin an extra layer of goodness to feast on. Massage in a few drops of facial oil first, choosing a blend containing pure plant oils such as rosehip, argan, evening primrose or borage seed, then give it an extra boost with night cream. At this age, you need to switch to a richer product – the thicker the better. Make sure that it has no mineral oil in the formula, as this will form a barrier and won’t let other ingredients sink into the epidermis.
Add a good eye cream or serum, specifically formulated to help fill out the lines around the eyes. Look for products containing hyaluronic acid (also knows as sodium hyaluronate) - which is a naturally moisturising skin sugar and really helps plump out facial lines - and essential fatty acids including GLA and omega-3s.
Pura Naturals has has developed a Pro-Age Eye Renew Cream and a Pro-Age Night Rewew Cream, specifically for the 50+ age range. You can save £1 by buying the two together here.
Exfoliating your skin will help shift the top dead layer of skin cells, leading to visibly fresher, brighter and smoother-looking skin. Make sure to use a gentle exfoliator, containing tiny round beads that gently buff the skin (natural jojoba beads or Mother of Pearl) , not jagged particles of ground pumice or nut kernels, as these can cause microscopic scratches or irritation.
Why not try our Face Scub smoothies, they contain Mother of Pearl and mild exfoliant and come in 3 different fragrancies.
Follow exfoliating with a generous layer of moisturising and firming facial mask. Exfoliate first, so the active ingredients of the face mask can penetrate the upper layers or your skin. Choose an intensive nourishing treatment that’s specially formulated to remoisturise, like St John’s wort or avocado oil, and GLA (from borage or evening primrose seed oils).
Pura Naturals has a range of anti-ageing skin care products containing the finest natural and organic ingredients that will nourish, hydrate and smooth the skin, improving the skin's appearance.
Even dry skin benefits from using a toner, removing any last residue of cleanser and brightening the skin. Avoid any product containing alcohol, which will overlay your complexion and look for products containing remoisturising ingredients such as aloe vera and vitamin E. Skin toners can also help to calm flushed faces: look for products with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as cucumber, chamomile and calendula.
When outdoors, use a sunscreen on top of your moisturiser. Choose one made with mineral sun filters (titanium dioxide or zinc oxide), rather than synthetic chemicals (such as cinnamates or benzophenones), as thes can trigger sensitivity.
Bodywise, a good moisturiser is essential. Make sure this is based on pure plant oils and doesn’t contain mineral oils as they are less efficient and may clog pores. Treat yourself to a body cream, containined shea butter or walnut butter, as opposed to a lotion, as they are richer and will keep skin softer for longer. Lavish your body from chin to toe, after every bath or shower to help keep the skin rehydrated, rubbing a little extra into parched areas such as elbows, knees and heels. Dry skin brushing will improve the condition of skin immeasurably and help to prevent cellulite.
Hands and feet will welcome as much daily TLC as your face. Hands give away your age at a glance, so make sure your hand cream contains plenty of antioxidants. Over time vitamin E is especially useful to help fade pigmentation spots. Always use sun protection on your hands too.
A little tip - whatever cream you happen to be applying to your face, whether it be a moisturiser or sun block, why not rub a little into the back of your hands too and whenever you apply a mask to your face, treat your hands too.
Tips on problem skin
A face massage will help increase blood circulation. Some experts say the extreme movements of facial exercise can slacken the skin over time. However, specific moves are useful to help keep the underlying facial muscles toned and tauter. Try these two sets of the following mini-exercises twice daily, after brushing your teeth.1. Push your chin out and lift your bottom lip over the top one, hold for a count of five, release, then repeat ten times.
2. Pull the corners of your mouth downwards in a fiercely exaggerated grimace, stretching and tightening the muscles that run down the neck and into the collarbones. Hold and repeat as above.
It’s also said that dancers and yoga fans never need a facelift because the movements keep their jaws and neck defined and smooth, as with the rest of the body.
Tanya xx
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