Why does mature skin look dull?
When it comes to aging, skin often takes center stage. With countless skincare products claiming amazing benefits, it’s easy to get caught up in our daily skincare routines.
As we age, our skin changes. When we’re younger, we often have oily skin and are often plagued by rashes and acne, which can last into our 25s and beyond.
By the time we’re 30, the first signs of aging start to show: fine lines, crow’s feet, and expression lines. Today, we’re taking a look at why our skin looks dry and dull.
Often, our skincare routines haven’t changed much over the years, which is why mature skin looks dull.
Our skin’s cell turnover process takes about 28 days. When we’re younger, this process is quick and effortless.
However, as we age, cell turnover slows, causing dead skin cells to accumulate, obscuring our once radiant skin.
With this in mind, we’re going to look at how you can combat this and make dull, mature skin a thing of the past!
How to Get Glowing Skin for Mature Skin?
High-performance ingredients start to work after age 40. If you haven’t tried it yet, now is the perfect time to use skincare products containing AHAs that are suitable for your skin type.
For example, for mature, dry-prone skin, lactic acid may be the best chemical exfoliant.
If you want to learn more about AHAs and their skincare benefits, you can find a blog post that explains them in detail.
Now, I’ll show you a simple daily skincare routine with effective ingredients that will protect your skin from dullness.
Cleansing
Cleaning with rich, creamy formulas helps remove dirt, bacteria, and impurities that often settle on the skin and make it look dull.
Not only do they remove dirt, but they also break down the bonds that hold dead skin cells to the surface of the skin.
Chemical Exfoliating Toner
After using a smooth, non-foaming cleanser, use a toner with powerful ingredients such as glycolic acid or lactic acid to remove dead skin cells that cause dull, gray skin.
Double Serum
You can apply as much or as little serum to your skin as you like. However, I found two serums that contain different ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C.
They both target the deeper layers of the skin and bring different benefits. For example, hyaluronic acid has hydrating properties and locks in moisture to the skin.
It moisturizes and plumps the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, flaking, and dull skin.
Switch to night creams, moisturizers, and oils have slightly different formulas than day creams. Our skin repairs itself while we sleep.
Therefore, nighttime skincare contains a higher percentage of ingredients that help moisturize the skin and repair damage caused during the day.
Use a night moisturizer
Nighttime products such as masks and oils have similar benefits to the night creams mentioned above.
However, the difference is that the advantage of a night moisturizer is that you will see a more significant improvement in your skin texture.
The effects are usually short-lived, so it is recommended to use a night moisturizer in conjunction with a night cream.
Retinoids are your best friend
Retinoids are undoubtedly one of the most difficult ingredients to use.
Incorporating retinol into your nighttime skincare routine is time-consuming and requires time and patience to avoid side effects from improper use.
However, if used correctly, you’ll be amazed at how your skin looks and feels once you’ve built up a tolerance to it.
If you have any questions about using retinol, it’s always best to consult with your doctor, dermatologist, or other healthcare professional.
Learn all about retinol, its mechanism of action, and its skincare benefits in our blog post.
The Last Step – Sun Protection
When skin is damaged by free radicals, it can appear dull, lackluster, and gray. This condition is often caused by overexposure to harmful UV rays, pollution, and other harsh environmental factors.
Sunscreen not only protects the skin from sun damage, such as sunburn, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots, but it also forms a protective barrier over the skin, warding off impurities and keeping them from getting in.
How to Look Younger?
In addition to the skincare routine we’ve outlined, there are some simple lifestyle changes you can make to help your skin look younger:
Get enough sleep – tired skin feels like old skin. Aim for eight hours of sleep a night to keep your complexion looking younger (after all, beauty sleep is not for nothing).
Use a silk pillow – it’s gentle on the skin and can improve the overall texture and appearance of your skin.
Exercise more – exercise can improve blood circulation and even sweating can flush out toxins from your skin, giving it a healthy glow!
Body brush – don’t forget, your body skin can also look dull. Using a body brush can boost blood circulation and strengthen your skin.
Drink more water – while your skin is your largest organ, it rarely gets enough water.
So make sure you drink as much water as possible and use products with moisturizing ingredients to give your skin a glowing, youthful look.
Quit smoking – I don’t need to go into too much detail. You know alcohol is bad for you and even worse for your skin. Try to give it up.
Avoid drinking alcohol – just like smoking, you know it’s bad for you. So try to cut down on the amount you drink. Your skin will thank you.
So, these are some of the changes or additions you can incorporate into your daily routine. Every little change will surprise you!
Which moisturizer is best for people over 50?
If you’re over 50, here are some key ingredients to look for when choosing a moisturizer:
Daytime moisturizer, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, Vitamin E, Nighttime moisturizer
Hyaluronic Acid, Retinoids ,Vitamin E, Lactic Acid
A moisturizer containing any of these ingredients will help promote healthy, youthful-looking skin.
Whether you stick to these tips or simply choose a moisturizer that works best for you and your lifestyle, your skin will improve dramatically.
If you have any questions or skincare tips, follow us on Instagram. I’d love to help!
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
