In order to limit skin damage related to ageing, it is beneficial to establish a consistent skincare routine that is tailored to your skin type. However, many people over the age of 40 question whether this can still have beneficial effects on established signs of ageing. Let's explore the scientific literature together to answer this question.
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40, 50, 60 years old: is it too late to start taking care of your skin?
Summary
Published June 13, 2024,
updated on December 16, 2024,
by
Marie, Scientific Editor
—
6 min read
Taking care of your skin after 40: is it still beneficial?
A natural and ongoing process, skin ageing is the result of intrinsic factors (decreased cell regeneration, oxidative stress, hormonal changes...) and extrinsic factors (exposure to sun, tobacco, pollution...). The first signs of ageing usually start to appear in one's twenties and gradually become more visible over the years. Thus, by the age of 40, the skin is often marked by time in a seemingly irreversible manner. However, this is not necessarily the case.
Even though the ageing process cannot be halted, it is still possible to limit future damage and mitigate established signs by starting to take care of one's skin.
Protecting your skin from the sun: a necessity that continues beyond the age of 40.
It is dangerous at any age to expose oneself to the sun without protecting one's skin. While childhood and adolescence are considered the most critical periods for the development of future melanomas and carcinomas, the impact of UV exposure in adulthood should not be overlooked. Another negative effect of the sun is that it is one of the primary causes of skin ageing. Its mechanisms of action are numerous and manifest macroscopically as a loss of skin firmness, the appearance of brown spots, and vascular disorders.
From the age of 40, photoaging is often quite pronounced. However, a study shows that it's not too late to start applying sun protection with an SPF 30. This is what 32 volunteers aged between 40 and 55 did in 2016. A dermatologist then evaluated several parameters of photoaging and noted significant improvements, detailed in the table below. The daily application of a sunscreen for a year helped to reduce existing signs of ageing and limit their progression, thus showing that it's never too late to start protecting oneself from the sun.
| Clinical parameters of photoaging | Improvement of clinical parameters after one year |
|---|---|
| Pigment Spots | 50 % |
| Uniformity of Skin Tone | 34 % |
| Skin Texture | 40 % |
| General appearance of the complexion | 27 % |
| Crow's feet wrinkles | 25 % |
Effets de l'application quotidienne d'une protection solaire pendant un an sur différents paramètres du photovieillissement.
Source : SOUTHALL M. & al. Daily use of a facial broad spectrum sunscreen over one-year significantly improves clinical evaluation of photoaging. Dermatologic Surgery (2016).
Proper hydration: a key step in a skincare routine, even after 40 years of age.
Skin hydration is also essential at any age. Indeed, the skin is daily assaulted and exposed to temperature variations, wind, pollution... By weakening the hydrolipidic film and the skin barrier, these external elements harm the skin's softness and suppleness and accelerate the formation of wrinkles. To limit water loss and counteract the effects of dehydration, it is essential to hydrate the skin daily with a cream enriched with hydrating active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, regardless of one's age.
A recent placebo-controlled study involving 76 women aged between 30 and 60 examined the bi-daily application of a cream containing 0.1% hyaluronic acid on the face. After 60 days, scientists noted a significant improvement in various skin parameters. A 10% increase in hydration was measured, along with an 11.7% reduction in the depth of crow's feet wrinkles.
Incorporating tensor active ingredients into your skincare routine: a good idea to limit skin ageing.
After the age of 40, it may sometimes seem pointless to start using firming active ingredients such as retinol, bakuchiol or coenzyme Q10. In reality, it's not too late to incorporate them into your skincare routine. By accelerating cellular renewal, which slows down with age, and by stimulating the synthesis of collagen by fibroblasts, these active ingredients help to reduce the appearance of established wrinkles and make the skin firmer.
A recent clinical trial was conducted with 41 women aged between 35 and 55 years. Over a 12-week period, these participants applied a formulation containing 0.1% retinol, every other day for two weeks, then daily for the subsequent ten weeks. The analysis of facial wrinkles showed a significant reduction in the visibility of wrinkles following the treatment, by approximately 63.7% for the cheeks and 38.7% around the eye contour.
At 40, 50, or 60 years old, it's never too late to start taking care of your skin.
Sources
PAVICIC T. & al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (2011).
PIOT B. & al. Impact of sunlight on observable clinical signs of ageing in Caucasian skin. Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (2013).
MAJMUDAR G. & al. A comparative study of the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on histological, molecular, and clinical properties of human skin Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2015).
SOUTHALL M. & al. Daily application of a facial broad spectrum sunscreen over a one-year period significantly enhances clinical assessment of photoaging. Dermatologic Surgery (2016).
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