The Best Skin-Care Routine for Your 50s

I recommended thismakeup removerin my guide toskin care in your 40s, and I’m recommending it here, too. That’s because as we age, our skin becomes “dryer, more fragile, and may have more prominent pores or wrinkles where makeup can stick,” explainsDr. Heidi A. Waldorfof Waldorf Dermatology Aesthetics. So when you cleanse, a moisturizing product like Albolene really goes a long way. “If Vaseline petroleum jelly and Pond’s cold cream had a baby, it would be Albolene,” says Waldorf.

For your second cleanse, you want to keep hydrating your skin.Dr. Michelle Henry, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin and Aesthetic Surgery in New York, recommends this foaming cleanser from CeraVe, which contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. Together, the ingredients cleanse the skin while moisturizing and supporting the skin’s moisture barrier. “As we get into our 50s, many people have estrogen-depleted skin, which is drier and losing collagen quickly. You want to make sure that, especially if you’re using actives, you’re using ingredients that help to support your skin barrier,”she says.Niacinamide helps with softening wrinkles and improving uneven skin tone. (If your skin is on the drier side, considerCeraVe’s hydrating cleanserinstead. I like the added niacinamide of the foaming cleanser, but sometimes foaming cleansers can feel stripping on extremely dry skin types.)

“Consider a tonerthat helps balance the normal pH of the skin and deposits hydrating active ingredients like hyaluronic acid,” says Henry. This one from Humphreys Witch Hazel is a favorite of Engelman, who likes that it cleanses and balances the skin without drying it out. The brand has a few variations to choose from, but I recommend going with an alcohol-free option, as alcohol can dry out skin. Of those, I’m a fan of the aloe-and-witch-hazel formula, because aloe is known to soothe and hydrate the skin.

Post-50, our experts recommendincorporating peptidesinto your routine.Peptides are amino acids that are the building blocks to the skin and when added to a skin-care product, it can stimulate your skin to make collagen. Aesthetician Sarah Akram recommends the Tri-Peptide Complex+ Avance Elixir from Environ. “It provides the skin with a more youthful and radiant complexion while assisting in improving the overall structure of the skin,” she says. She likes to pair it with the brand’s Frown Serum, which she says helps to reduce existing lines and wrinkles.

At the more affordable end, there’s the Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide + HA Serum (we’ve written that it’s one of the best serums you can buy under $25). As the name suggests, it’s packed with peptides and hyaluronic acid. It helps to target signs of aging while also helping to moisturize skin.

I recommend a vitamin C serum for use at any age, as there are so many benefits. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, it brightens skin (and any sun spots you may have noticed developing as you age), it evens out tone, and it protects against UV-damage. When it comes to vitamin C serums, SkinCeuticals makes the best — according to me, my fellow beauty writers, and dozens upon dozens of dermatologists that have recommended it to us over the years. “SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic was explained to me, as a young beauty editor, as liquid gold,” says Denton-Hurst. “Naturally, when I got my hands on my first bottle, I was excited. And by the end of that bottle, I was hooked. It has been the gold-standard vitamin-C serum for years, so much so that lots of formulas have mimicked the ingredients list, chasing the same results. But nothing beats the original.”

There are, of course, cheaper options that still work wonders for your skin. This pick from Brandefy has similar ingredients to the v Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, but is less than half the price. Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist, recommends this formula from Brandefy because it boosts brightness overall. Brandefy’s formula contains a high concentration of pure vitamin C (15 percent) along with tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), and 0.5 percent ferulic acid, an antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals and also stabilizes vitamin C and E. It also contains propanediol, a humectant that helps skin to retain moisture. It should be noted that propanediol has been flagged by the Environmental Working Group as a potential skin irritant, but it is relatively low risk in topical skin-care products.

Henry likes the affordably priced Serum Le Duo from L’Oréal Paris . “It has peptides but also vitamin C and niacinamide to brighten the skin,” she says. “It’s quite gentle, so it’s not going to disrupt the skin barrier.”

I like this pick from SkinCeuticals. It’s packed with the usual moisturizing ingredients (fatty acids, ceramides) but also has additional cholesterol and antioxidants packed in. One of those antioxidants is vitamin E, whichdermatologist Annie Chiuexplains “supports cell reproduction, helps skin repair itself, and defends skin against environmental damage.”

If you want a more affordable pick, fellow Strategist beauty writerTembe Denton-Hurstrecently named CeraVe as our favorite moisturizer for mature skin. Her reasonings are all the same as mine for including it here: it has a thick, creamy consistency that you can feel working as you slather it on, it’s packed with uber-hydrating glycerin, ceramides and hyaluronic acid, it’s affordable, and it’s easy to get your hands on. It hydrates, and thanks to the hyaluronic acid, it plumps the skin. I can also say first hand that it never feels greasy or heavy once applied, instead it absorbs quickly, and leaves your skin feeling smooth and quenched.

This La Roche-Posay sunscreen has the higher SPF rating that I like, yet the formula is stillsuperlight (so even if you hate the stickiness of normal sunscreen, you can get on board with this). It’s a mineral sunscreen: Mineral formulas use physical blockers like zinc and titanium oxide, bouncing the sun’s rays off of skin. It’s a good option if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, because the formula sits on top of your skin rather than being absorbed by it. This particular formula also contains moisturizing glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which add yet another layer of moisture at the end of your routine.

Mineral sunscreensare known for leaving skin with a white cast due to the zinc and titanium. This isn’t ideal if you have a deeper skin tone or want to wear your sunscreen under makeup. An alternative option is this oft-recommended sunscreen from Elta MD, a favorite of dermatologists and Strategist editors. It offers both physical and chemical protection and dries down to an almost matte, nongreasy finish. There’s also a small amount of lactic acid to help gently exfoliate and keep skin healthy looking and glowy — so I’ll forgive it for being SPF 46, and not quite 50.

“For tightening the neck, I always look for a product with a high concentration of peptides,” says Debra Jaliman, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. Peptides are so popular in anti-aging products because they can help boost collagen production. Jaliman also says it’s nice and hydrating — which your neck will appreciate.

This less-expensive peptide neck cream is designed to smooth and hydrate thin, crepey skin, soften neck lines, and firm and plump the neck, jawline, and chest.

I also like this affordable eye cream from RoC. It contains retinol, but it’s far weaker than prescription strength, so it shouldn’t irritate the skin around your eyes. Instead, it will help with the main concerns that you may have around this area (wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, and even crow’s-feet).

Akram is a fan of the OmniLux Contour Face, a red-light therapy mask that uses two wavelengths of red light — which just so happens to be the LED mask we recently rated ourfavorite overall. Red light penetrates deeper than other forms of visible light and stimulates the mitochondria to produce new collagen. By generating new skin cells, it also reduces wrinkles and helps with sun damage. Red light is thought to reduce inflammation as well, a contributing factor to redness, itchy skin, and dryness. If you struggle with any of these, a red-light therapy mask can help.

As well as LED devices,microcurrent devicesare popular at-home device options.They’re often described as a workout for your face, as they tone the muscles in the face by stimulating them to gently contract with low-voltage electric currents. Instantly after use, you may notice a slight lifted appearance in the areas that you used the device — but the real benefits come over time from consistent usage five times per week. “You can expect the skin to look smoother and firmer from microcurrent devices. However, to maintain the results, the treatment needs to be performed frequently,” saysMarina Peredo, a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

While NuFace is the most popular name in this space, I like to recommend the ZIIP Halo as it’s so simple to use.Raquel Medina-Cleghorn, an aesthetician and the founder of facial studio Raquel New York, likes that the ZIIP comes with a preprogrammed facial and an app that has a range of easy-to-follow tutorials. I also like the fact that it can be used on delicate areas such as the under eye without an additional attachment (a rarity), making it much easier to use. It’s also a favorite of actressJennifer Anistonwho tells me she’s used everything, but she finds that this really works.