The Products 10 Women Over 40 Can’t Live Without

Dr. Melanie Palm,dermatologistsays exosomes have been essential to her skin-care routine since turning 40. These vesicles, which sit on the outside of our cells, help cells to communicate. “They contain all sorts of information, from anti-inflammatory signaling pathways to cellular building,” she says. She likes this one from Plated, which contains one trillion platelet-derived exosomes per bottle. “It helps with the quality of skin,” says Dr. Palm. “If I were on a deserted island, next to sunscreen, I would be taking my exosomes.”

“This year, I turned 43 and noticed my skin was a lot drier year-round,” says writer Jesica Wagstaff, who writes the newsletterA Sunday Journal. “While hydration helped tremendously (drinking plenty of water and rose-flower tea), I still needed help with dark spots due to dryness or the one-off hormonal breakout.” The one product that’s made a difference is this serum from Allies of Skin. Wagstaff was already using the brand’s eye cream when she included it into her routine. “Saw an immediate difference,” she says.

Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, founder of One Love Community Fridge has been using Epi.logic’s the Total Package peptide cream for the past three years. It contains a blend of peptides, collagen, and antioxidants and is formulated to target hyperpigmentation and even skin tone. “It’s light and has protective properties, keeps my skin hydrated, and gives me an instant ‘I just came back from the beach’ glow. I wish there were a body-lotion version,” says Berhe-Lumax. Since using it, she’s been able to pare back her skin-care routine.

Berhe-Lumax also swears by dry-brushing, a technique that involves using a firm bristle brush on dry skin to exfoliate and encourage circulation. “I use it before every shower and especially in the mornings. It will literally wake up my body. I love that it has real health benefits — increased blood flow +help lymph nodes with drainage — and gives me the smoothest skin.”

“The TheraFace Depuffing Wand has become my morning essential — I never skip it,” says Molly Sims, founder ofYSE Beauty. “It instantly rejuvenates my eyes and helps me look far more awake than I actually feel.” Sims likes to use the wand while wearing non-slip eye masks, which offers an extra de-puffing effect. “It’s like giving your eyes a mini cold plunge.” Sims started using it after friends raved about it and has since taken it everywhere, from long car rides to her kids’ sports games to Zoom meetings. “It has seamlessly become a part of my routine.”

Shani Darden, esthetician and founder of Shani Darden Skincare has been using a prescription retinoid since she was 23. Then, it helped to keep acne at bay, but two decades later, she says it has helped her to “age gracefully.” She uses it nightly and says it has kept her skin glowing and breakout-free. “It’s the reason I barely wear makeup now because my skin just looks better on its own. It’s the product that truly transformed my texture and tone and helped simplify my whole routine,” she says.

“Testing skin-care products is kind of like ordering from a pasta-forward menu: I’ll gladly sample most of it. But when it comes to achieving must-have status, there are only a handful of formulas that get finished and earn a permanent residency in my routine,” says Holly Carter, beauty editor and writer. That distinction goes to the Obagi vitamin C serum. It has helped to lighten up stubborn hyperpigmentation and clear up dark spots. “It’s potent yet gentle, hydrating, and now I can get away with just a little concealer here and there,” she says.

Makeup artist and Smashbox global beauty leadLori Davis Taylorsays this instantly hydrates her skin. “It absorbs beautifully without feeling heavy and gives my skin a healthy glow,” she says. “I wake up looking well rested. It’s also simplified my nighttime routine since it delivers multiple benefits in one step.”

Senior writer Liza Corsillo loves this glycolic-acid-packed cleanser, which helps to clear up congested pores, which she says have increased as she’s gotten older. “The cleanser helps me reset with gentle exfoliation so that serums and creams actually work,” she says.

This moisturizer is also a staple in Corsillo’s routine. “I look forward to using it,” she says. It contains lots of moisturizing ingredients like sunflower oil and sea buckthorn, along with antioxidants like black currant — a natural source of vitamin C — and calendula, which shows up almost immediately after use. “It’s rich but melts into my skin fast and has helped my face look plump and glowy.”

This peptide serum is a favorite ofEdyta Jarosz, esthetician. “It gives that lifted rejuvenated glow, even on no-treatment days,” she says. It contains a peptide complex and growth factor, which work together to encourage cell regeneration and repair that in turn fills in fine lines and wrinkles. It also includes marine extract and green algae, which enhances the peptide complex by helping to maintain collagen and elastin levels.

“I’m obsessed with this oil,” says Jarosz, who uses it as the last step of her routine. She likes that it’s light but nourishing and plays well with her moisturizer. “It gives what I call the finishing glow,” she says. It contains a blend of antioxidants and fatty acids, which help to support the skin’s moisture barrier.