Your 40s Skincare Routine: Effectively Treat Early Signs of Aging

Around the time a person enters their fourth decade of life, the aging process has often started to become visible. The signs of aging—wrinkles and fine lines, sallowness, and sagging—begin to intensify, according to dermatologists. This is when fine lines can become wrinkles, and wrinkles can become deep wrinkles. Wrinkles, like taxes, are an inevitability. Unlike taxes, they are also a gift: Wizened features can wordlessly communicate a life well-lived. The foremost goal of any skincare routine should be to keep skin healthy, by properly cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting it from the sun, among other considerations. No product can reverse aging, but many can reduce its common signs. With diligent use especially, some products can prevent signs of aging from getting worse over time. The key word is diligence: Nothing is better for your skin than consistency. From the most important products and lifestyle choices to the best skincare routine for your 40s—here is everything you need to know about caring for your skin in your fourth decade.

Skincare In Your 40s: What to Know

In your 40s, your life looks different, and so should your skincare priorities. Here are a few key things to keep in mind for the best skincare routine for your 40s.

Focus On Renewal

As we age, the cells of our skin don’t produce like they used to. It’s a fact of biology that epidermal turnover slows as we get older. With supply not meeting demand, buildups can occur that cause any number of issues, from uneven texture to the formation of milia. The good news is that there is no shortage of products that can help boost cell turnover. From luxurious masks made with acids that slough away dead skin cells to workhorse serums powered by antioxidants that even out dark spots, there is a formula that’s right for you.

By your 40s, you’d be wise to incorporate regular exfoliation into your routine, as well as an ingredient like vitamin C, or retinol, both of which benefit skin by ramping up collagen production and other processes hindered by aging. Augmenting the cell turnover process is essential to taking care of maturing skin, as the ability to replenish one’s own cells degrades due to intrinsic (biological) and extrinsic (caused by external factors like sun exposure) aging, according to dermatologists.

Mega Moisture

When we talk about moisturizing the skin, what we’re really talking about is moisturizing the skin barrier. So what is the skin barrier exactly, and which layers of skin does it comprise? 

The Cleveland Clinic offers a simple definition: Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, which is made up of dead cells called corneocytes, as well as proteins and lipids. But just because the skin barrier is dead doesn’t mean that it doesn’t function. In fact, the barrier is your first defense against harm—from pollutants, the elements, or the sun—reaching living layers of skin. It also helps your skin retain necessary water.

Your skin barrier can degrade with age and skin conditions like acne or eczema. Luckily, certain skincare products can help repair the skin barrier. Moisturizers are especially useful for the seal that they provide over skin. Many also include lipids and ceramides that are naturally found between dead corneocytes. You can almost imagine a good moisturizer as adding mortar between the bricks of your skin barrier, keeping hydration in and bad stuff out. Your 40s are a good time to be well-moisturized. If you’re not, you might benefit from adding moisturizing products and ingredients to your 40s skincare routine.

Safety First

When it comes to skin and aging, it’s also important to talk about a serious topic: skin cancer. As you get older, your chance of cancer increases. A study of almost one million Americans between 2001 and 2015 found that rates of skin cancer had a statistically significant increase in those aged 40 and over (and a decrease for young adults and adolescents). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that most cases are diagnosed in patients older than 65.

This is all to make sure that, by 40, your protection habits are up to snuff. A good sunscreen plus some other form of sun protection, be it a parasol or clothing made of UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) fabric, should be on hand at all times. Ideally, you also have a dermatologist in your corner who can give you skincare advice and perform regular skin checks for irregularities. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends annual skin checks, or more frequently if you’re at risk for skin cancer.

How to Change Your Routine

As we age, our skin naturally begins to lose elasticity and become thinner. A skincare routine in your 40s ideally has new ingredients that boost elasticity (to help counter the natural aging process) and add back in moisture (we’ll dive into specific ingredients that accomplish both tasks below).

While skin can change seasonally (or even daily for some), it’s likely your skin will alter in some manner in your fourth decade. No matter your skin type though, the decreasing amount of collagen and elasticity in your skin will likely have your skin craving moisture. That can come in the form of a hyaluronic serum, but also can be boosted in every step of your routine, from swapping out a harsh cleanser for a creamy formula as well as a moisturizer that provides deeper hydration.

When changing your skincare routine to accommodate your skin’s new needs, start slowly (ideally one new product at a time so you don’t overwhelm the skin), evaluate your skin daily (looking for signs of irritation that might communicate a need for more nourishing products), and always patch test new formulas before applying them to your face.

Ingredients to Incorporate

The best 40s skincare routine is a routine you enjoy using. But it’s also worth considering adding in a few of these superpowered ingredients that are proven to support aging skin.

• Retinol (or Retinol Alternative) 

Retinols are workhorses for the skin, helping to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as quickly as a few months…but they aren’t for everyone. Famously harsh, retinols can do more harm than good for those with sensitivity. This is exactly where retinol alternatives come into play, helping to meet the wrinkle-fighting benefits of a retinol, but without any of the harsh and irritating side effects of the original.

• Antioxidants 

You likely are familiar with the most famous antioxidant of them all: vitamin C. This specific antioxidant gets all the fame, but all antioxidants are beneficial to add to your routine (especially in your 40s). They fight free radicals (which speed up accelerated aging), boost collagen production, minimize inflammation, and can diminish the appearance of dark spots—aka antioxidants are worth the extra step in your routine.

• Hydration 

As mentioned momentarily above, skin naturally loses its natural hydration levels as it progresses in years. For some (aka excessively oily skinned) it’s a welcomed experience, but for others it can equate to chronic dryness. Counter this with multiple levels of hydration, from milky cleansers to hyaluronic serums to more occlusive moisturizers.

Skincare Routine for Your 40s

Now that you’re older, your best skincare routine for morning and night may be a bit more involved than in decades past. But by choosing the right ingredients, you can still keep things as simple—or advanced—and effective as you’d like. Below is a step-by-step skincare routine for your 40s, with both simple and advanced options. We’ve also broken it down into the best night skincare routine for your 40s and morning skincare routine for your 40s.

Simple Morning Routine

1. Cleanse 
2. Essence
3. Moisturize
4. SPF

Simple Night Routine

1. Cleanse 
2. Exfoliate (frequency varies depending on individual)
3. Essence
4. Moisturize

Advanced Morning Routine

1. Cleanse 
2. Essence
3. Serum
4. Eye Cream 
5. Moisturize
6. Seal with Face Oil (if needed)
7. SPF

Advanced Night Routine

1. Cleanse
2. Exfoliation (frequency varies depending on individual)
3. Essence 
4. Serum 
5. Eye Cream 
6. Moisturize
7. Seal with Face Oil (if needed)

Components of a Skincare Routine for Your 40s

Cleanse

The days of face-stripping washes are long behind you. The ideal cleanser is a gentle affair: Look for formulas and textures that can rinse away dirt, makeup, and impurities while sacrificing none of your skin’s moisture.

Choosing a Cleanser for Your 40s

A cleanser should be used morning and night. Here’s how to choose the best cleanser for your skin type:

Dry: Those with dry skin should use The Rice Wash, which leaves skin feeling soft and nourished thanks to rice powder as its main ingredient. (Used in Japanese cleansing rituals, this powder naturally softens and boosts luminosity, while keeping the skin well moisturized.) The hydrating nature of this cleanser will help to support skin in its 40s.

Or perhaps you enjoy an oil cleanser for its softening effect. Try The Camellia Cleansing Oil, which uses tsubaki, or oil from the camellia flower. The bloom was historically used by Japanese geisha performers to remove their heavy white makeup as part of a double cleanse. Distilled into a contemporary formula, it can now remove even waterproof makeup while nourishing skin to feel softer than silk.

Sensitive: While cleansing sensitive skin can be an impossible task, The Indigo Cleansing Balm actually helps to improve the skin barrier’s function for stronger skin over time. This is also a fantastic option for those who have reactive skin (or extra dry skin or eczema-prone skin) and want to be ultra-gentle when cleansing.

Oily: Oily and/or acne-prone skin will treasure The Matcha Cleanse, a formula that decongests pores and balances oil without stripping away essential moisture. This cleanser is designed to be as gentle as possible, while still addressing long-term oiliness and clogged pores.

Exfoliate

There’s no better way to encourage your skin’s natural cell turnover process than by exfoliating a few times a week (here’s how to exfoliate properly). The trick is to try something gentle enough for regular use, like a liquid exfoliant or face polish, that works delicately yet efficiently.

Choosing an Exfoliant for Your 40s

Your ideal type of exfoliant and frequency of use might take a little bit of testing, depending on your specific skin type. Some enjoy using it in the morning to have a glow for the day, while others love to follow up their nightly cleanse with an exfoliant. Discover which fits your routine best.

Dry: If your dry skin errs on the side of combination, try the Classic Rice Polish. The waterless exfoliant, which transforms into a creamy, cloud-like foam with a few drops of water, is made of finely milled rice bran. Widely considered the world’s most perfect food, rice is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nourishing moisturizers. The classic formula also has silk proteins (to condition and nourish) and papaya enzymes (for a bit of fruit-acid chemical exfoliation). Just add water and you are one step closer to bright, smooth skin.

If you have classically dry skin, you’ll love the Gentle Rice Polish. The formula still has the rice bran base, but is boosted with licorice root extract to prevent flakiness and tightness, making it great for exfoliating dry skin in a 40s skincare routine.

Sensitive: Exfoliation and sensitive skin doesn’t always go hand-in-hand—but with Tatcha’s Calming Rice Polish, it now can. Natural Japanese indigo soothes visible irritation, and is perfect for exfoliating sensitive skin. This formula is made without papaya enzymes to make it extra gentle.

Oily: Oily skin adores exfoliation. Grab the Deep Rice Polish, which has wild rose to help tighten the look of pores and clarify skin, making it a great fit for exfoliating combination to oily skin.

However, if you’re more of a fan of liquid exfoliants, try The Texture Tonic. The AHA-powered formula was designed for all skin types and can be used daily. But its ability to reduce excess oil and sebum, while also improving skin’s moisture levels is particularly perfect for oily skin in its 40s. The formula has niacinamide and Japanese mugwort to reduce the look of discoloration, while also calming visible redness and irritation.

Essence

Remember the skin barrier? Now it’s time to fortify it. Even before you apply moisturizer, there are formulas that are lighter in weight that will supply moisturizing benefits to the skin and prepare it for the skincare to follow. This is precisely where an essence comes into play. In contrast to a serum, an essence is a lightweight hydrator that can be patted into the skin until it brims with moisture.

Choosing an Essence for Your 40s

After cleansing, dab a few drops on the palm of your hands, then tap and press into the skin. It’s helpful to do this both morning and night.

All skin types: Every type of skin–no matter if it’s oily, dry, sensitive, or combination–will adore The Essence, a brilliant plumping, softening, and firming liquid for healthy-aging. This bestselling product is made entirely (100 percent!) from Tatcha’s proprietary Hadasei-3, a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods, including Akita rice, Uji green tea, and Okinawa algae. The three ingredients work synergistically to support the skin, while promoting natural skin surface turnover for brighter, beautiful skin at every age. It’s also been shown to help improve the performance of other skincare products in your routine, so using this morning and night is additional beneficial.

Serum

In your 40s, there are a handful of serums that will be able to address your common woes and concerns. In this new decade, your skin might desire different serums, but choosing the right serum for your skin type is the first step in the right direction. While there are many different types of serums, discovering an option that is first and foremost right for your skin type is helpful, but most formulas are built to service all skin types. You can also narrow down the right serum for you by considering your skin needs. Dry? A hydrating serum will be beneficial. Seeking brightening? Look for formulas that include vitamin C. Seeing fine lines and wrinkles? A fine line serum can help address early signs of aging.

Choosing a Serum for Your 40s 

If you're in the dark about what ingredients your skin needs, your dermatologist or aesthetician can point you in the right direction. Also, always follow the package directions, as certain formulas can overwhelm or irritate skin.

All skin types: If you’re looking to target fine lines and wrinkles, consider The Silk Serum, a serum formulated with a retinol alternative that visibly firms and smooths the look of deep wrinkles without the visible irritation often associated with vitamin A derivatives. For brighter skin, grab The Brightening Serum, which is powered by a 12-hour time-release vitamin C and ferulic acid to brighten, firm, and target hyperpigmentation. And those seeking hydration will love the Dewy Serum, which works to nourish and plump the skin with squalane and hyaluronic acid. Need a hydrating pick-me-up? Grab The Serum Stick, an on-the-go, pocket-sized serum that provides instant and deep moisture, while also blurring the look of fine lines and minimizing makeup creasing (basically, a must for mid-day touch-ups).

Moisturize

Many dewy-faced skincare obsessives extol the virtues of moisturizer duos. Instead of using one cream twice a day, why not alternate two creams in the morning and night that are distinct in how they work and support the function of the other? Your day cream could be something lighter that layers well under makeup, then, at night, level up to intense hydration. Why is this an ideal method? Your skin is most receptive to ingredients at night while you sleep—so why not load it up with skin-nourishing botanical extracts at bedtime?

Choosing a Moisturizer for Your 40s

Apply the best moisturizer for your skin type morning and night, directly after a serum (or if keeping things minimal, after cleansing and applying your essence).

Extra Dry: While this formula is designed for more mature skin, those with very dry skin (or extreme cold weather) will drink up the intensely rich, hydrating Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream, which nourishes the skin with botanical extracts.

Dry: Visibly plump and seal in moisture with The Dewy Skin Cream, which has hyaluronic acid, red algae, and squalane. This formula has a rich cream texture that provides antioxidant protection from premature aging.

Dry/Combination: The Silk Cream toes the line between deeply hydrating and balancing skin, thanks to its rich yet weightless gel-cream formula, featuring hydrolyzed silk. The formula features powerful ingredients like inositol to improve visible elasticity, and Bulgarian rose, a retinol alternative, to help address visible firmness and the look of fine lines.

Sensitive: Colloidal oatmeal and Japanese indigo extract make The Indigo Calming Cream, the best soothing moisturizer for sensitive skin. The decadent cream provides visible redness and itchiness relief with lasting hydration.

Oily: Many moisturizers can exacerbate oily skin, but The Water Cream is brilliantly designed to balance oiliness and impart radiance with a lightweight feel. The refreshing gel-cream is clinically proven to refine pores, hydrate, and smooth skin’s texture over time.

Eye Cream

Eye creams are distinct from other moisturizing creams, because they’re formulated and tested to be used on the thin, very sensitive skin surrounding the eyes. The delicate skin is some of the most fragile on the entire body, so treating it with a product that is designed to target common woes is a fantastic idea for a 40s anti-aging skincare routine.

Choosing an Eye Cream for Your 40s

Applying an eye cream both day and night (before or after a moisturizer) is deeply helpful to maintain the health of your under-eye area and eyelids, which are one of the thinnest areas of skin on your body. This can be a particularly helpful addition to the skincare routine for your 40s as regular use of an eye cream will help keep this area looking firm and elastic over time.

Brightening: Looking for an eye cream that targets multiple types of dark circles, depuffs, and visibly lifts for a well-rested look instantly? (Who isn’t?!) Well, you’ll love Tatcha’s Brightening Eye Cream. The creamy, lightweight, fast-absorbing, and non-sticky formula was designed to absorb instantly and illuminates the eye area with a soft-focus finish while improving concealer application and wear. The clever formula includes a few revolutionary ingredients, including time-released vitamin C (which both extends the potency on skin and lessens the potential for irritation), encapsulated niacinamide, and Japanese plum (cherished for its ability to noticeably brighten and firm skin).

Puffiness: If you’re looking for the best eye cream to reduce puffiness, the Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Eye Serum combines red algae, honeysuckle leaf, and caffeine to diminish fine lines, visibly firm, and moisturize the eye area. Plus, the cooling ceramic applicator and fine dust of 23-karat gold brighten and visibly reduce shadows under the eyes.

Hydration: When in doubt, try our bestselling eye cream, The Silk Peony. The buttery balm melts into the skin, releasing a shield of hydration around the eyes. Formulated with line-smoothing liquid silk and white peony, this eye cream seals in moisture and reduces the look of fine lines.

Loss of Firmness: If you’re looking to address dark circles or a loss of firmness around the eyes, first choose the best eye cream for your needs. Look for products that will boost your skin’s collagen production, which both peptides and Vitamin C have been scientifically proven to accomplish. Try Tatcha’s ​​Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream, which is packed with antioxidants to protect skin and bring a visibly firmer look to the eye area. Plus, the rich cream has red algae and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the under-eye area.

Face Oil

For those seeking more hydration and don’t mind an extra step, consider a face oil. Face oils seal in moisture, which means they work to keep in all of the prior products and ingredients in your skincare routine. A face oil also targets signs of aging and lends your skin a vibrant glow. As no products can penetrate an oil, they are ideal to be applied at the end of your routine both day and night.

Choosing a Face Oil for Your 40s

After applying a moisturizer (and before sunscreen during the day), apply two to three drops to the palm of the hand, massage together, and dab onto the face.

All skin types: Try our Gold Camellia Beauty Oil for an instant boost in nourishment. Composed of extra virgin Japanese camellia oil, the formula not only locks in moisture, but also adds instant radiance thanks to the glow of the 23-karat gold flakes in the rich oil. While this product isn’t necessary for all 40s skincare routines, those experiencing more dehydrated skin will adore using this face oil daily.

Sunscreen

If you haven’t found a sunscreen you love wearing, this is the decade to nail it down and wear it every single day. First and foremost, look for sunscreens that offer broad-spectrum coverage so you’re protected against both ultraviolet-A (UVA), which causes premature aging, and ultraviolet-B (UVB), which causes burning. Those pesky UV rays can cause multifaceted degrees of damage to the skin, including loss of skin elasticity, fine lines, and wrinkles. Secondarily, find formulas that are boosted with multitasking ingredients, which can help fight free radicals, but also supplement skin with hydration, brightening, and balancing benefits.

Choosing a Sunscreen for Your 40s

Haven’t been as consistent with your sunscreen use? It’s not too late to start daily SPF use now, applying it every morning in the correct order within your overall skincare and beauty regimen (and reapplying every two hours while continuously outside).

All skin types: Tatcha’s updated Silk Sunscreen features superior protection with broad-spectrum mineral SPF 50, yet has a weightless feel and a sheer, radiant finish that Japanese sunscreens are known for. It also has powerhouse ingredients, including niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, and a patented zinc oxide that is proven to be over two times more effective at protecting against free radicals than standard zinc oxide. However, perhaps you're looking for a matte, silky-smooth finish. In that case, grab the Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen, which provides broad-spectrum SPF 35 coverage and blends effortlessly and invisibly for a smooth, matte finish.

Your 40s can be an exciting time, it’s often credited as some of the happiest years of your life. Let your skin shine as much as you do by finding the best skincare routine for your 40s—and a daily ritual you actually enjoy using.