Good skin care is always important, and especially so once we reach 50 and beyond. One of the many ways in which you can start caring for yourself is by taking care of your skin. You know it’s the largest organ in the body, right? If you’ve never really taken care of your skin, now is the time to start.

As we enter mid-life, our skin tends to become drier; our estrogen levels drop, fat deposits are redistributed (causing sagging and wrinkling) and hyper-pigmentation/age spots appear. We are more prone to sun damage and our skin may become flaky. Our skin also becomes more fragile.

Besides the physical changes caused by menopause, dryness is exacerbated by air-conditioning and central heating, pollution, alcohol, smoking and the sun. Your skin may become more sensitive; read more about it here.

Taking Care of Your Face After 60

Cleansing and moisturizing are the basic necessities of healthy looking skin at any age, but assume greater importance for us now. Unfortunately, there are many women who have never cleansed and moisturized properly. It starts showing in menopause!

Cleanse your skin morning and night using a creamy cleanser, followed by a toner, which is the second part of the cleansing process. Avoid using soap, which dries the skin, and even water, which contains a lot of chemicals, and is not good for your skin, teeth or hair. In fact, find an oil that isn’t washed away by water, massage it into your skin before you take a shower or bath, and pat yourself dry. This will keep the water and its harsh chemicals off your skin.

Remove eye makeup by soaking a cotton ball in a non-oily eye makeup remover and just hold it over the eye. You may have to leave it there for a couple of minutes, especially if you’re wearing mascara. Don’t ever rub the skin around the eye as it is very delicate and should never be pulled or rubbed.

After you’ve cleansed your face, apply a moisturizer to your face, neck and upper chest. If you have just showered or bathed, apply cream to your body as well.

It’s impossible to exaggerate the effects of the sun on your skin, face and body. Invest in a good facial moisturizer that contains 30+ SPF for the day and a body moisturizer that also contains a high SPF factor. You may need to sample a few before you find something that works well on your skin. Don’t be fooled by marketing tactics. Good does not always equal expensive.

Skincare for Older Women

Body and facial scrubs exfoliate the skin and remove old dead cells, which allows the fresh young layers to surface. We need lots of that! When you exfoliate your skin, it also allows better absorption of moisturizers and helps combat alligator-skin.

Pamper yourself and spend just one evening every week in the bathroom. Lock the door and ignore everyone. Give yourself a body scrub and then soak in a tub of water with oils. Pat yourself dry and moisturize your entire body with a heavy-duty product designed for dry skin. While you’re at it, treat your hair to a re-vitalizing pack and burn some lovely candles.

Don’t forget to tend your feet and hands; utilize all the uninterrupted time in the bathroom to give yourself a once-a-week spa treatment.

On the subject of moisturizers, I have discovered you cannot go past coconut oil. If you haven’t discovered it yet, start to explore its benefits. You can use coconut oil as a moisturizer for your face and body; it’s wonderful as a hair treatment; it will whiten your teeth; it contains natural antibiotic properties; and you can cook with it too! With no cholesterol, it is one of nature’s star products. You can source it at your local health food store. It works best after a good scrub.

Tip: My skin is super, super dry. I smother myself in oil so water doesn’t touch me or I exfoliate with a gentle scrub; I pat myself dry; I use copious amounts of the strongest moisturizer I can find and wait up to 15 minutes before donning clothes!

What is your skincare regime like? How well do you look after your skin? Do you have a pamper day/night? What is the best moisturizer you have found? Sharing of great products would be welcome in the comments!