My Essential Skincare over 50; What’s Working for me!

Simple, Effective Skincare Routine at 56

I would never want to know the total amount of money I’ve spent on skincare over my lifetime. When I was younger I was definitely a sucker for a good marketing campaign. I’d race with credit card outstretched ,mowing down anyone in my path, for the promise of smooth, dewy, plump skin! With age comes wisdom (and a healthy bit of skepticism). So, while I’ve been at this for many years, my skincare over 50 (56), has become targeted, streamlined and simplified.

This blog uses affiliate links to link to the products I use and love, which means that if you purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission, so thank you!

Over the years I’ve come to look to the French and the Swiss when it comes to skincare, because the proof has been there for generations right on their beautiful complexions. I’ve learned a lot about key ingredients and efficacy and I’ve gotten my AM skincare routine down to a handful of tried and true products.

What Your Skin Actually Needs After 50

The shift that changed everything wasn’t finding better products — it was understanding one principle:

Barrier repair before everything else.

When estrogen declines, your skin’s protective barrier becomes compromised. And when that barrier is struggling, it doesn’t matter how expensive or well-formulated your products are — your skin simply can’t absorb them properly.

You’re essentially trying to moisturize a closed door.

Once I understood that, the entire approach to my skincare over 50 changed. Everything I use now is chosen with one question in mind: does this support and protect my skin’s barrier, or does it work against it?

This is why my routine got dramatically simpler — and dramatically more effective. Fewer products. Gentler formulas. Specific ingredients that actually address what mature skin needs now rather than what it needed fifteen years ago.

What follows is exactly that — the routine that stayed after everything else got edited out.

These products and the order in which they are used leave my skin feeling and looking it’s best daily. it only takes a few minutes and it gives instant gratification as well as even more improvement over time. I do get compliments on my skin, (which I think is one of the absolute nicest compliments you can give to a mature woman!) so I thought I’d share my products and my entire AM skincare over 50 routine with you here.

**(If you’re looking for only products that you can find in your local drugstore I’ve got you covered on that too: Best Drugstore Products for Mature Skin.)

For reference my skin is dry and my other main concerns are fine lines and redness.

My AM Skincare Over 50

1. Cleanse

Bioderma Micellar Water. Don’t use any other brand because they’re not the same. This will gently remove every trace of dirt (and makeup in the PM) and leave your skin soft and hydrated, without stripping your skin’s natural barrier. It is SO important to be gentle with our mature skin to maintain as much moisture as we can. I just shake about 1/2 teaspoon of this product into my hand in the AM and spread over my face and neck. No need to blot. If removing a full face of makeup in the PM, I use these cloths as well.

2. Tone

This one is important. A good toner (in spite of so many here in the US) is gentle, alcohol free and will remove every trace of anything at all that might hinder your serum actives from being absorbed into your skin. If you have hard water (hello Colorado!) it is essential to remove that mineral film left behind from the water. You want to cleanse and tone the skin, leaving it ready to absorb your serums.

Again, I just add about 4 drops to the palm of my hand and spread over my face, neck and chest. Caudalie’ Vinoclean Moisturizing toner is my go-to. It’s a rosewater toner, that is gentle and safe for even sensitive skin and it leaves the skin feeling comfortable and hydrated.

3. Serum

I used to use several different serums every day but I’ve only seen long term results from one that needs to be used independently and that’s Vitamin C serum. The only problem with Vitamin C serums is that they are unstable and will oxidize quickly (usually well before I’m done w/ a bottle!).

I discovered this highly effective topical vitamin C powder by The Nue Co. It not only has high potent L- Ascorbic acid combined with Ferulic acid but it comes with other calming ingredients like aloe vera and colloidal oatmeal to help sooth the skin and prevent irritation. This product stimulates collagen production, evens pigmentation and acts as an antioxidant to neutralize damaging unstable molecules. The powder formula keeps the Vitamin C stable for very long shelf life, which means the cost-per-use makes it a smart buy as well.

I use it by tapping 2 shakes into my palm and then spritzing w/ Caudalie’ 100% pure grape water to activate and then spread onto my face and neck for a powerful antioxidant cocktail. This is a highly effective product and I attribute my now- even skin tone and lack of discoloration to this product. One bottle will last at least 4-6 months.

4. Moisturize

For years, I’ve used and loved this moisturizer from France called Biorecept. And I still sing it’s praises. You can only get it at one place in the US and during Covid, it became unavailable so I needed to find something else. I turned back to the french pharmacy and started using Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, Face Cream .

There’s a reason that this moisturizer has had a cult following for so many years! It instantly moisturizes the skin and leaves it dewy but never greasy. The finish on the skin is fantastic and it proves that skincare over 50 doesn’t need to be costly or complicated to be effective. But I still use Biorecept at night. I will also occasionally use this snail mucin under my moisturizer for even more moisture and plumping, but I don’t use it every day.

5. Sunscreen

For sun protection I use CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen with Sheer Tint (or Luzern if traveling somewhere hot). Nothing particular just quickly smooth it on (dont forget above your lip!). I do think that some unprotected sun exposure is important to our health and my early mornings typically include morning sun exposure with my coffee.

6. Seal and Finish

Lastly, I like to seal everything with this NUXE Huile Prodigieuse multi purpose dry oil. This stuff does it all and theres a reason you’ll find it in every french pharmacy and in most homes. It leaves my skin with a nice glow and it seals in hydration. It’s a dry oil so it doesn’t sit on the skin or feel heavy. I also use this oil after my shower and on the ends of my hair to keep fly-a-ways at bay (clearly needed in my first photo! 😂).

I use this product every day. It has a lovely, light, natural floral scent that dissipates quickly and its chock full of precious botanical oils and natural ingredients to provide long-lasting hydration to the delicate skin barrier. I consider it a staple in my skincare over 50 routine.

My AM Skincare Over 50 Products

AM Skincare Over 50 – Recap

1. Cleanse
2. Tone
3. Serums
4. Moisturize
5. Sunscreen
6. Seal & Finish

My PM Skincare Over 50

My evening routine is shorter than my morning one, but the order matters more. This is where the actual work happens, and it took me a while to land on a sequence my dry skin would tolerate.

1. Cleanse Twice

Bioderma first, same as the morning — at night it’s lifting off sunscreen and makeup, and if I’ve worn a full face I use [the cloths] with it. Then La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser to be sure my skin is completely clean from make-up and dirt. Two cleanses sounds like a lot for dry skin but neither of these will strip your skin. They are both barrier first and will leave your skin calm and clean.

2. Tone

Same Caudalie Vinoclean, same four drops, face and neck and chest to remove anything at all that might hinder the absorption of our next steps.

3. Moisturize

Moisturize — and then wait. Here’s where my routine stops looking like everyone else’s. Moisturizer goes on before the Retin-A, and then I let it dry down completely. Not almost. Completely. I use Biorecept at night — it’s from France, it’s the best thing I’ve ever put on my face, and I’ll be honest with you: it’s pricey and hard to get. One small shop in San Francisco carries it in the US and it’s out of stock often. When I can’t get it, I use the Embryolisse from my morning routine.

4. Retin-A

I’ve been on tretinoin (Retin-A) for five-plus years, currently at 0.1%, prescribed through [Curology] . It’s the gold standars for turning back the hands of time and there’s loads of research behind it— I started at .05% and slowly worked myself up. If you go through Curology they will add in a few things to help keep your skin calm and reduce any peeling while your skin adjusts. You can also get this by prescription from your dermatologist. Over time, the change is real.

What I don’t do is apply it to bare, damp skin, which is what many instructions say and what will have you red and flaking . Putting moisturizer down first slows how fast it absorbs. It’s called buffering, and it’s probably the main reason I didn’t throw in the towel on this powerful ingredient a long time ago. Moisturize and go slow. It pays off.

5. Seal

Seal with NUXE. Same hard working dry oil as the morning, over everything. I just spray into my hands and lightly press into my skin.

One thing: vitamin C is a morning product only if you are using Retinoids. I would not use vitamin C and Retin-A in the same routine.

That’s it! It only takes me a few minutes each morning and night and my skin feels calm and moisturized. Everything is gentle, moisturizing and packed with antioxidants and other ingredients to keep my skin looking it’s best as I age. Most all of these products are readily available and at good price points- they all last a very long time w/ each purchase. If you’re interested in any of the products, you can always find them all easily right here in my shop .

P.M. Skincare over 50 Recap

1. Double Cleanse
2. Tone
3. Moisturize- and wait
4. Retin-A
5. Seal

What do you think? Do you feel like I’m missing something in my skincare over 50? Have you tried any of these products before? I’d love to hear what you think or what works for you in the comments below.

While I can’t promise I won’t still occasionally succumb to the latest discovery in skincare, I can promise you that these days I approach it with a refined, bitter skepticism as I hand over my card to the young girl at the counter. 😂 Our skincare over 50 years of age is honestly a subject I love to talk about, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. I have other products that I do think are valuable to keep on hand (Egyptian Magic and Retin-A!), but in this post I’ve shared what I find is essential and what I use every single day. I hope you found it helpful!

If you’d like more, let’s chat on Facebook , Pinterest, or LTK .

Thanks so much for reading and you may like this post about How to apply make-up to mature, hooded eyes.

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