Duller skin, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores, more pronounced wrinkles and sagging skin around the neck. So this is 40.

Your 40’s are the years of perimenopause- the period of time leading up to menopause marked by a decline in estrogen levels. This hormonal shift can often lead to thinner skin and the loss of elasticity, which are big contributors to the more noticeable signs of aging that you will most likely begin to see in your 40’s. A proactive approach to caring for your skin throughput this decade can help to protect your skin from further damage and offset the effects of your body’s changing hormones. Here is everything you need to know about caring for your skin in your 40’s:

Protect Your Skin From the Sun
We cannot stress this one enough! Unprotected exposure to the sun is one of the biggest contributors to skin damage and premature aging. Time and again research has shown that the suns ultraviolet rays drastically accelerate the skins aging process. If you haven’t been religious about wearing SPF daily, now is the time to start. Look for a natural, lightweight formula containing zinc oxide and wear it every single day- rain or shine! In addition, consider wearing a hat and/or sunglasses to help further protect your skin from the sun.

Swap Your Face Cream for a Facial Oil
When you get into your 40’s, the natural oil content of your skin starts to diminish, which leads to dry sin that is more difficult to hydrate. The solution? Replacing your skin’s diminished oil with a natural oil. Facial oils hydrate skin better than most creams do. This is because most face creams are composed mainly of wax with a few oils added. While waxes are beneficial in helping to hold moisture in, they can simultaneously prevent the oils from actually penetrating the skin. In your 40’s facial oil can work wonders in restoring your skins lipid barrier and protecting your skin against oxidative damage, both of which help skin maintain its youthful glow. When picking a facial oil, opt for one comprised of naturally extracted oils that are known for their anti-aging and skin-regenerating properties. Some examples of these include argan oil, carrot seed oil and helichrysum oil.

Cleanse Religiously
If forgetting or simply being lazy about cleansing your face has been one of your downfalls, in your 40’s you’ll most likely find that you can’t get away with this bad habit anymore. Although it may not seem like a big deal, sleeping with makeup on can lead to low level chronic inflammation and irritation. This causes damage to your skin by diminishing its elasticity and firmness. In addition to removing makeup, cleansing helps to wash away any debris, dirt and environmental pollutants that your skin came in contact with throughout the day. Get into the habit of cleansing your face before bed so that your skin can breathe and repair itself overnight. This tip is important at any age, but it’s an extra important part of an anti-aging skincare routine once you hit 40.

Hydrate from the Inside-Out
In addition to hydrating your skin topically with a facial oil, it’s important to hydrate from the inside-out. Your skin is a reflection of your internal environment and if your body is chronically dehydrated then your skin will surely show it. Adequate hydration will also help to flush toxins from your system and promote efficient perspiration, both of which contribute to glowing, supple, healthy skin. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of purified water throughout the day, adding a squeeze of lemon to make the water more absorbable. In addition, avoid consuming dehydrating liquids including sugary sodas, alcoholic beverages and caffeinated-drinks.

Bathe Your Skin in Antioxidants
Antioxidants help protect your skin from oxidative damage caused by things like environmental pollutants, sun exposure and stress. Since your skin becomes more susceptible to this type of damage in your 40’s, now is the time to start boosting your antioxidant intake- both internally and externally. Internally, antioxidants can be ingested in the form of a healthy diet (think organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and superfoods) and externally they can be applied topically in the form of anxtioxidant-rich skincare products (think serums and facial oils). Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to work wonders topically.

Get Your Beauty Sleep
Deep sleep stimulates collagen production and helps skin cells repair and regenerate themselves. In addition, when you are sleep deprived your body produces more cortisol (the stress hormone), which may lead to an increase of inflammation in your body. Increased inflammation results in more acne breakouts, greater skin sensitivity and an increase in skin rashes. Inflammation can also contribute to the breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid, 2 essential beauty minerals that give skin its firmness and rosy glow. Sleep deprivation can also result in an improper balance of water in the body. This imbalance is a big contributor to puffy eyes, dark circles under eyes and more visible wrinkles.  Its called "beauty sleep" for a reason: sleep is an indispensible weapon in combatting the signs of aging!

Spot treat pimples
Due to hormone fluctuations caused by diminishing estrogen in your 40’s, acne is a common issue, especially around the mouth and jaw line. Since hydration is also an issue at this point in your life, we don’t recommend using any mainstream acne products to treat or prevent breakouts. Instead, use a natural and gentle spot treatment on your problem areas, which won't dry out your skin and is much more effective in terms of anti-aging skincare. If you have any acne scarring, you can also spot treat that with a natural scar cream (ours has been shown to be highly effective at treating acne scars as well as other types of scars).

Not 40?  Check our skincare tips for Radiant Skin in Your 20's , 30's and 50's.