Enjoy Younger Looking Skin with Retinol & These 6 Pro-Aging Tips

Pro-Aging Tips

Retinol For Women Over 40

The fountain of youth may be a mythical spring, but that hasn’t stopped any woman throughout history from pursuing eternal youth. Think Helen of Troy or Cleopatra for starters. Today, through science and innovation, we’ve become much more knowledgeable about aging and have learned that aging gracefully doesn’t just rely on a secret potion. Rather, it takes a dedicated, daily routine to help restore, protect and regenerate your skin cells to help keep your complexion looking bright, smooth, and firm. Joining you on your quest of turning back time, we’ve put together this guide on using retinol to achieve younger-looking skin, anti-aging tips for women over 40.

How To Use Retinol

We always recommend talking to a healthcare provider or dermatologist about the proper method as well as percentage of retinol to use before beginning any new skincare regimen. That said, in general, here are the steps to take when using retinol.

Cleanse

Before applying a retinol-based skin product, clean your skin with a gentle cleanser, then pat dry. Be sure to avoid scrubbing your skin before or while using retinol products.

Apply

Apply a thin layer of retinol to your entire face, being extra careful to not get it in your eyes, mouth, or nose. For the first couple of weeks, apply every other day, using approximately a pea-sized amount of product each time.

Finish

Finish with a noncomedogenic (non-clogging) facial moisturizer.

For sensitive skin types, we recommend you start slow when trying retinol for the first time, keeping an eye out for any potential side effects.

Benefits of Retinol

Anti-Aging

Retinol is a skin care ingredient with many benefits. Board Certified dermatologists swear by products containing retinol for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, while also noting its remarkable ability to stimulate collagen production. Making retinol a part of your skin care routine helps to slow down the breakdown of collagen, therefore preventing sagging skin while increasing the thickness and elasticity of your skin barrier. Retinol can also increase your skin’s production of natural chemicals like hyaluronic acid, which is great for keeping your skin plump and youthful.

Even Skin Tone & Texture

Retinol products are also great for improving your skin tone, as well as your skin texture. Retinol can help to reduce the overproduction of melanin, which can help minimize dark spots and uneven skin tone. If these are a concern for you, consider adding an over-the-counter retinol product to your skincare routine.

Acne Control

Retinol can also be a great option for acne-prone skin. Retinol works well as an exfoliant to unclog pores, reduce breakouts, and help prevent future breakouts.

Best Retinol For Women Over 40

Colleen Rothschild Retinol Supreme Night Oil

The Retinol Supreme Night Oil is a Team Busbee favorite! It is a combination of retinol and Colleen’s best-selling Face Oil No. 9, which effectively offsets the dryness often caused by retinol. If you live somewhere where your skin tends to dry out, you’ll LOVE this oil. It really is amazing… The smell, the texture, the feel… everything. It absorbs quickly and won’t leave you feeling greasy!

Colleen Rothschild Retinol Supreme Eye Serum

If your problem area on your face is your crow’s feet (the area around the eyes), you’re not alone! Team Busbee swears by Colleen Rothschild’s Retinol Supreme Eye Serum for those fine lines. Use it in the AM and PM, after cleansing. Gently pat it around your eyes using your ring finger, then follow up with a good moisturizer.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Renewal Serum

This serum has retinol, bakuchiol (a retinol-like ingredient), and rambutan that all work together to help smooth fine lines and support collagen production for younger-looking skin!

More Retinol To Consider:

Maelove Moonlight Advanced Retinal Night Serum

La Roche-Posay Redermic R Anti-Aging Retinol Serum

No7 Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate

First Aid Beauty 0.3% Retinol Complex Serum with Peptides

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

MDSolarSciences Evening Retinol Serum

Summer Fridays Midnight Ritual Retinol Renewal Serum

 Sunday Riley’s LUNA Night Oil

Want to do a complete refresh of your beauty routine using clean beauty products? Find clean body, face, hand, hair, makeup and fragrance products here.

What are some of your tried-and-true pro-aging secrets? Please share in the comments below. Sign up for the newsletter to take advantage of some amazing resources here. Thanks for reading!

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#1 | Retinol is Worth the Hype

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that our bodies naturally produce less collagen every year as we get older. Retinol, a naturally occurring vitamin A in the skin, helps to fight off this process. Originally prescribed as an acne treatment, doctors soon discovered that retinol encourages collagen production and cell renewal. It’s no wonder it’s become the gold standard for skincare routines across the globe! Since it can cause mild irritation if over-used, dermatologists suggest applying it two to three times per week, when starting. This helps the skin through an adjustment period where the body will develop a tolerance over the course of one to two months. Here are some recommendations that, in my experience, actually work.

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#2 | Switch to a Gentle Face Wash

When you cleanse your skin, use a mild and gentle formula. As we age, skin tends to be drier and more sensitive. (Hello, fine lines!) So even if you’re prone to adult acne, you still want to use a gentler face wash. Ideally, your mild face wash should include ingredients that deliver hydration while also fighting against damage from free radicals. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should use a light hand while cleansing, using gentle, circular motions. Aggressive scrubbing could irritate already sensitive skin and actually accelerate aging. These are some of our favorite cleansers.

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#3 | SPF is Your Skincare Holy Grail

Regular use of sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is a must for preventing signs of aging and protecting your skin against cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using sunscreen every day, year-round, even on cloudy days. Dermatologists say that sun exposure depletes collagen. It also dilates blood vessels to give skin a red tone, a common sign of aging. The sun causes brown pigment in the skin to be more pronounced, which causes sunspots or blotchiness. Finally, UVA rays also create something called elastotic material, which causes a cobblestone appearance in the skin.

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#4 | Use Hydrating Moisturizers

Wrinkles develop when the foundation of the skin becomes weaker, which happens with age and environmental exposures like UV light. These stressors damage collagen and elastic fibers in the deeper layers of the skin, leading to fine lines. So, do moisturizers alone really prevent wrinkles? In short: no. In order to prevent wrinkles, a moisturizer needs active levels of proven pro-aging ingredients like retinol, firming peptides, AHA or vitamin C. Still, dermatologists agree that keeping skin hydrated helps skin appear smoother and plumper.

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#5 | Discover At-Home Skincare Devices

It’s sometimes hard to rely solely on pro-aging creams and serums because the results are either very slow or minimally noticeable. But investing in an at-home device can make all the difference. Pro-aging machines such as microdermabrasion, LED red light therapy or microcurrent devices are the perfect tech upgrades to complement your routine. Instead of spending a fortune at the dermatologist’s office or at day spas, invest in these advanced technologies to help enhance items 1 through 4.

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#6 | Watch What You Eat

Much of what happens on the outside of your body is the result of what you put in your body. It’s important to eat foods that nourish the skin. Try to avoid anything that dehydrates, like alcohol. Foods high in sugar and white carbohydrates can actually age your skin faster by breaking down glucose. Instead, go for more protein in your diet to help build collagen. Foods high in vitamin C also help keep skin looking youthful. Supplements should become a part of your daily diet. I get my Omega-3s through flaxseed oil capsules. I’ve also fallen into the popular collagen supplement trend, but you know what? It really works! I see a difference not only in my skin, but my hair! As with any supplement, however, check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

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