Amazing Skin at 40, 50, 60 and Beyond!

What’s with all the wrinkles?

I looked at my face the other day and noticed a lot more fine lines and wrinkles. What’s happening to my skin – is this a common sign of menopause?

As many of you know, I’m 57 years old and have gone through the hormonal transition of menopause. Overall, my skin has held up quite well during this period of time but I’ve noticed more fine lines and crinkles creeping up on my cheeks and forehead.

What happens to our skin as we age?

For both men and women, their genetic makeup (the genes we inherit from our parents), also known as “intrinsic aging” combined with environmental and lifestyle choices, “extrinsic aging” have a huge impact on our skin- the largest body organ!  Examples of factors contributing to extrinsic aging include ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, smoking, pollution, poor nutrition, sleep deprivation and exposure to environmental toxins.  These all increase free-radical production, which leads to duller and flakier skin.

Remember the days of slathering on baby oil, using reflectors and lying out on the beach to get the best “burn”?  Eventually for some of us, this would lead to an eventual tan but not without imposing permanent damage to our skin, leading to possible future squamous and basal cell carcinomas, as well as melanoma.   

What about during menopause?  What’s so special about this time for our skin?

LOTS!!!  With the precipitous decline in estrogen levels, we lose over 30% of our skin’s collagen and elastin – the things that help plump up our skin, and help us look more youthful and glowing.  Also, due to this estrogen drop our skin gets drier, making fine lines more prevalent and noticeable.  This can lead to more sagging skin around the cheeks, neck and jawline, as well as lines above the upper lip.

Great, right?  What can we do?

5 Simple tips to keep your skin looking AMAZING!

1. Get your ZZZ’s – sleep will help the body (and skin) replenish the nutrients it needs.  Try to get 7-9 hours/night.

2. Hydrate! – Drink at least ½ of your body weight in ounces of water/day.  That means about 70 ounces for a 140 lb. woman.  If you’re exercising, add more water to this equation. My favorite water, which hydrates 3x faster than regular water, is i-H20.

3. Use a gentle cleanser – avoid gels or scrubs that may strip away the moisture from your skin.  Choose one with a creamier texture.  Also, exfoliate to remove the superficial dead skin cells revealing more glowing skin underneath. My favorite skincare line is Just Pure Essentials since their products are organic and natural, and don't include any harmful synthetics! Use code: DRDIANA for 10% OFF!

4. Exercise – this increases the circulation to all parts of your body, including your skin!

5. Increase your intake of anti-oxidants – remember those blogs about eating the “full rainbow” of colors in your fruits and vegetables?  Well, these are chock full of free radical reducing anti-oxidants making your skin more vibrant and glowing.

Here’s to having AMAZING skin at any age!