Both men and women experience similar seismic molecular shifts in their 40s, so it’s not just perimenopause—which also typically starts in your mid-40s—that may be causing noticeable complexion changes. Changes that can feel like they came on out of nowhere. (Think: more fine lines, pigmentation changes, and "expression lines.")
Skin aging “is usually not linear,” says Dr. Jacqueline G. Goldminz, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Wellesley, Massachusetts. “Often, it happens in these big, noticeable jumps.”
Dermatologists recommend you take these changes lying down—and we do mean literally. Your skin is primed to repair and rejuvenate itself when you’re flat on your bed, so a targeted nighttime regimen is essential in your 40s. It will restore lost moisture and smooth, firm, and brighten the skin while you catch your zzz’s.
Read on for your 3-step derm-approved plan for skincare at 40+. And dive deeper into what works and what doesn’t at every age in our ultimate guide to anti-aging skincare in your 30s and beyond.
Step #1: Cleanse gently, yet thoroughly
Skin starts to become naturally drier and more easily irritated in your 40s, so you want to cleanse it without stripping the natural oils. However, mild face washes sometimes don’t fully dissolve makeup and sunscreen, so start with an oil-based makeup remover or micellar water to swipe off the day’s products.
Then, wash your face with a water-based, fragrance-free gentle cleanser designed for your skin type, says Dr. Goldminz. When in doubt, choose a sensitive-skin formula to be extra kind to your delicate skin.
Step #2: Target your top concerns with powerhouse actives
When we talk about “actives” in skincare, we’re referring to ingredients that address a specific issue and perform a function on the skin.
The skin’s metabolic rate increases at night, and it goes into repair and renew mode. That’s why it's such a good time to load up on skincare with actives that target your specific concerns. Choose your treatment product based on your primary concern.
Wrinkles and fine lines
After about the mid-20s, your skin’s production of collagen and elastin (which are what keep it firm and smooth) decreases by about 1% every year. To counteract this, dermatologists recommend retinoids, which are vitamin A derivatives proven to stimulate collagen and elastin production to help smooth existing lines and prevent new ones from forming.
“Retinoids are the holy grail of nighttime skincare,” says Dr. Goldminz, who likes prescription-strength tretinoin for its particularly potent effect on treating sun damage, one of the biggest causes of premature wrinkles. “They can help with all aspects of skin aging, from fine lines and wrinkles to improving texture and evening skin tone,” she says.
Retinoids are best applied at night because they can make skin more vulnerable to the sun’s UV rays. Dr. Goldminz notes that rapamycin, a compound believed to slow cellular aging, pairs well with tretinoin. It helps the ingredient penetrate the skin better while buffering the irritation that retinoids can sometimes cause.
Cottonball VX.1 Advanced Anti-Aging & Repair Complex combines tretinoin with rapamycin, plus hydrators and anti-inflammatory skin soothers for maximum, yet gentle, wrinkle-fighting benefits.
Dry, dull skin
The amount of hyaluronic acid in our skin—a natural hydrator that holds in water and helps with skin elasticity—starts to dip in our early 20s. Half our reserves are gone by the time we reach 50.
At the same time, our skin’s natural exfoliation process slows down with age, allowing dead cells to build up on the surface of skin and dull the complexion, says Dr. Goldminz.
A serum rich in hyaluronic acid or a cream packed with ceramides (which help moisturize and support the skin barrier) will nourish skin while you sleep. If your face is feeling especially dry, use both at night, “applying the hyaluronic acid serum under the moisturizer,” says Dr. Goldminz.
And while those much-lauded retinoids like tretinoin will help speed up skin cell turnover to combat dullness and brighten skin, they can sometimes be drying. Layering a thick cream over your retinoid treatment can help keep your skin soft and plump.
Dark spots and hyperpigmentation
Sun exposure is typically the main culprit of spotty skin, particularly in deeper skin tones. “The darker your natural skin color, the more prone it is to hyperpigmentation,” says Dr. Goldminz.
Melasma, which is characterized by blotches of darker skin, is often triggered by hormonal changes like pregnancy or going on the birth control pill. But UV rays exacerbate the condition.
Hydroquinone is the gold standard treatment to fade all forms of hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone, says Dr. Goldminz. The chemical compound inhibits tyrosinase, a key enzyme in controlling skin’s production of melanin.
Dermatologists often prescribe hydroquinone in conjunction with a retinoid like tretinoin to optimize results. The retinoid helps improve the penetration of hydroquinone while also increasing skin cell turnover, so skin can shed the darker cells and replace them with fresh, even-toned ones.
A study found that participants who used a treatment of 4% hydroquinone in conjunction with 1% retinol saw significant improvement in mild to moderate melasma within 4 weeks, with up 75% improvement in melasma severity by the end of the 12-week study.
Both hydroquinone and retinoids make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so it’s best to apply them at night (then be sure to wear SPF 30 or higher every morning too). Cottonball CX.1 Advanced Dark Spot Treatment is a prescription hyperpigmentation treatment that combines hydroquinone with tretinoin for maximum fading power, plus soothing anti-inflammatory ingredients like fluocinolone and niacinamide. (Note: Neither hydroquinone nor tretinoin should be used when pregnant or breastfeeding.)
Now, if you're dealing with both wrinkles and dark spots, consider Cottonball VX.1 Anti-Aging & Prevention Complex. It can be customized for those who want to fade hyperpigmentation.
Step #3: Add moisture
Skin loses some of its moisture overnight due to transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which is when water evaporates from the skin.
Whichever active treatment you apply at night, follow with a basic rich moisturizer that contains hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and nourishing emollients such as ceramides, squalane, or shea butter. This will help seal in moisture so the actives in your treatment can work their magic, and you can wake up with soft, plump skin.
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Smoother skin starts today. See what our prescription wrinkle-fighters can do.
