As our skin ages, it loses fat, elasticity, moisture, and it becomes thinner. Depending on the sun exposure we have subjected our skin to throughout our lives, we may see more ragged dryness, age spots, even cancer. Not all hope is lost! If we develop good skincare habits as older adults, we will nurture and protect our delicate skin for years to come.
Here are some changes we suggest adding to your skincare routine:
• Protect skin from the sun with a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
• Choose fragrance-free skincare and laundry products.
• Drink more water to stay hydrated.
• Consider purchasing a humidifier to keep indoor humidity between 45% and 60%. Measure indoor humidity with a hydrometer that you can easily find at a local hardware or home improvement store.
• See a dermatologist for skin cancer exams. After age 50, the risk of developing skin cancer and pre-cancerous growth increases.
• Switch from bar soap to a creamy, fragrance-free cleanser or emollient.
• Use warm, not hot, water.
• Change to a soft cloth rather than a brush or buff puff to clean skin.
• Shorten bath or shower time to 10 minutes.
• Pat rather than rub when toweling off – even leave a bit of water on the skin.
• Apply a creamy, fragrance-free hydrolyzing moisturizer for dry skin to moist skin immediately after bathing (then reapply as needed throughout the day).