In her final decade instalment, biochemist and skincare expert Nausheen Qureshi shares her tips for achieving youthful-looking skin in your 60s and beyond….
In the last part of her skincare series, biochemist and founder of Elethea Luxury Beauty Nausheen Qureshi notes that your skin may undergo a noticeable change. “Top skincare concerns during these decades include sagging, coarser skin with increased discolouration, lines and a lack of moisture,” Nausheen reveals.
She adds, “Skincare issues and routines don’t drastically change from your 60s through to later decades, so my advice is grouped for these years.
“Some of the tips may seem untraditional, but they do work to attain naturally radiant and healthy skin.”
Succeeding her useful guides on skincare in your 20s , your 30s , your 40s and your 50s , here are Nausheen’s top recommendations for radiant skin in your 60s and beyond…
Interfere Less Frequently With Your Skin Barrier
Once again, plenty of moisture is key to the health of your skin. Your skin’s primary function is as a barrier to pathogens and contains millions of microbe colonies on its surface that have recently been proven to help immune function. To reduce moisture loss and protect the integrity of your skin barrier, cleanse only once a day (preferably at night) with lukewarm water. Your skin’s surface is also made up of fatty acids that protect the skin’s integrity and elasticity and many cleansers rob the skin of this essential skin component. Don’t forget to pat your face dry with a towel, rather than aggressively pulling and swiping, as that could lead to damage.
I also recommend moisturising more than just twice a day using an oil-rich cream - this does not mean the cream is heavy, but the percentage of oils in the cream should be high to reinstate the moisture to your skin to keep its elasticity and suppleness. Invest in a high quality cream that will keep your skin moisturised for long periods: I recommend Elethea Intense Hydrating Cream , £150. Remember, you can always top up your moisturiser with facial oils, heavier pure organic oils like coconut oil (try Neal’s Yard Coconut Oil , £9) or emollients (such as Avene Trixéra+ Selectiose Emollient Cream , £12).
If you live in a dry climate, it may even be worth investing in a humidifier for your home. I recommend Airpur ST 707 Humidifier , £109.
There Are Ways To Tighten And Firm
Sagging skin with a coarser texture are hard to remedy or totally eliminate without resorting to cosmetic surgery. But there are less dramatic methods you can do to gain firmer and tighter skin. Use skincare serums with lots of peptides to signal collagen building and form hydrophilic film barriers on the face that temporarily tighten the skin using an ingredient called carbomer. Elethea Youth Capture Serum , £210, contains both these ingredients, as well as skin brightening ingredients like liquorice root extract. For more dramatic tightening results, a course of Ultherapy laser sessions can be arranged with a professional skin care expert or dermatologist. Be sure to complement these sessions with your moisturisers, serums, facial oils and retinoids (4 days per week maximum because retinoids are very drying to the skin) for best results.
Brighten Up The Discolouration
Dark spots seem to only become more plentiful and obvious with age, as well as uneven tone. Ingredients that combat this and help to suppress the overproduction of melanin that causes these changes in tone are ones such as kojic acid, azelaic acid, liquorice root extract, turmeric extract, and Vitamic C or ascorbic acid (although this one is slightly drying). For this, I recommend Bakel Brightening Serum , £90.
Regularly Exfoliate To Make Your Products More Effective
Regular glycolic acid or lactic acid peels will not only help to brighten your skin, but will also help the efficacy of your products by allowing them to absorb better into the skin. Superficial and light chemical peels must be administered by a properly trained skincare professional - do not risk burning your face as these are very acidic! At home treatments won’t be as effective because the pH will not be low enough since the concentration of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) contained is low, and the treatment therefore, will not be as good at producing the results that you are looking for.