Elderly Skin Care: What You Need to Know
Elderly skincare should not be intimidating, but enriching. It is not as foreign as one may think. If you begin taking care of your skin early on, it can remain healthy throughout your life, but this doesn’t imply inescapable doom if you haven’t started as early as you may have wanted to. Whenever you choose to begin, there are certain things you need to consider. Anakarina Arguello, a medical esthetician and founder of the skincare line AnaK Beauty, has offered details on the must-know tips of elderly skincare.
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What is most important to keep in mind is the necessity of both exfoliation and hydration for skincare, no matter your age. Now, you may be wondering if exfoliation is a good idea with sensitive elderly skin. The answer is yes, exfoliation is great for your skin at any age as long as it is done responsibly. Arguello recommends daily mild exfoliation to slough off the dead surface cells, and therefore send a signal to the base cell to produce more healthy cells. The result? Noticeably more vital and rejuvenated skin.
These new cells also play a crucial role in the maintenance of healthy skin. As skin ages, it is easy to get caught up in moisturizing, as if it is the only step necessary or safe for fragile skin.
“The problem with this misconception is that if one does not properly cleanse the skin, it doesn’t matter how much moisturizer one applies or the cost of the product; it cannot penetrate through dead layers of skin, so the product will just sit topically,” said Arguello.
The new cells created during the exfoliation process help keep the skin healthy by allowing the moisturizer to fully absorb into the skin. Therefore, exfoliation and moisturizing work hand in hand, and their benefits complement each other, making them both key processes of high importance when dealing with mature skin.
Keeping this in mind, it is important to take care when choosing products for aging skin. Arguello recommends incorporating a daily routine for your skin, no matter the age. Her ideal morning regimen consists of cleansing, light exfoliation, toner, serums, moisturizer, SPF, and eye cream (in that order). In the evenings, she suggests cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and eye cream. The only difference one might encounter between young skincare routines and those for aging skin is perhaps the number of serums used to best serve your skin’s needs.
Still, this process may seem daunting and intense for those just beginning their skincare journey. All these steps, while important, take a good amount of time to complete. That being said, there are steps you can prioritize to begin on the path to healthier skin while aging. Anakarina recommends starting with cleanser, exfoliation, toner, and moisturizer. These products will vary as everyone’s skin is different, and this fact holds true even as skin ages. Because of this, certain products will be better suited for your skin’s individual needs. Seeking out products designed for your skin type will make the time you spend pampering your skin worthwhile. Some skin is oily, others dry, and others sensitive or combination. Finding the best products to fit your needs is imperative when it comes to successful skincare.
While going the extra mile will certainly pay off in the end with your skin, anything beyond these essentials can understandably feel increasingly overwhelming. If this is the case, Arguello suggests incorporating the basics into your daily routine. Every ounce you put into skincare will reap its rewards. Every effort has its merits, and when it comes to battling the ever-unnerving battle that is age, any weapon for combat is appreciated.
After the age of thirty, certain ailments need to be taken into consideration. As your skin ages, you will want to combat certain properties that come with the territory.
“The basics increase as we age. At age 30 one should start using a Retinol (Retina) serum to help prevent and repair fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation,” said Arguello. “With that said, one’s second serum (for anti-aging) should be Hyaluronic serum. This amazing ingredient holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, truly quenching and plumping the skin.”
These two serums are a perfect baseline to take care of aging skin, targeting the entropy that most dread with age. With serums, these do not have to be the end-all. Toning and boosting your skin will help keep it both looking and feeling young and healthy.
The best news is that you do not need to look far to find the ideal products for healthy elderly skincare. AnaK has a collection specifically designed for more mature skin.
“[The products in this collection] are the ideal products to help anyone with anti-aging concerns, whether it be to prevent or to repair,” said Arguello.
Whatever stage you are at in your journey to healthier skin, AnaK has a product for you. Aging skin is not a reason to shy away from skincare or something to be tiptoed around. Facing it head-on and caring for all the different needs of your skin will keep it healthy and youthful.
Written by Sharayah Hooper