When your skin matures, it starts needing a little different care than before.
In your sixties and beyond, your skin can become more prone to dryness, as well as thinning, and irritation.
However, there are a few easy ways to change up your normal cleansing, care, and moisturizing routines to help keep these changes from making your skin feel uncomfortable. Read on for 12 skincare “don’ts” that every woman over 60 should follow.
1. Don’t use very hot water
Even though a steaming hot shower or bath can feel luxurious, it can be wreaking havoc on your skin. Your skin produces natural oils to help keep moisture in place, but too high water temps can strips these away leaving your skin prone to dryness, flakiness, and itchiness. Aim for slightly warm to lukewarm water when showering or bathing, to cleanse your skin without washing away too many protective oils.
2. Don’t use hard or scratchy brushes and cloths
Firm prickly brushes and scratchy exfoliating pads may have worked fine on your skin in the past, but with increasing age, our skin thins and becomes more sensitive to abrasive cleansing techniques.
Opt for a clean gentle cloth to wash with, and leave those super scrubby devices alone. Cleansing in a gentle circular motion, as opposed to more of a hard scrubbing technique, is also better for your skin.
3. Don’t wait to moisturize
Even if you are monitoring your water temperature and bathing time, you will always be losing some moisture and oils from your skin when you shower or bathe. To help counter this, and replenish the moisture ASAP, apply moisturizer to your face and body as soon as you get out of the shower, some dermatologists recommend as soon as within 3 minutes of bathing.
This quick application of moisturizer when your skin is still a little damp will do wonders for preventing dry skin all day long. So, quickly throw on a towel and reach for your moisturizer first, not your skivvies.
4. Don’t use harsh or stripping soaps or cleansers
Maybe you have a favorite facial cleanser that you have been using for 30 years, but it just doesn’t seem to be working the same anymore.
That could be because your skin changes over time, and needs different things from a cleanser.
Older skin produces less and less facial oils called sebum, so stripping them all away with harsh products will leave your skin parched and itchy.
An acne-clearing cleanser may work great for oily teens and young adults battling pimples, but in older adults, this just means way too much oil stripping, causing dryness and irritation.
Avoid products that contain alcohol, salicylic acid, strong exfoliants, or benzoyl peroxide, as these can be very harsh on skin that is already prone to dryness.
Choose fragrance-free sensitive-skin cleansers and body washes that look thick and creamy, as these tend to come with extra soothing and moisturizing agents mixed in.
5. Don’t spend too much time in the bath
This tip goes along with the hot water “don’t”, and it is just as important.
It turns out that the longer your skin is exposed to warm running water, the more oils are stripped away.
Dermatologists recommend keeping your showers and baths under 10 minutes to make sure your skin is staying hydrated and healthy.
6. Don’t use products with fragrances
Teenage girls can get away with spritzing on lots of strawberry-scented this, and vanilla-scented that all day long, but once your skin grows up a little bit, it can start finding artificial scents irritating.
This is partially due to skin thinning, plus the reduction of the protective skin barriers. Stick with fragrance-free soaps, cleansers, and moisturizers to cleanse and hydrate without added irritation.Certain natural fragrances and essential oil dilutions may be ok for you, but spot test them on your inner wrist first before using to see if they cause a reaction.
7. Don’t dry off too roughly
Your skin is delicate when it is wet so gently towel dry using a dabbing motion, instead of just scrubbing away with a towel.
Drying off more gently will also help you keep a light layer of moisture still remaining on your skin to help hydrate more when applying your moisturizers and body lotions.
8. Don’t let the air in the home get too dry
Hydrated skin is all about what products you use, you can also help lock moisture into your skin by making sure the air in your home has enough humidity. If you live in a dry climate or are constantly running the air conditioner, things can get dry inside really quickly.
To help keep skin hydrated, invest in a humidifier for the bedroom that will pump some extra moisture into the air.
9. Don’t do chores without gloves on
Dry hands are already a big complaint in women over 60, so mixing in lots of dishwashing and household chores can make matters worse and cause irritation.
Pick up a cheap pair of rubber gloves to be worn while gardening, doing the dishes, or cleaning the house can help keep those cleaners and hot water off of your skin.
10. Don’t get too much sun
Even if you like the look of tanned skin, going outside without at least SPF 30 or more should be avoided.Aside from increase wrinkles and dark spots from UV rays, the risk of potentially dangerous skin cancers increases as we age. Apply SPF 30 or more every day over your usual moisturizer to keep those UV rays at bay.
11. Don’t skip regular skin checks
More skin spots, moles, and lesions tend to pop up as you get older, so keeping tabs on how all parts of your skin look is necessary to protect yourself. Do a self-skin check in the mirror every month or so, keeping a close eye on if anything is changing color, size, or shape.
Also, talk with your dermatologist about scheduling once or twice yearly professional skin checks to make sure nothing gets missed.
12. Don’t forget about hydration
Healthy and hydrated skin isn’t all about the moisturizer on top, it starts from being well hydrated from within too. Unless your doctor instructs you otherwise, aim for at least 8 X 8 oz glasses of water a day to make sure you are hydrating enough.
Conclusion
For women over 60, you may be noticing your skin changing or not reacting to products the same way it used to.
Mature skin tends to be thinner, dryer, and more prone to irritation.
However, there are a lot of simple changes you can make to your daily beauty regimen to make sure that your skin stays happy and hydrated.
Stick with gentle, moisturizing, unscented products, take shorter showers with cooler water, wear protective gloves when cleaning the house, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and get regular skin checks to have beautiful and healthy skin at any age.
