The Best Skin Care Routine for Mature Skin, According to Dermatologists

We all know that skin changes as you age—it’s a constant for everyone. But just because it’s supposed to happen, that doesn’t make it any easier to accept. Watching skin crease, lose firmness, and take on a crepey texture over time can be jarring, despite the knowledge that it’s the natural order of things. You can’t stop it, but you can help slow it down and ensure that your skin looks and feels healthy with each passing year. The best skin care routine for mature skin provides everything your complexion needs to age well. That means swapping to gentler formulas, skin-plumping creams, and collagen-boosting ingredients that can help enhance your natural glow and soften areas of concern. Just as your skin evolves, your routine should too.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to add 10+ steps into your regimen, though. In fact, it should allow you to create a skin care routine that checks the same basic boxes—cleanse, treat, moisturize, protect, repeat—that you would at any stage of your life, with the addition of multitasking products that also typically target concerns like fine lines, loss of elasticity, and hyperpigmentation. Retinol, vitamin C, and peptides can all create noticeable improvements to issues like uneven tone, rough texture, fine lines, and sagging. Below we asked top dermatologists for what they recommend on the daily to keep mature skin looking and feeling its best. Read on for a no-nonsense morning and evening routine stocked with the most effective antiaging ingredients, featuring soothing textures, and most importantly, requiring minimal steps to get there.

What do dermatologists recommend for mature skin?

Everyone’s skin ages differently, but there a few constants we all can expect somewhere during the journey. “As we age, collagen and elastin production decline, skin-cell turnover slows, and the skin may become drier and less firm,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. While this happens at different times and with different intensities for everyone, depending on everything from genetics to where you live to how good you were about applying SPF, Dr. Garshick says that aging skin can benefit from “ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C, peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid to help improve the appearance of fine lines, support collagen production, and maintain hydration.” The goal is to address visible signs of aging while also helping to support the skin barrier, which is getting weaker and affecting many of your skin’s core functions. Before you panic: No, that doesn’t mean you now have to add 15 more products to your daily routine. Simply looking for some key ingredients in a few staple products can help you get your glow on without sacrificing your time or wallet. Read on for the exact steps to follow.

The best morning routine for mature skin

Think of your morning skin care routine as your skin’s best defense against your environment and the busy day ahead. “The morning routine focuses on protecting the skin from UV exposure, pollution, and oxidative stress.” Paula Brezavseck, PA-C, board-certified physician associate and founder of Azala Skin Clinic, tells Glamour. Here’s what it should include: