As a woman approaching her 50’s I’ve spent three decades of my career working within the cosmetics industry. During this time I’ve come to the understanding that what worked in your twenties definitely won’t cut it past 50 (or often even 40).
With all this knowledge to hand here’s my guide to how mature skin and hair can truly benefit when you choose the right formulations and regime.
Understanding the needs of mature skin & hair
First, a quick refresher:
- Skin: with age, collagen and elastin decline, barrier function weakens, sebum production drops, and skin becomes more prone to dehydration and sensitivity.
- Hair: follicles shrink, natural oils diminish, strands thin and lose strength, and scalp health becomes more crucial.
So mature beauty routines must shift from aggressive actives toward nourishment, barrier repair, antioxidant protection, and restorative support.
How to build a mature-friendly skincare routine with our top picks
Start with a creamy cleanser or balm — skip aggressive foaming cleansers or wipes and replace with something richer. Some of our picks (like Amanda Caroline’s clay-foam cleansers) blend both richness with effectiveness.
Use a serum or booster nightly — especially ones with peptides, vitamins C / E or hyaluronic acid. The BeautyLab 4D Hyaluronic Acid + B5 Serum is one of our favourite featured products. This potent serum contains four kinds of hyaluronic acid target multiple skin layers to deliver a surge of hydration, reduce water loss and provide 24-hour moisturisation. Deeply penetrating vitamin B5 stimulates cell regeneration, while L-Arginine supports the skin’s barrier function. With regular use the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is reduced, elasticity is improved from within and the complexion is left baby-soft, supple and plump.
Finally apply a rich cream or lifting formula during both the day and night — targeting firmness, barrier health and deep hydration. The Award-Winning Jane Scrivner OO Cream is one of my firm favourites. This best-selling cream features a blend of colloidal oatmeal, rosehip and argan oil which form a finest, tissue-like protective film over the surface of your skin, locking in moisture and protecting against water loss.
Skincare highlights for mature skin
- Targeted anti-ageing moisturisers — for instance, in our curated ‘Face Care’ collection you’ll find ranges like ARK Skincare’s moisturisers, specifically targeted to your age range and focussed on either diminishing the signs of ageing or helping your skin counteract signs of dullness, dryness or loss of elasticity to promote plump and healthy-looking skin.
- Richer serums and creams with barrier-repair actives —Amanda Caroline Haute Lift Duo is a magical pairing of serum and cream which combine to hydrate, brighten and nourish the skin. Using plant stem cell technology, seven active ingredients work to strengthen the epidermis to slow the ageing process, instantly plumping wrinkles and brightening the complexion and deeply hydrating the skin. These are ideal when your skin craves more lipid-rich nourishment.
- Gentle exfoliators & enzymes — our “Skin Type / Anti-Ageing / Sensitive Skin” filters show that we’re mindful of sensitive mature skin and hence we carry milder exfoliants. We cannot speak highly enough of the Jane Scrivner Skinfoliate; a skin softening, daily acid toner for flawless, healthy-looking skin. A blend of AHAs and BHAs work to slough away surface dullness and unclog pores for a brighter, smoother complexion, while improving the absorption of follow-on products (and hence their effectiveness).
The advantages? Mature skin gets what it truly needs: renovation without irritation, and nourishment without heaviness.
Hair care gems for mature strands
In our Hair Care section, A Beautiful Life offers a focused selection of shampoos, conditioners and treatments. Gentle formulas are required because mature scalps are more sensitive; harsh sulphates or alkaline formulations can exacerbate dryness and fragility. This includes deep masks & treatment oils which can help suppleness, reduce breakage, and restore smoothness. Also hydrating conditioners help compensate for the scalp’s reduced oil production.
In our featured collections we have chosen Monpure as one of our top picks. Their Follicle Boost Hair Density Serum works to stimulate the scalp, improve cell turnover and help prevent hair loss and thinning. The pioneering formula stars a special pumpkin seed extract which has been scientifically proven to prevent hair loss and thinning. The result? Healthier hair growth – and thicker, fuller hair!
Why is this smart for mature hair?
So here is a key question for you. When was the last time you exfoliated your scalp? We all think of it as the norm to exfoliate our face and bodies but our scalps tend to be the one area we neglect. With your hair covering it, it can easily build up dirt and debris, causing irritation and inhibiting hair growth. Monpure’s Clarifying Scalp Scrub sloughs away flaky dead skin and helps alleviate symptoms of dandruff and psoriasis, while rejuvenating the scalp-skin with healing shea butter and argan oil. It exfoliates away dead skin and debris that cause irritation with biodegradable jojoba beads and improves the environment for hair growth with moisturising and healing shea butter as well as nourishing argan oil extract.
Why this all matters?
In conclusion: mature skin and hair deserve respect, intelligence, and nourishment. The right formulations can make all the difference in turning ‘ageing’ into ‘graceful transformation.’ Rather than feel frustrated with the changes, why not embrace them and wear them with pride!