Dermatologist Explains: Skincare in Your 40s -- Needing More, Tolerating Less
Note: Everyone ages at a difference pace. The changes described here are generalizations about what commonly happens in this decade, but for some these shifts begin earlier, and for others they happen later. Use this as a guide to anticipate changes, not as a strict timeline.
Your 40s are your last hurrah before menopause—enjoy it, but also use this decade wisely. Estrogen is still on your side, but cell turnover continues to slow, fine lines deepen and gravity starts to leave its mark. Skin becomes drier, dulls faster and products you once tolerated with ease may now start to sting or irritate.
This is the decade when your skin needs more, but tolerates less. Success comes from staying consistent with proven products while adjusting to gentler, more barrier-supportive formulas as needed. It’s also your last big push to build collagen and hair density before menopause.
What’s Happening in Your Skin in Your 40s and What to Do About It
More Dryness + More Sensitivity = More Selective:
Skin in your 40s is drier and more easily irritated. Ingredients that never bothered you before -- like fragrance, essential oils, L-ascorbic acid, or tretinoin -- may now be intolerable. And as sebum production slows, your skin needs richer moisturizers to look and feel plump.
What to do:
1. Avoid products that are more likely to irritate, including:
- Fragrance
- Essential oils
-
High-percentage actives
2. Downgrade the strength of your turnover products to keep skin renewing without irritation:
- Move from tretinoin to retinol
-
Move from retinol to bakuchiol or gentle glycolic acid
3. Improve your moisturizer: switch from occlusives like dimethicone, petrolatum and mineral oil (which coat but don’t truly hydrate) to creams rich in squalane, shea butter, and plant oils, which penetrate and replace missing natural sebum. This makes your skin more resilient and better able to tolerate actives. My Doctor Rogers Face Cream was named the Best Anti Aging Night Cream by Who What Wear in 2025 and is a great one to try in your 40s!
4. Don’t be afraid to slug! When extra dry, add a layer of Vaseline -- or, even better, my --Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm -- especially around the eyes.
Cell Turnover Slows and Dullness Appears Faster:
By your 40s, cell turnover stretches from ~20 days in your 20s to 45+ days. This prolonged renewal allows dead skin to linger, leaving skin looking drier and duller both on and off the face.
What to do: Use a nightly turnover treatment on your face and body. Choose gentler options and always pair with a supportive moisturizer to prevent irritation. Aging skin needs “quality food” (replenishing ingredients) to tolerate active products long term.
Collagen Declines Faster and Wrinkles Deepen:
Collagen loss accelerates, leading to thinner, less elastic skin. Wrinkles around the eyes, mouth and forehead deepen.
What to do:
1. Stay consistent with your retinoid (or bakuchiol), Vitamin C, and daily zinc sunscreen (my personal favorites are Dermaquest, The Outset, Pavise and Kinship) to protect collagen.
2. Add at-home red light therapy to fight inflammation and stimulate collagen (my personal favorites are Omnilux and Celluma).
3. Consider ablative resurfacing like Ultraclear or CO₂ laser -- your 40s are the best decade for these treatments, since skin still responds robustly before menopause slows healing.
4. Eat healthy, exercise, drink less alcohol and sleep more. Being healthy is an important part of having healthy skin.
Sun Damage Surfaces and Precancers and Skin Cancer Appear:
Years of UV exposure show up as sunspots, uneven tone and precancerous lesions.
What to do:
1. Daily zinc sunscreen is non-negotiable.
2. See your dermatologist every year for a professional skin exam.
Volume Loss & Early Sagging is Subtle but Noticeable:
Gravity begins to show in your 40s: early jowls, less definition and slight hollowing.
What to do (if interested): Treatments like Sculptra and EMFace stimulate collagen and restore natural volume. Pair them with at-home red light therapy for ongoing support.
Body Parts Age Depending on How You Care for Them:
Treat Face, Neck, Chest, and Hands the Same! By your 40s, the difference between the skin on your face, neck, chest and hands becomes more obvious. The face often gets the best care, while the neck, chest and hands are exposed to the same sun, pollution, and gravity but with less oil production and thinner skin. This mismatch can make your neck, chest, or hands look significantly older than your face.
What to do:
1. Extend your skincare down and out. Apply Vitamin C, moisturizer, sunscreen, and turnover treatments to your neck, chest, and hands every day.
2. Use the same rich moisturizer. Don’t save your best cream just for your face—apply it equally to your neck, chest, and hands to maintain hydration and texture.
3. Be religious with sunscreen. Your chest and hands get as much -- or more -- sun than your face, and UV damage shows up faster in thinner skin. Check out this article in Harper's Bazaar where I discuss the best sunscreens for sensitive skin.
4. Consider professional treatments. Lasers and IPL can correct pigmentation, redness, and collagen loss evenly across all visible areas.
Hair Density Declines for Thinner Hair by Menopause:
As estrogen declines, hair density naturally drops.
What to do: Start supplements like Viviscal Pro or Xtresse both only available at physicians' offices (you can call Modern Dermatology in Seattle to order if you would like) to build and maintain thickness into menopause even if hair loss has not been an issue for yoiu
What You Should Be Doing Every Day
Morning (AM): Treat face, neck, chest, and hands the same
- Optional Cleanser (only if oily; over-washing can dry your skin)
- Vitamin C Serum with Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (better tolerated than L-ascorbic acid with excellent penetration)
- Rich Moisturizer (squalane, shea butter, plant oils, glycerin)
-
Zinc Sunscreen
Evening (PM): Treat face, neck, chest, and hands the same
- Cleanser
- Night Turnover Treatment (tretinoin -- retinol -- bakuchiol, as tolerated)
- Rich Moisturizer (face, eyes, neck, chest, hands)
- Slugging with Healing Balm (as needed, especially around the eyes or in winter)
Takeaway: The 40s, Take Advantage of that Estrogen if You Still Have It!
Consistency matters more than ever—but tolerability matters just as much. Stick with gentler products that hydrate and protect, while still stimulating collagen. This is also the decade to make the most of collagen-boosting treatments—lasers, Sculptra, red light—and to invest in hair health. Don’t neglect your neck, chest, and hands. Do it now, while your skin is still responsive with estrogen on board, and you’ll head into menopause on the strongest footing.
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