The Skincare Routine I’d Recommend to My 45 Year Old Self

I turned 45 last year and I did what most of us do when we reach a milestone birthday…analyze how you look. I came to the conclusion that at 45, my skin wasn’t worse…it’s just different. It holds onto dehydration more easily. It gets irritated more easily. It can look dull even when you’re doing all the right things. And the biggest mistake I see…and the biggest mistake I made too, is thinking the answer is adding more steps, more actives, more intensity.

The truth is, the best skin in your 40s isn’t usually coming from the most complicated routine. It’s coming from consistency, calming the skin down, and choosing a few steps that actually move the needle.

So this is the skincare routine I’d recommend that actually helps and is realistic. The kind of routine you can stick to when you’re busy, tired, traveling and just living.

Start with one mindset shift

Before we even get into products, here’s the thing…in your 40s, the goal is no longer to strip and correct. It’s to protect and strengthen. Your barrier matters more than ever. When your barrier is happy, everything looks better, texture looks smoother, makeup sits better, redness calms down, glow comes back.

If your skin is constantly irritated, no serum in the world is going to save it. It’ll just keep reacting.