The Best Skin-Care Routine for Your 50s

Estrogen: It’s pretty much everything. Not only does the hormone fuel all things girl-power, it also supports healthy skin cell functioning—and can even help slow skin aging. So when estrogen levels plummet during menopause, “the skin can’t protect itself, maintain hydration, or produce strong collagen the way it once could,” explains Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist in New York City. (And you thought hot flashes were bad.) What’s more, he adds, older skin suffers from a loss of natural lipids, like ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, which contributes to inflammation, dehydration, and a wholly compromised moisture barrier. The fallout can be dramatic. “So many 50somethings come to me saying, My skin seems to have totally changed overnight,” says Joely Kaufman, a dermatologist in Coral Gables, Florida, noting that women on hormone replacement therapy or bioequivalents tend to fare better, experiencing less dryness and wrinkles. To help repair a depleted barrier—and ready the complexion for anti-agers—look for a cream rich in skin’s own lipids, like , and use it at least twice a day.