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As we age, our skin isn’t as radiant, plump or bright as it used to be. For instance, in your 50s and 60s, you might start seeing wrinkles, dark spots or sagging skin. But you can help restore your youthful glow by using moisturizers, which lock moisture in your skin, making it look and feel smoother and bouncier.
“It’s never too late to start using moisturizers,” says Adebola Dele-Michael, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Moisturizers hydrate the skin and also provide topical vitamins and antioxidants.”
If you’re over 60, here’s how moisturizers can help your skin look and feel healthy and radiant.
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What is Moisturizer?
A moisturizer’s main purpose is quite simple—to hydrate the skin. There are three main types of ingredients commonly found in moisturizer products: humectants, which draw in moisture, and emollients and occlusives, which seal it in. Each of these ingredients draws or retains moisture on your skin differently, and most moisturizers have a combination of all three.
“The best moisturizers have a blend of emollients and fatty acids that mimic the skin’s lipids, limit water loss and promote ceramide production,” says Caroline Robinson, M.D., a dermatologist and founder of Tone Dermatology in Chicago. Ceramides—a type of lipid—form your natural skin barrier.
As we get older, our skin ages because our bodies produce collagen—a type of protein that is responsible for supporting strong and smooth skin—less often, explains Dr. Robinson.
“Collagen is an important part of the deeper structure of our skin that helps provide strength while aiding in hydration, elasticity, radiance and bounce, helping to give us a more youthful appearance,” she says. “Unfortunately, for most of our adult life, our ability to produce new collagen is actually declining by about 1% per year after the age of 30.”
Additionally, certain lifestyle choices, such as overexposure to UV rays, smoking tobacco or excessive sugar intake, can negatively affect the skin, adds Dr. Dele-Michael.
Though moisturizers won’t reverse decades of skin damage, they can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and dramatically increase the moisturization of the skin, thus slowing the impact of aging. And no single product can treat all signs of aging skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, so it’s important to choose products that treat your specific skin concerns.
When to Buy Moisturizer
While anyone can benefit from a good moisturizer, seniors especially can benefit from this crucial skincare step, as moisturizers can treat a host of issues associated with aging skin.
Your skin’s health is impacted by biological factors, including your age, gender and genetics, lifestyle factors like exercise, sleep, nutrition and skincare routine, and environmental factors like pollution, climate and sun exposure. By your 50s and 60s, you might start to notice signs of aging on your skin.
Different ingredients in moisturizers target different skin concerns associated with aging, including:
- Dry skin, which can be treated with hyaluronic acid.
- Thin and crepe-like skin, which can be treated with retinoids.
- Sagging skin, which can be treated with vitamin C.
- Wrinkles and fine lines, which can be treated with retinoids and bakuchiol.
- Hyperpigmentation and skin discoloration, which can be treated with niacinamides.
- Acne-prone mature skin, which can be treated with retinoids.
- Sensitive skin, which can be treated with ceramides.
“It is imperative to make sure that the moisturizer of choice has ingredients that help hydrate, rejuvenate and repair the skin,” says Naana Boakye, M.D., a dermatologist and owner of Bergen Dermatology in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Products to Consider When Shopping for Moisturizer for Aging Skin Over 60
While it’s helpful to be interested in learning about the ingredients in your skincare products, Dr. Robinson says it’s actually very difficult for the average consumer to judge a product based on its ingredient list.
“The formulation of the moisturizer and clinical data allows us to understand how effective it is at doing this—not the ingredient list,” says Dr. Robinson.
Some of her favorite active ingredients for mature skin are glycerin and hyaluronic acid (powerful humectants that attract water to the skin), niacinamide (an active ingredient that helps improve barrier function, reduce redness, improve hyperpigmentation and clear acne), antioxidants (like vitamin C to help combat sun damage) and retinol for collagen rejuvenation, acne and textural improvement.
Here’s a list of dermatologist-recommended skincare products that address potential concerns of people with mature skin types from Dr. Robinson and Samantha Ellis, M.D., a medical and cosmetic dermatologist at PotozkinMD Skincare and Laser Center in Danville, California (Note: Dr. Robinson creates educational content for First Aid Beauty and Revision).
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Wrinkles
Roc Retinol Correxion Max Daily Hydration Anti-Aging Cream
- Key ingredients: glycerin and retinol
- Why Dr. Ellis loves it: “This is a lovely, thick, hydrating cream. Glycerin draws water to the skin’s surface to provide immediate plumping and smoothing effects, and the retinol induces cellular changes that promote new collagen formation for long term improvements in fine lines and wrinkles.”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
Revision Revox Line Relaxer
- Key ingredients: eight peptides, hyaluronic acid
- Why Dr. Robinson loves it: “It’s an advanced targeted serum that helps to improve the appearance of expression lines significantly.”
Sensitive Skin
Kinship’s Self Reflect Probiotic Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 32
- Key ingredients: zinc oxide
- Why Dr. Ellis loves it: “Those with very sensitive skin may do better with inorganic UV filter(s) in their sunscreen like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. This moisturizer is also free of denatured alcohol (a common skin irritant).”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream
- Key ingredients: niacinamide, peptides and collagen
- Why Dr. Robinson loves it: “This blend supports collagen production and protects existing collagen from deteriorating. It also increases skin hydration.”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
Dry Skin
SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream
- Key ingredients: active lipids, peptides, and shea butter
- Why Dr. Ellis loves it: “It feels so luxurious and is a wonderfully rich cream that helps mature skin lock in moisture without leaving a greasy finish or feeling heavy.”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
Uneven Skin Tone
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 and Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30
- Key ingredients: SPF
ingredients - Why Dr. Ellis loves it: “People with uneven skin tone/discoloration often benefit the most from a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen. The tint camouflages an uneven skin tone and the sunscreen protects from additional UV radiation that is likely contributing to the discoloration in the first place.”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
Dull Skin
Revision Skincare Vitamin C Lotion 30%
- Key ingredients: vitamin C, coenzyme Q10, squalane and glycerin
- Why Dr. Ellis loves it: “This lotion has a potent combination of brightening antioxidants and hydrating ingredients.”
- Buy it now: Available on Amazon
Epara Moisturising Face Cream
- Key ingredients: a blend of plankton extract (a brightener), niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate and shea butter
- Why Dr. Robinson loves it: “The face cream by Epara is a recent find of mine, and I love that the Black-owned brand has prioritized science and skincare for darker skin tones. The luxurious cream contains ingredients that address two of the most common skin concerns in darker skin types as they age: dryness and discoloration.”
As you venture to find the right moisturizer for your mature skin, remember: A higher price tag doesn’t necessarily guarantee a superior product, says Dr. Dele-Michael. “Most expensive moisturizers are marketed well and cost more as a result,” she says.
Tips on How to Apply Moisturizer
If you have mature skin, dermatologists recommend your simple morning skincare routine include the following products:
- Cleanser
- Treatment serum
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
Apart from the sunscreen, the same routine can be repeated in the evening. Your skincare routine might look different seasonally, but Dr. Robinson notes using moisturizer year-round is crucial. For instance, Dr. Robinson recommends swapping a heavier moisturizer you use during colder months for a lightweight one during warmer months.
“The tendency in the summer is to skip moisturizer; however, keeping our skin moisturized is one of the most important steps to controlling oil,” says Dr. Robinson. “Gel moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid, glycerin or other humectants are a great choice because they are able to attract water to the skin in a weightless way.”
You May Also Be Interested In Moisturizers Available On Amazon
Roc Retinol Correxion Max Daily Hydration Anti-Aging Cream
$23.81
Wrinkles
Hyaluronic Acid
Kinship’s Self Reflect Probiotic Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 32
$36.50
Sensitive Skin
Zinc Oxide
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream
$42.00
Sensitive Skin
Collagen, Peptides and Niacinamide
SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream
$85.00
Dry Skin
Active lipids, Peptides, Shea butter
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30
*Price Varies – Average is $21.79
Uneven Skin Tone
SPF
Revision Skincare Vitamin C Lotion 30%
$122.00
Dull Skin
THD Ascorbate 30%
(Note: All prices are accurate as of publication and are subject to change.)
