Aging can be hard to process. Before I talk about recommendations for a good skin care routine after 50, here’s a quick story.

The day I turned 30, I was a wreck. Most of us women are – after years of reveling in our carefree youth, the idea that our 20s are over can be quite a lot to process. That evening, I found myself in sweatpants on the couch, watching old movies with my best friend (still a few months away from the big 3-0 herself).

“Cheer up. At least you’re not 50,” said my girlfriend.

How wrong she was! In my experience, a woman’s 50s are some of the best years of her life. She’s more confident. Her relationships are stronger. If she’s lucky, she may even have a few grandkids to spoil. In fact, as I now round the corner from my 50s into my 60s, I just can’t imagine being afraid or unhappy with my advancing age. Things just keep getting better!

Of course, to keep feeling great, I take extra care to make sure my skin is looking great.

The musts of a good skin care routine after 50

Moisture is key

During your fifties, your skin begins to lose its tone. This can result in sagging skin, which makes a woman look older (or at the very least, perpetually grumpy). To combat these effects, I have three words for you: moisture, moisture, moisture. With healthy, hydrated skin, a woman can help to minimize any sagging around her face and neck.

One way to keep the skin moisturized is with regular face creams. Everything, from your nightly cleanser to your sunblock for the beach, should have moisturizers in it. Your skin care routine after 50 should include products rich in peptides, retinoids, and/or amino acids. These compounds can help smooth the skin while it hydrates. It’s a simple change, but it makes a big difference!

Up the antioxidants

You probably know that your skin care at age 50 and over should no longer be just about your face. Beauty creams and serums are a popular choice among women looking to beautify the skin around their necks, too. If you want to take extra care of this area, you’ll want to reach for a firming cream that’s rich in antioxidants.

According to dermatologists, antioxidants are key players in the effort to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and discolored skin. Antioxidants are reducing agents, so they will help to slow down the skin’s aging process and make you look wonderful. Use a neck firming cream each night, or find a facial cream that you can use from the shoulders on up.

Don’t forget your lips

Lips are the unsung heroes of a woman’s face. They brave the elements when we’re outdoors. They suffer under slabs of lipstick when we’re out with friends. And of course, they also suffer constant use, as we put them to work eating, talking, kissing, and generally enjoying our lives. This is why our lips need special consideration in our skin care choices as we get older.

You see, if you aren’t careful, those lips can turn on you, looking wrinkled and weathered in a way that could age even the most youthful-looking woman. To avoid these wrinkles (and to help your lips maintain their natural shape), start making regular use of any lip-specific product that targets the area around your mouth and boosts collagen production.

Always use eye cream

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. But by the time we reach our 50s, our eyes may not be set in the finest window dressing. Dark circles, wrinkles, and fine lines are just a few of the problems a woman can encounter around her eyes, and these problems can cause some older women’s self-esteem to plummet.

Thankfully, there are many eye creams available to eliminate these issues. Nightly eye cream is something every woman should adopt in their fifties and continue to use well into their later years. Not only do these products boost collagen production around the eyes, putting them on can be very soothing – a perfect addition to any bedtime routine.

These are not major changes to your skin care routine after 50, and yet they can make a world of difference. Give them a try; I promise you’ll look and feel your very best. When you feel your best, you’ll have the confidence to live to the fullest – and if you ask me, that’s the only way to live it!

Gwen Lewis is a writer and content manager who lives in California. She has been in the fashion and health industry for years and loves writing on the topic to give tips from experience. In her free time, she loves to stay active and has just taken on learning how to surf.

Photo Credit: karolinamis Flickr via Compfight cc