How To Take Care Of Your Skin In Your Fifties and Beyond

Dr Alek Nikolic Reveals The Best Skin Care Regime For Your Fifties and Beyond

So we have left our forties behind and we have moved on into our fifties. Children have grown up, stresses have reduced and life is settling down a bit. You may even have decided to start focusing on yourself and to start doing things for yourself.

Unfortunately ageing changes have taken place and they may be clearly visible:

1. Wrinkles around the eyes, mouth, frown and forehead
2. Loss of volume and support of the cheek fat pads, temples, eyebrows, etc.
3. Visible jowl
4. Neck laxity with Platysmal bands
5. Fine lines around the eyes and eyelid, mouth and lower cheek especially with smiling
6. Skin looks dull and sallow
7. Increased amount of pigmentation marks
8. Visible pores and rough texture
9. ‘Age spots’

This skin care regime is aimed at:

1. Those who take their skin care seriously and have been religious with facials and taking their skin therapists advice on products and ingredients
2. But it is also aimed at all of those who have never bothered to use anything but a simple moisturiser and their bar soap as a cleanser

It is never too late to start a well thought out skin care regime with active ingredients to reap the benefits and see visible changes with our skins. No matter its condition.

My main drive for all of my patients in this age group is to advise three main strategies:

1. Sun protection
2. Moisturise, Moisturise and Moisturise
3. Stimulate and renew your skin with the best active ingredients available: consider cell stimulators such as Alphahydroxy acids and Polyhydroxy acids, skin boosters such as retinol and vitamin C, and growth factors such as plant derived stem cells
4. If necessary consider:
   1. IPL or fractional laser treatments
   2. Dermapen MD
   3. Cosmetic injectable treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers

Here Is Your ideal regimen:

Step 1:

Cleanse: A.M. & P.M. Application

A number of different cleansers can be used all the way from cream to foamy but the main focus of these cleansers is that they need to hydrate the skin while they cleanse.

For our full list of our available cleansers please check here.

Dr Alek Nikolic Recommends:

Sensitive Skin: DERMAQUEST DELICATE CLEANSING CREAM

Oily and Acne Prone Skin: SKINCEUTICALS BLEMISH + AGE CLEANSING GEL or NEOSTRATA CLARIFYING FACIAL CLEANSER or DERMAQUEST DERMACLEAR BHA CLEANSER

Combination Skin: EXUVIANCE AGE REVERSE BIOACTIV WASH or EXUVIANCE CLARIFYING FACIAL CLEANSER or SKINCEUTICALS SIMPLY CLEAN or NEOSTRATA SKIN ACTIVE EXFOLIATING WASH

Dry Skin: SKINCEUTICALS GENTLE CLEANSER or EXUVIANCE PURIFYING CLEANSING GEL or EXUVIANCE GENTLE CLEANSING CRÈME

Step 2:

Sunscreen: A.M. Application

Choose a good SPF factor 30 or higher that contains zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide and apply several times daily especially with sun exposure through the day. For our full list of sunscreens please click here.

Dr Alek Nikolic Recommends:

Sensitive Skin: DERMAQUEST SHEERZINC SPF 30 NUDE or HELIOCARE 360 GEL OIL FREE

Oily and Acne Prone Skin: HELIOCARE 360 GEL OIL FREE or HELIOCARE SPF 30 SILK GEL

Combination Skin: DERMACEUTIC SUN CEUTIC 50 or HELIOCARE ADVANCED GEL SPF 50 

Dry Skin: HELIOCARE XF GEL SPF 50 or HELIOCARE 360° FLUID CREAM

Step 3:

Moisturise

A good moisturiser is a must and my recommendation is to use one for the day and one for night time application each with its own ingredients and skin benefits to reach optimal effects. As we reach our fifties (and beyond) hyaluronic acid (HA) production in our skin starts to diminish while our breakdown enzyme (hyaluronidase) activity increases which dramatically reduces the HA levels in our skins. HA is an amazing molecule that has the ability to hold large quantities of water molecules and is found in almost all living organisms.

Using AHA (Alphahydroxy Acid) and PHA (Polyhydroxy Acid) in our moisturisers help to stimulate GAG’s (glucose amino glycans) that are vital for increasing HA production. Adding HA serums that boost the available concentration in our skins will have further plumping and hydrating effects for all skin types.

For our full list of moisturisers please click here.

Dr Alek Nikolic Recommends:

A.M. Application:

Sensitive Skin: NEOSTRATA BIONIC FACE CREAM or DERMACEUTIC REGEN CEUTIC or EXUVIANCE ULTRA RESTORATIVE CRÈME or EXUVIANCE MULTI-PROTECTIVE DAY CREME SPF20

Oily and Acne Prone Skin: NEOSTRATA FACE CREAM PLUS or NEOSTRATA OIL CONTROL GEL (R450.00) or NEOSTRATA OILY SKIN SOLUTION or DERMAQUEST ESSENTIAL B5 MOISTURE MATT or SKINCEUTICALS DAILY MOISTURE

Combination Skin: DERMACEUTIC HYAL CEUTIC or DERMAQUEST ESSENTIAL SOLAR MOISTURIZER SPF30

Normal Skin: DERMAQUEST ESSENTIAL SOLAR MOISTURIZER SPF30 or OBAGI NUDERM EXFODERM 

Dry Skin: NEOSTRATA ULTRA SMOOTHING CREAM or NEOSTRATA ULTRA MOISTURIZING FACE CREAM or NEOSTRATA BIO-HYDRATING CREAM 

P.M. Application:

Sensitive Skin: NEOSTRATA ULTRA MOISTURIZING FACE CREAM or EXUVIANCE AGE REVERSE NIGHT LIFT