What signs of skin aging should you watch for?
Skin aging manifests itself through several visible signs that develop gradually:
- Wrinkles and fine lines: initially superficial around the eyes and mouth, then deeper
- Loss of skinelasticity and suppleness
- Sagging of the facial contours, eyelids, and neck
- Loss of volume and density in the cheeks, temples, and cheekbones
- Less smooth texture and uneven skin tone
- Pigment spots (solar lentigines, actinic spots)
- Increased dryness and tendency toward dehydration
- Less radiant, dullercomplexion
- Slower healing
- Increased sensitivity to environmental stressors
- Decreased skin thickness (thinner, more fragile skin)
These signs vary depending on genetics, lifestyle, cumulative sun exposure, and hormonal factors. For general signs of aging, we provide tailored advice to help you.
How do you choose the right skincare for mature skin?
Several factors guide the choice of skincare products:
- Skin type (dry, combination, sensitive)
- Main concerns (wrinkles, firmness, dark spots, radiance)
- Individual tolerance to concentrated active ingredients
- Hormonal status (perimenopause, menopause)
- Season: richer formulas in winter, lighter ones in summer
- Compatibility with other products in the skincare routine
- Presence of scientifically validated active ingredients at effective concentrations
- Pleasant texture to encourage daily use
Mature skin benefits from formulas that combine antioxidants, moisturizers, and firming ingredients. Our anti-aging skincare section at the pharmacy offers products tailored to different skin types. Our pharmacists can help you identify the routine that’s right for you.
What daily routine should you adopt?
A consistent routine ensures effectiveness:
In the morning:
- Gently cleanse with micellar water or a creamy cleanser
- Antioxidant serum with vitamin C or vitamin E
- Richmoisturizer suitable for mature skin
- Specificeye contour treatment
- Sunscreen with SPF 30 to 50+ is essential
In the evening:
- Thoroughly remove makeup with makeup remover oil or gentle cleansing milk
- Follow up with agentle cleanse
- Targeted serum (cosmetic retinol, peptides, or hyaluronic acid, depending on the night)
- Nourishingnight cream without SPF
- Specificeye contour treatment
- Finish witha plant-based oil for very dry skin
Weekly: gentle exfoliation 1–2 times and a suitable mask 1–2 times. Consistency remains the key to visible results.
What role does collagen play?
Collagen is the skin’s primary structural protein:
- Function: mechanical support, firmness, elasticity, hydration
- Natural production begins to decline in one’s thirties (approximately 1% per year)
- Accelerated loss during menopause (up to 30% in the first 5 years)
- Aggravating factors: UV rays, smoking, simple sugars (glycation), stress, pollution
- Main types found in the skin: collagen I and III
Supporting collagen-related functions:
- Topically: peptides, vitamin C, cosmetic retinol (at night only; contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding)
- Through diet: high-quality proteins (eggs, fish, lean meats, legumes), vitamin C, zinc, copper
- As dietary supplements upon recommendation: hydrolyzed collagen or marine collagen, in a 2- to 3-month course
- Through aesthetic procedures: skin boosters, microneedling, radiofrequency (at the aesthetic physician’s discretion)
- Avoid factors that accelerate aging (UV rays, tobacco, refined sugars)
A combined approach yields the best long-term results. No single treatment alone is sufficient to counteract the natural decline in skin function.
How does diet support the skin?
Diet is one of the pillars of visible skin health in mature skin:
- High-quality protein: eggs, fish, lean meats, legumes (amino acids for skin structure)
- Colorful fruits and vegetables: 5 servings per day for vitamins and antioxidants
- Carotenoids: carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, apricots, tomatoes
- Green vegetables: spinach, broccoli, lamb’s lettuce, kale
- Berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranates (polyphenols)
- Fatty fish twice a week: omega-3 EPA and DHA
- Nuts: walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds (vitamin E)
- Avocado, olive oil, and canola oil: healthy fats
- Sources of zinc and selenium: oysters, meats, legumes, Brazil nuts
- Green tea: antioxidants (catechins)
- Hydration: 1.5 to 2 L of water per day
- Limit intake of simple sugars (glycation = a factor in aging)
- Limit alcohol and tobacco
Our selenium products and vitamin E supplements can complement a well-balanced diet in cases of documented insufficient intake.
Can the signs of aging be slowed?
Aging is inevitable but can be significantly influenced by lifestyle habits and skincare:
- Daily sun protection: 80% of visible aging is linked to UV rays (dermatological estimate)
- A tailored skincare routine with clinically proven active ingredients
- A balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle
- Quality sleep and stress management
- Avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol
- Regular, moderatephysical activity
- Regularmedical and dermatological follow-up
- Cosmetic treatments as part of a regimen during key seasonal periods
- Occasional cosmetic procedures if desired (prior consultation required)
Early intervention is more effective than corrective treatments for established skin conditions. The realistic goal is not eternal youth but healthy, comfortable skin that looks natural for your age.
What complementary aesthetic treatments are available?
Several medical procedures can complement a daily skincare routine:
- Superficial to mediumchemical peels (glycolic, mandelic, salicylic acids, mild TCA)
- Microdermabrasion: gentle mechanical exfoliation
- Fractional lasers (ablative or non-ablative)
- Intense pulsed light (IPL): for dark spots and an even skin tone
- Radiofrequency and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU): gradual skin-tightening effect
- Microneedling with or without combined radiofrequency
- Mesotherapy: injections of revitalizing cocktails
- Skinboosters: hyaluronic acid in microboluses to improve skin quality
- Injectable botulinum toxin: expression lines (medical procedure requiring a prescription)
- Injectable hyaluronic acid: fills furrows and restores volume
- Surgical facelift for more pronounced sagging
These procedures must be performed by a dermatologist or a trained aesthetic physician. A preliminary consultation is essential to assess indications and contraindications (pregnancy, breastfeeding, certain medical conditions) and to choose the approach best suited to your needs.
How can you protect your skin from the sun?
Sun protection is the most effective and least expensive anti-aging measure:
- Broad-spectrum UVA/UVBsunscreen with SPF 30 to 50+, applied daily
- Apply a sufficient amount: 2 mg/cm² (one teaspoon for the face)
- Reapply every 2 hours while outdoors and after swimming
- Apply to the décolletage, neck, and hands—areas that are often overlooked but highly exposed
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and UV-protective clothing
- Seek shade during the hottest hours of the day (10 a.m.–4 p.m.)
- Strictly avoid tanning beds (classified as a Group 1 carcinogen)
- UVA-blocking window tint for regular drivers
- Mineral filters are often better tolerated by sensitive skin
- Antioxidants in a morning serum to complement SPF (protective synergy)
For prolonged sun exposure or at-risk skin, our high-protection sunscreen section offers suitable products.
What role does exfoliation play?
Exfoliation remains beneficial for mature skin but should be done in moderation:
- Frequency: 1 to 2 times a week at most
- Gently chemical exfoliation (AHAs, enzymes) rather than mechanical exfoliation for thin skin
- Low-concentrationglycolic acid as part of a regular routine
- Lactic acid and mandelic acid: gentler alternatives
- Enzymes (papaya, pineapple): well-tolerated
- BHA (salicylic acid): suitable for skin with residual blemishes
- Consistent sun protection (AHAs and BHAs are photosensitizing)
- Discontinue use if signs of irritation appear (persistent redness, tightness, sensitivity)
- Apply to well-hydrated and restored skin
- Benefits: improved skin texture, better absorption of skincare products, more even complexion
Excessive exfoliation weakens the skin barrier and can, paradoxically, increase sensitivity and accelerate aging. Moderation remains the golden rule.
How do hormones and menopause affect the skin?
Hormonal fluctuations profoundly affect skin quality:
- Premenopause: first signs of skin changes (dryness, sensitivity)
- Menopause: a drop in estrogen leading to marked changes
- Accelerated decline in collagen: up to 30% in the first 5 years after menopause
- Loss of skin thickness and density
- Increaseddryness due to decreased sebum production
- Sagging and loss of elasticity
- Slower wound healing
- Increased sensitivity to environmental stressors
- Increasedlikelihood of pigment spots
Cosmetic approaches:
- Intensive hydration with hyaluronic acid and glycerin
- Ceramides and squalane: restore the skin barrier
- Antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol
- Peptides and cosmetic retinol (for evening use; photosensitizing)
- Nourishingplant-based butters and oils
- Phytoestrogens in cosmetics: their topical efficacy remains scientifically debated; use in standard cosmetic formulations
For medical questions related to menopause, your primary care physician or gynecologist remains your primary point of contact. Any hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is based on an individualized medical assessment. From a cosmetic perspective, your pharmacist can guide you toward the products best suited to this new stage of life. For skin sagging and the associated loss of density, a comprehensive approach combining topical treatments, a healthy lifestyle, and, if necessary, medical procedures yields the best results.
