Caring for Your Skin As You Age: What Really Makes a Difference
Updated: 1 day ago
There comes a point when many of us look in the mirror and realise our skin is changing.
Sometimes I look at my own face and think, “What happened to my youthful looks?” Age seems to sneak up on us! And I’ll admit, I sometimes find ageing difficult to accept. But it is a natural part of life, and while we can’t stop it, we can choose how we care for ourselves and our skin as we grow older. This is what I remind myself of, because how we feel about ageing matters too.
Naturally, as we age, fine lines become more noticeable, our skin may lose some of its firmness and smoothness, and pigmentation or uneven texture can start to appear.
That doesn't mean we have to stop caring about how we look — I certainly haven't!
For me, it's about looking after the skin I have now. I can't turn back the clock, but I can keep my skin hydrated, nourished and healthy-looking with a good routine and ingredients that have a purpose.
What Happens to Our Skin As We Age?
Skin ageing doesn't happen because of one single change.
Over time, collagen and elastin decline, natural oil production can decrease and our skin may become less efficient at retaining moisture. Cell renewal also slows, which can leave the skin looking duller or feeling a little rougher.
Hormonal changes, particularly around menopause, can make some of these changes more noticeable. Then there's sun exposure — and I'm certainly guilty of that! I spent far too much time at the beach as a young woman and didn't use sunscreen every day as I do now. Years later, I can see some of that showing in my own skin as pigmentation, uneven tone and loss of elasticity.
There are professional treatments, such as laser resurfacing, that some people choose to help improve pigmentation and other signs of sun damage. That's a personal choice, and these treatments can certainly have their place.
But whether or not we choose professional treatments, how we care for our skin every day still matters.
The skincare routine that worked for us when we were younger may simply not be what our skin needs now. And the answer isn't necessarily more products — it's understanding what our skin needs and choosing the right ones.
Hydration Can Make Fine Lines Look Softer
One of the simplest ways to improve the appearance of our skin is to keep it well hydrated. When the upper layers of skin lack water, fine lines and texture can become more noticeable. Well-hydrated skin tends to look smoother, softer and fuller.
Hyaluronic acid is one of my favourite ingredients for this reason. It's a humectant, which means it helps attract and hold water within the skin.
What I find particularly interesting is that hyaluronic acid comes in different molecular weights. Larger molecules mainly remain closer to the skin's surface, where they help provide surface hydration, while smaller molecules can penetrate further into the upper layers of the skin. Using different molecular weights therefore gives us a more complete approach to hydration than relying on just one.
Of course, hydration isn't only about what we put on our skin. Our bodies need adequate water for normal function, so looking after ourselves from within is important too. I don't think skincare should ever be considered completely separately from our overall health.
In Amisi's Turkish Rose Hydrating Serum, I combine different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid with rose hydrosol, Pentavitin® and botanical extracts including Wild Pansy. Each ingredient has its own purpose, working together to help the skin maintain hydration and feel soft and comfortable.
Hydration won't remove wrinkles, but well-hydrated skin can make fine dehydration lines appear less noticeable and leave the complexion looking fresher, smoother and more supple.
Don't Underestimate a Good Moisturiser
As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate just how important a good moisturiser can be. I am a little biased here because I absolutely love our Rose De Mai Cream — it has become part of my morning ritual!
A well-formulated moisturiser does much more than simply feel nice to use and make the skin feel soft. It can combine ingredients that help attract and retain water with emollients that soften and nourish the skin, while also supporting the skin barrier.
Some of my favourite ingredients for changing skin are niacinamide (Vitamin B3), peptides, hyaluronic acid and nourishing botanical oils. These are also some of the ingredients I chose for Rose De Mai Moisture Cream.
Each one has a purpose. Niacinamide helps support the skin barrier and can improve the appearance of pores and uneven texture. Peptides help support smoother, firmer-looking skin and soften the appearance of fine lines, while hyaluronic acid helps maintain hydration. Natural plant oils provide the nourishment and emollience that drier skin often needs, while rose hydrosol provides a beautiful botanical base for the water phase of the cream.
A richer cream isn't necessarily a better moisturiser. For me, it's what the ingredients are actually doing for our skin that matters.
Gentle Exfoliation for Dullness and Texture
As we get older, skin renewal begins to change and our skin can sometimes start to look a little dull or feel rough.
Gentle exfoliation can help remove some of the dry surface cells and leave our skin looking smoother and fresher. But more isn't necessarily better.
This is particularly important for dry, sensitive or menopausal skin. Over-exfoliating or using aggressive scrubs and acids isn't necessary. Personally, if I felt my skin needed something stronger, I would rather have a professional peel than try to achieve the same result by over-exfoliating at home.
I prefer a gentler approach. This is one of the things I like about our Lemon Oatmeal Cleanser. It contains natural fruit enzymes that provide very gentle exfoliation as we cleanse, rather than relying on a physical scrub. If my skin needs a little extra attention, I like to leave the cleanser on for a few minutes before rinsing it away, giving the enzymes a little more time in contact with the skin.
As with any exfoliating product, we need to pay attention to how our own skin responds. Our skin should feel smoother after exfoliating — not sore, tight or stripped.
Facial Oils for Softness and Suppleness
Facial oils can become particularly useful as our natural oil production declines, and they're a favourite of mine as part of my evening routine.
Oils don't replace the water that dehydrated skin needs, which is why I don't consider facial oils and hydrating serums interchangeable. Instead, botanical oils provide emollient lipids and fatty acids that help soften the skin, support the skin barrier and reduce moisture loss. They can also carry beneficial oil-soluble ingredients such as Vitamin E, bakuchiol and botanical extracts.
I usually apply just a few drops as the final step in my evening routine.
There's something lovely about applying a beautiful facial oil after I've cleansed — it leaves my skin feeling soft and supple, but I also find the ritual itself quite comforting.
For me, that's part of skincare too. It isn't only about what a product does; it's also about taking a few minutes at the end of the day to care for our skin and ourselves.
Choose Ingredients With a Purpose
There are so many skincare ingredients marketed to women that it can become confusing very quickly. I don't believe we need all of them.
If I were choosing a small group worth considering as skin ages, I would include:
Hyaluronic Acid — for hydration and a smoother, fuller appearance.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) — for skin barrier support and improving the appearance of uneven tone and texture.
Peptides — commonly used to support smoother and firmer-looking skin.
Bakuchiol — a botanical ingredient often chosen by those looking for an alternative to traditional retinol.
Antioxidants — including Vitamins C and E and antioxidant-rich botanical ingredients that help protect against oxidative stress.
The important thing isn't having the longest ingredient list possible. It's choosing ingredients that address what your own skin actually needs.
Don't Forget Sunscreen
This is one step I never miss. I use a Cancer Council sunscreen every morning, even if I'm only going out in the car, popping to the shops or spending a little time outside hanging out the washing.
Living in Australia, we're exposed to high levels of UV, and that exposure accumulates over time. That's why sunscreen has become such an important part of my everyday routine — not just something I use when I'm going to the beach.
These days, I think of sunscreen as just as important as my serum or moisturiser. We can use beautiful skincare to help improve hydration, pigmentation, fine lines and texture, but protecting our skin from further sun damage is one of the most important things we can do for it.
Skincare Is Only Part of the Picture
One thing I've become increasingly aware of is that how our skin looks isn't only about what we put on it.
I've noticed this myself during periods when I haven't been well. I've exercised less, my appetite hasn't been as good and I haven't always eaten as well as I should. I was surprised by how quickly I could see the difference in my skin and hair.
It has reminded me that caring for our skin also means looking after ourselves:
Eat well — include enough protein, healthy fats, fruit and vegetables to provide the nutrients our bodies need.
Keep hydrated — our bodies and skin need adequate water to function normally.
Keep moving — regular exercise or simply staying active supports our overall health and wellbeing.
Rest and recover — particularly when we're tired or unwell, sometimes our body needs rest more than another skincare product.
What Can Skincare Do?
Skincare can't stop ageing or dramatically lift sagging skin, but a good routine can make a visible difference. It can help:
Maintain hydration and softness
Support a healthy skin barrier
Smooth the appearance of fine lines
Improve rough or uneven-looking texture
Brighten dull-looking skin
Sometimes these relatively small changes can make quite a difference to how we feel when we look in the mirror.
A Final Thought From Me
There can be a real sense of peace in accepting the passage of time and the changes we see in ourselves. We can relax a little about looking younger, while still wanting to look and feel the best we can for our age.
For me, that means taking care of my skin, dressing nicely, wearing the clothes and jewellery I love instead of saving them for the right day or special occasion, and staying active when I can — not to turn back the clock, but simply because these things make me feel good.
We can't stop ageing, but we can embrace where we are now and continue to care for ourselves along the way.
Warm regards,
Kerry Ann Purdy
Founder, Amisi Skincare
& Eva, my little four-legged assistant 🐾
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