Night Time Skin Care Routine For Women Over 40

In my earlier posts, I wrote about what helps me fall asleep easier and another about a night time routine checklist. In both blogs, I briefly mention what helps me get ready for bed is having a skin care routine. Having a consistent night time skin care routine can really help improve your bedtime routine as well.

Skincare can get so overwhelming with all the products available to us. Depending on how you feel at night, your night time skin care routine can change depending on how long your day is.

Below, I provide some of my non-negotiable and negotiable skincare products. I am a bit sensitive to scents but find these products are not overpowering and don’t give me a headache. They also help my skin feel hydrated and soft for my combination (closer to dry now) sensitive skin type, as well as, combatting the occasional adult acne.

This post is all about a night time skin care routine for women over 40.

Night Time Skin Care Routine For Women Over 40

1. Face wash: This is a non-negotiable.

I say this is a non-negotiable because not only will it help you fall asleep easier but it provides your skin with a clean pallet for natural oils to produce throughout the night. Washing your face at night should be a non-negotiable. However, in the mornings, you could get away with just rinsing your face with water.

I’ve been using Lumene Valo Cleansing Balm With Vitamin C for almost 5 years now. It’s very gentle on the skin and hydrating. I have sensitive skin. This cleanser doesn’t make your skin feel tight or dry like other cleansers can. Perhaps, it’s because it’s a cleansing balm.

You will need to use a good amount of cleansing balm when taking off a lot of makeup. To achieve the perfect consistency for your balm, you’ll need to experiment with the ratio of balm to water.

Sometimes, double cleansing is ideal when wearing a lot of makeup. But for days of no makeup, a small quarter-sized amount will suffice. It is on the pricier side for a drugstore brand. But a bottle has lasted me over a month to two.

I usually stay clear of makeup remover wipes. It’s not the greatest for your skin and can cause breakouts. However, on those rare nights when you’re absolutely exhausted and can’t wash your face, you can opt for baby wipes or makeup remover wipes. It doesn’t do the job as good as the cleansing balm but it works for that moment. Just don’t make a habit out of it.

I recently discovered Tatcha’s The Rice Foaming Enzyme Powder. I needed something more exfoliating yet gentle from my trip back from Hawaii. My daughter gave me her travel size. I still use it now and then when I feel like my skin needs to be gently exfoliated. It is very pricey so maybe just buy the travel-size version and use it when you need to gently exfoliate from time to time.

2. Toner: This is negotiable.

Again, I share some of my non-negotiable and negotiable product routines. I say this is negotiable because, for nights when we’re too tired to complete all of the skincare steps, we can forgo a step or two or three…However this regimen is altered, it works and is a great skin care routine for women over 40. It’s interchangeable. Because ya know, life happens.

Ok, going back to toner. Yes, I consider this a negotiable but I try my best to stay consistent. I use Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow PHA+ BHA Pore-Tight Toner. I’ve gone through several bottles already. It’s gentle for the skin and provides the claims it makes regarding hydration and exfoliation. It also has a pleasant soft scent.

I also like Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant but it’s a lot more abrasive. The smell is also unpleasant in my opinion. This is a great option when you need something stronger to exfoliate your skin. I keep a travel-size bottle on hand for occasions when I need extra exfoliation or when I travel. This toner can be drying since it does a great job of exfoliating. If I use this for too long, I do find that my skin will start to peel or get flakey.

Pay attention to your skin and see what works for it. Pay attention to how your skin feels after you’ve used a product and how it looks. Does your skin feel tight and dry? Stretched? Or supple and soft? As we get older, we need to start noticing these behaviors in our skin.

Like I mentioned earlier, skincare can get overwhelming. However, we are at a time where there are many solutions to some of the skin care challenges we may be facing. What I’m sharing is hopefully a helpful skin care routine for women over 40 like me.

My skin is sensitive and continues to get dryer as I get older. I am proud of my skin because I think it looks good. I don’t get Botox or fillers. I’m not opposed to it. I just don’t think I need it right now. Whether you’re like me or not, this skin care routine for women over 40 may be helpful to you.

3. Essence: Negotiable

Essence is negotiable. It’s more of a luxury and a plus for the skin. It’s a luxury because this is like giving your skin a bonus or an extra drink of water. The one I use consistently is Dior’s Capture Totale Intensive Essence Lotion.

I LOVE the scent and how it makes your skin feel. The texture is thick and not sticky at all. It leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated. When used routinely, it will have your skin glowing. It definitely provides that added moisture back into your skin. Again, if you’re too tired, you can do without an essence.

I recently purchased Lumene’s Aqua Lumenessence Beauty Lotion since I enjoy their balm. I’m waiting until I run out of my Dior to see if it works well. The scent of Lumene’s essence so far is also divine and luxurious yet soft. Hopefully, this works too because it’ll be a more affordable option.

4. Serum: Non-negotiable

I need a serum, for the most part, always. Currently, I am loving The Ordinary’s 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. I know, I know. It’s an oil but I use it as a serum. It doesn’t make my face oily. This oil will help keep your skin consistently hydrated. It also is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids which help with sun damage, provide anti-aging benefits, even out skin tone, help with dark spots, and so much more, like hydrate! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate is key to keeping your skin look and feel fresh.

For nights I am absolutely tired (notice a common theme here), I will use this as my all-in-one. Yes, as a toner, essence, serum, and night cream. Seriously, I can use this one product alone (after I wash my face) at night, and in the morning, my skin is nice and soft. The other bonus of this oil is that it’s affordable!

5. Eye Cream: Negotiable

At our age, I know this may be shocking to some. Hear me out, as I get older, I thought this step would be a non-negotiable for me. I’ve found that using a good night cream eliminates the need for an eye cream.

Plus, I haven’t found an eye cream that I can’t live without yet. To be honest with you, the eye creams I’ve used so far have all been gifted to me by my kids or friends.

The only one I purchased and it was a purchase during one of my travels is The Inkey List Caffeine De-Puffin + Dark Circles Eye Cream. Like I said, I bought it when I was traveling and only use it when I travel. I like it but don’t use it often enough. I will say, it’s an affordable option for eye creams compared to other out there.

6. Night cream: Negotiable

Now, the only reason why this is considered negotiable to me is because of The Ordinary’s 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil.

When I’m doing all or most of the nighttime skincare steps, Botanics Hydrating Night Cream All Bright With Hibiscus is part of that. This is my tried and true nighttime cream I love and will continue to use.

I actually found it when I was trying to find an affordable option from Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream. Botanics is very moisturizing, smells great, and is affordable.

The only thing is, it’s not easily accessible at most stores. You can check it out by clicking here. Every time I use it at night, I wake up with such hydrated soft skin! The scent is such a nice floral too, light and not overpowering.

7. Treatment: Non-negotiable / negotiable

Last but not least, this was hard to rate as I try to use this every night, but depending on what I’m currently trying out, like First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads with Glycolic Acid + Lactic Acids Exfoliating Pads with AHA, I won’t apply my tried and true Paula’s Choice 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment. If I use both, my skin will become very dry. I’m only using the First Aid Exfoliating Pads because it was gifted to me. Would I repurchase it? Maybe way down the line but it’s not my favorite. I’d rather stick to my tried and true Paula’s Choice.

I’ve always wanted to use retinol but found most retinols were too harsh on my skin. When you first use Paula’s Choice, you will need to build up a tolerance. First, I’d use it once a week and then upgraded to every other night, eventually it became every night.

Paula’s Choice really helps keep skin texture smooth. This should be applied at night. I feel like I can see a difference in my skin whenever I use Paula’s Choice. My texture is a lot smoother and my dark spots are lighter. I love this product and have gone through lots of bottles.

I have issues with brown spots, dark spots, sun spots…whatever you want to call them. This is the only thing that is gentle yet effective. I layer this after my night cream as it can be drying. I only purchase it when there’s a sale because it is a bit pricey. And there is always a sale. It’s either on Paula’s direct site or on Sephora.

So there you have my version of a night time skin care routine for women over 40. I wrote out the steps in order of how these products should be layered. From washing your face first to layering on the treatment last. I found this order provided the most benefits.

Again, these are just some steps I follow but there are days when I forgo one, two, or three steps. However, I never forgo washing my face and using an oil or moisturizer.

Let me know what your skincare regime looks like. I am always interested in what other night time skin care routine for women over 40 looks like. As always, thanks for reading.

If you’re interested, you can also find my posts on 9 Tips to Fall Asleep Easier here, and here’s my other post on 5 Things I Do That Are A Part Of My Night Time Routine Checklist.

Love, Sutivi