By Sola Ogundipe

On attainment of the golden age of 50 recently, a good friend of mine suddenly became paranoid about her skin. It’s either her skin is too wrinkled, too light, too dark, too scaly too old-looking, but never as smooth or radiant as it used to be. She is not alone in this anxiety. Several women – and men too – readily develop a propensity for skin consciousness once they hit the half Century. But one of the landmarks of turning 50 is the inevitability of aging skin.

Changes of Ageing

A few fine lines here, a hint of greying there, normal changes of aging are inevitable and often irreversible. All the years of exposure to the sun, soaps, skin creams and hundreds of other events all have effects that become evident on the skin as it ages. Stress, gravity, and obesity affect the way skin looks. With advancing age, the skin doesn’t produce new cells as quickly as it used to. So it gradually becomes less elastic and prone to dryness.

Skin care

Ordinarily, good skin care is no picnic. It goes beyond soap and water, or oil and lotion. Certainly there are tons of skin rejuvenation products, non-surgical facial treatments and restoration hair care products in the market. There may even be too many options to count for people over 50 who want to enhance their natural beauty.

But if you are already into your 50s, chances are, a great looking skin would make you a lot more comfortable with who you are, wouldn’t it?  To look good and stay looking good in middle age and beyond, here are a few simple steps and natural tips to care for your skin as you get older.

Don’t take a shower, have a bath

There is a world of difference between a shower and a bath. Showers assault the skin, baths massage it. As much as possible, don’t get addicted to hot water baths. A cold bath does wonders for skin health. Take a bath or two daily. Use safe bath products such as Amber & Lavender Bath Oil.

Scrub don’t wash

Use a hard-bristle brush on your skin to exfoliate the dead cells. You might think it would hurt you, but it doesn’t feel as bad as it looks.

Avoid acid-based facial creams

Say by bye-bye to all acidic products. Acids make the skin overly sensitive and irritated, and should be used only occasionally. Choose very rich moisturisers and skin nurturing products.

Sleep a lot

At least eight hours of quality sleep every night is essential. Make bedtime a ritual. Read or watch a short movie, but ensure you are in bed before midnight.

Don’t shampoo at bedtime

Wash your hair once or twice a week but avoid shampooing before getting into bed. Don’t sleep with wet hair.

Wear night clothes

One of the most abominable things you can do to your skin is to go to bed wearing your work clothes. And avoid sleeping in your birthday suit. Invest in comfortable cotton night dress or pajamas. If you can afford silk Olatz pajamas, go for it.

Stop sunbathing and skin tanning

Stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be outside, wear protective clothing and sunglasses. Freckles, age spots, and blotchy complexions are linked to sun exposure.

Check for skin cancer

If there are changes that worry you, call your doctor right away. Older, fair-skinned people are at high risk and must have a yearly check.

Soothe dry skin

Use a humidifier. Also use moisturising soaps and lotions.

Eat right and hydrate

Good nutrition helps the body repair skin. Drinking lots of water helps hydrate skin from the inside out.