My 50-Year-Old Skincare Routine: The Products and Steps I Use

I have always had a consistent skincare routine. Now, it may have been minimal, but it was all I knew. Growing up, I watched my mother consistently cleanse and moisturize her face. So, from my teens into my 20s, I knew I needed to cleanse and moisturize my face. Occasionally, I would use a face scrub or try to treat areas plagued by acne, but other than that, my routine was pretty simple.

In my 30s, I remember watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and her guest was Paula Begoun, the founder of Paula’s Choice. I heard her talk about so many different aspects of caring for our skin that it sent me straight to her book, The Beauty Bible, and I was blown away. I had never heard about toners, BHA, or AHA, but I immediately set out to build my own skincare routine.

Over the past 15 years, my skincare routine hasn’t changed much because I built a strong and consistent regimen. There are some things I’ve learned about and added over time, but for me, the basics have remained the same: I cleanse, tone, exfoliate, moisturize, and treat.

Now that I’m 50, I am considering a few things I may want to switch up, especially after spending the past several months reviewing different skincare products, but that has yet to be determined.

I start my process with a cleanser. Recently, I had to find a new face cleanser, and after testing four different ones, I finally landed on the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. This cleanser feels good on my face, and I make sure to cleanse all the way down to my neck as well. When you know your skin type, finding the right cleanser for your skin is important. I cleanse both day and night as the first step in my routine.

Next, I tone and exfoliate. Toner is a way to begin hydrating the skin. For years, I have used Paula’s Choice Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner, which is very lightweight and a nice way to begin the hydration process. Once that is complete, I exfoliate using the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I like being able to use this exfoliant daily in both the a.m. and p.m. My skin texture has always felt pretty good to me, and I think having an exfoliant that works well for my skin is an important part of my routine. I also use vitamin C, which I make myself. The exfoliating step is when I add a few drops to my routine and apply it to my skin.

A serum is the next step in my process. During this step, I also like to add boosters to my serum for additional skincare benefits. Normally, I use the Olay Regenerist serum, and it has worked very well for me. As you know, I have been doing a serum review series for the past few months and have worked with some really good ones that have me considering using some of them over an extended period of time. For this particular routine, I am working with COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. While the jury is still out on my final thoughts, this product has definitely intrigued me.

In my skincare routine, I also do a little eye treatment. I take any remaining product from the serum step, add a couple of drops of vitamin E, and gently pat it underneath my eyes. I then take a thicker moisturizer and gently pat that in as well. If I’m not planning to go anywhere, I’ll just let it sit. It’s something I’ve been doing for years, and I think it has helped with limiting crow’s feet. Of course, I understand that I can’t avoid them completely. At 50, I’m learning that some things are simply part of the aging process.

Lastly, I use a hydrating moisturizer to seal all of the above products in. Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer is what I have been using for a few years now. It is thick and keeps my skin feeling good throughout the day. In my moisturizer review series earlier this year, I absolutely loved working with the Innisfree Green Tea moisturizer, and I will definitely revisit that one in the future.

Outside of these steps, I follow essentially the same routine in the evening. The difference is that I round out my nighttime process with retinol. During the day, before heading out, I apply sunscreen as the final step.

At this point, I may consider making a couple of tweaks simply because of the products I have been reviewing lately. But other than that, I don’t see my routine changing much. This 50-year-old skincare routine may sound like a lot of steps, but once you get used to it, it really isn’t too overwhelming. And when you hit a certain age, you may find yourself wanting to pay a little more attention to your skin and the products you’re using.

If you’re not there yet, you can definitely keep things even simpler with just a few basic steps. There’s no need to make your routine complicated if that’s not what works for you. At 50, I’m less interested in trying to have perfect skin and more interested in keeping my skin healthy, hydrated, and cared for as I age.

How many steps are in your skincare routine?