I’ve always been concerned about my skin.

Well, let me rephrase, I’ve always been concerned about the skin on my face. We won’t talk about the abuse I did to the rest of my skin in tanning beds.

But, when I turned 40, I realized I needed to take my morning and nightly skin care routine to the next level. I needed to add products that addressed anti-aging, crows feet and wrinkles, less elastic skin, while still being gentle and affordable. Plus, I didn’t want to mess with lots of products I didn’t need.

So here is the recommended skin care routine for 40 year olds that I use. It’s quick, effective, and affordable.

Recommended Skin Care Routine For 40 Year Olds

Step #1: Facial Cleanser

Cleansing your face is the foundation of your skin care routine. Clean skin allows all the rest of the products to do their job more effectively. And ideally, once you’ve found a good facial cleanser, you should stick with it. It’s hard on your face to change cleansers every couple of months.

I’ve used Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser for over 22 years. It’s consistently been on my top list of products. (You can read more here and here.) I’ve recommended it to all of my friends regardless of their skin type.

Many times people use too harsh of a facial cleanser that strips your face of precious oils and emollients. And then you start breaking out because your skin is trying TOO HARD to replace the oils. Not with Cetaphil®. It is soap-free, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, plus it moisturizes while it cleans.

Step #2: Toner

I will admit, I thought toner was just a made-up marketing gimmick to make me buy more products.

I was wrong.

Toner is important.

I started using toner on a daily basis about a year ago and it makes SUCH a difference in your face’s appearance. Toner can balance your pH, allowing your subsequent products to be more effective, as well as provide a better appearance to your skin. Plus, when you pick a hydrating toner (your toner should never feel like it is stripping your skin), it also decreases the look of dryness or flakiness.

Step #3: Serum

As we get older, we are unable to repair and rejuvenate our skin as quickly as we did in our 20s. We need help. We need vitamins. We need a serum.

As a general rule, Vitamin C Serum is the best. Vitamin C helps protect against UV damage and helps stimulate the production of collagen. It helps heal our skin and makes it look the best it possibly can.

Step #4: Eye Cream

If I could give one piece of advice to young girls, it would be to start using eye cream before you need it. The skin around our eyes is so thin that without protecting it and moisturizing it, it can end up looking tired, lined, saggy and discolored.

Choose an eye cream that goes after your problem area. For me, it was fine lines. For some one else, it might be dark circles.

Step #5: Moisturizer

This is probably a step that you normally don’t miss. Even those with a simplified skin care routine use moisturizer.

Ideally, you will need two moisturizers. A moisturizer with SPF for the day and a heavier moisturizer for the evening at bed time. Also, as the weather gets colder and drier, don’t be afraid to find a thicker moisturizer. And don’t forget to apply moisturizer on your chest area.

Best Affordable Brand of Skin Care For 40 Year Olds

I realize this is a sponsored post, but for the money, you cannot be the quality and results from Cetaphil®. There is a reason they are CONSISTENTLY on every magazine’s “best beauty buys”.

As I mentioned before, I’ve been using Cetaphil® products for over 22 years. Without a doubt, they are the reason that my skin looks as good as it does at the age of 41.

Cetaphil® has an arsenal of products for every skin type and they are gentle enough to be used by any age group. In fact, my 12-year old son started using Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser and Cetaphil® Moisturizing Lotion last year on his pre-pubescent skin.

(Yep, we are on to the second generation. Good skin starts young.)

If you haven’t upgraded your skin care routine (or if you don’t have a skin care routine), now is the time to start. And Cetaphil® makes it easy and affordable to have healthy, clear and youthful skin.

This post is sponsored by Cetaphil®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.