What is your anti-aging skin care routine? As we age, our skin changes. I don’t know about you, but I want it to stay as youthful for as long as possible. If you’re curious how I take care of my skin and constantly surprise people when I tell them my age, read on to learn about my anti-aging skin care routine.

Growing up in the 90s, the tanner you were, the better. I spent hours and hours (and hours) laying out to perfect my tan. In the winter, I’d frequent the tanning beds. I didn’t listen to their warnings about wearing goggles (huge regret), and I definitely would go multiple times a week. Even before spring break, I had already reached my peak tan because of all the time in the bed. I can distinctly remember this specific spring break in college when my roommate Kelly and I were already so tan before we left that people thought we’d already gone somewhere. We argued we were just building our base, but I definitely was obsessed. Since my mid-20s, I’ve changed my habits significantly. Now, I do everything I can to protect my skin, especially on my face so I can maintain youthful skin for as long as possible.

So what changed? Well, I can distinctly remember this one time I was sitting outside by our pool in Phoenix. Jade came outside and asked me, probably in a rhetorical way, “why do you want to ruin your skin? Your skin is so pretty.” And something in me clicked. I guess I never thought of tanning as ruining my skin, but really, that is what it does. Anytime your skin turns a darker color, it’s for protection, but it’s also damage. At that moment, I went inside, and I never really tanned much after that. Sure, I still spend time outside, but you’ll rarely catch me without a giant sunhat or at least a baseball hat. I religiously apply sunscreen to myself and my kids and I do all types of things to maintain my skin health. 

If you’re curious what I’m doing now, I thought I’d share about skincare in your 40s. People regularly assume I’m in my early 30s, but I’m not. I actually had a work call not too long ago. The other caller was quite surprised I was the executive director of a research institute and that I had a Ph.D. I found out she was surprised because she thought I was much younger than I am. She apologized for being ‘old’ and not knowing certain aspects of the conversation. I quickly corrected her and informed her we were actually very close in age. But I attribute all my hard work on skincare and sun damage prevention for the nice compliments. So here are my secrets. 

My Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine

1. Professional Skin Treatments

Lasers

For the last couple of years, I’ve been trying a few different types of lasers. I’ve had Fraxel, IPL, radiofrequency, microneedling, YAG and similar lasers. To be honest with you, most of these lasers or treatments, you don’t see immediate results. With the Fraxel and the IPL I did see instant results because brown spots rose to the surface and flaked off after a week or so. The other treatments, it’s more about the prevention of skin aging and increased collagen production. Nonetheless, all of the lasers are beneficial, in my experience, and I definitely attribute them to keeping my skin young-looking and healthy. I get all of my laser treatments done at DermFX and you can save 15% with Stacey15. Christie is my go-to aesthetician. 

Botox

When I was 37 I started getting botox. I had a distinct line in my forehead that was deepening. I was shocked the first time I got botox and that line went away completely. Every 2-3 months, I get botox in my forehead, 11s, and crow’s feet. I personally think it’s a great way to prevent fine lines or deeper lines. It’s pricey, but worth it in my experience. I’ve never had any negative reactions, although one time, my brows did drop because she injected a bit too low in my forehead.

2. Morning Anti-Aging Skincare Routine

In the pictures I’ve included in this post, I am wearing makeup, but I do not wear foundation or concealer, except for under my eyes I do wear a little concealer. For my anti-aging skin care routine, I do wear blush on my cheeks. But the skin you see, that’s my natural skin. There is no photoshop to smooth out the skin on my face or neck. That is me. 

For my morning skincare for aging skin, I start by washing my face with a gentle cleanser. Then, I add several serums. I start with a vitamin C serum. Then, I top that with this serum and then finish with this serum. After the serums are dry, I add my daily morning SPF lotion. And that’s it! I do use this blush on my cheeks, and this for my under-eye concealer. 

3. Evening Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine

For the evening, I have been washing my face with an oil-based cleanser. Then I add my serums again, including one that has retinol. I do not use a thick moisturizer at night because I simply don’t need it. My skin is never dry, so I don’t need any additional moisture on top of the serums. If you do, this is a good one, in my experience. I also sleep with a satin pillow case, which can help with face creasing and fine lines.

I hope you found this best anti-aging skin care routine for aging post helpful. If you have any questions about how to care for your skin, or tips you’ve tried that you love, please share them! If you’re looking for other beauty and skincare posts, click here.