What does reaching 40 mean for my skin?

If you've always protected your skin from the sun, then you probably won't see much of a difference between 30 and 40 years old. That said, natural biological changes would have continued to follow their course. These are genetically unavoidable and ageing skin is part and parcel of the process. The skin ageing process is barely noticeable between 25 and 30, but picks up speed after the age of 40 when our beloved hormones start to wreak havoc with our bodies. Lack of sleep is quick to show on our faces, dark circles harder to remove and our complexions can lack a youthful glow. Our skin becomes less supple and firm. The result? Wrinkles deepen and become more defined (particularly around the eyes and mouth), nasolabial folds become visible, our cheeks hollow, our faces sag and we begin to wake up to bags under our eyes. These are partly due to the infamous 'expression lines' that gradually become etched on our skin. In other words, we're at an age when anti-ageing treatments are worth their weight in gold.

So, how can we keep a youthful glow and perfect skin once we're reached the Big 40? First and foremost, protect your skin from the sun! Exposure to UV rays accelerates skin ageing and causes the appearance of liver spots. Opt for antioxidant creams with protective active ingredients to limit damage caused by UV rays and pollution. Swap your usual treatments for ones that help regenerate skin, in particular morning or night anti-ageing creams. Night creams, for example, are designed to help our skin regenerate, as it's whilst we sleep that our skin produces more new cells. Serums are anti-ageing superheros, as they contain twice the amount of active ingredients than a cream. You should also invest in an eye contour treatment to help drain away bags and signs of fatigue (the skin around our eyes is four times thinner than the rest of our face), alongside a lip contour cream to limit the appearance of lines that can give us a stern look. And last but not least, ditch the ciggies - it's never too late to give up the wicked weed!