The Best Moisturisers for Mature Skin Dermatologists Love 

Elastic and plumped skin won’t hang on forever – blame the female hormones, such as oestrogen, which decide to drop as soon as you hit your 40s. Many women report a sudden onset of skin ageing several months after menopausal symptoms begin. 

“Mature skin shows to the eye as drier skin and can look dull and sagging in areas,” Julie Brown, founder of The Source Clinic and certified beauty therapist, tells Beauty Daily. “This is due to the way our skin changes over time; the cell processes slow down, reducing oil production and our skin’s natural exfoliation isn’t working quick enough. Our collagen can be damaged and less of it is produced, which loses the skin’s structure and elasticity.”   

While these are inevitable skin realities, great skin at any age can be achieved once you find the best moisturiser for mature skin.  

“The right moisturiser can help nourish skin cells and work within the skin to hydrate it. This in turn, will help the skin to look plumper and have more of a glow,” Brown advises. 

Beauty Daily asked leading dermatologists about the common skin concerns mature skin has and how the best moisturiser for mature skin can help solve their skin issues.  

When does mature skin start?

Ageing accelerates as soon as women reach the perimenopausal and menopausal stages. Perimenopause means ‘around menopause’ and it is the gradual transition leading up to menopause and can last from a few months to over a decade.  

That means many women will start to experience perimenopause symptoms as early as their late 30s or early 40s – sometimes earlier. Menopause marks the end of your menstrual cycles, and you no longer ovulate. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.  

To set the stage for what happens to one’s skin during perimenopause and menopause, it’s useful to understand how our sex hormones affect the skin.  

“Oestrogen plays a key role in collagen production, increased skin thickness and hyaluronic acid production, and improved wound healing,” says Dr Keira Barr MD, Menopause & Mind-Body Medicine Specialist, Chief Mindfulness Officer at Resilient Health Institute, and International Best-Selling Author of The Skin Whisperer. 

“While oestrogen plays a more prominent role, progesterone contributes to skin elasticity, pigmentation as well as increased microcirculation,” she continues. “As our hormones decline during this time, the health and vitality of the skin is also affected. The skin becomes more dry, sensitive, and susceptible to irritation, inflammation, and rashes,” Dr Barr adds.  

What are the common concerns of people with mature skin?

“People with mature skin often complain of dry, crepey skin,” explains Dr Karan Lal, a cosmetic dermatologist. “This is because, as we age, we produce less natural moisturising factors. As a result, dry flaky lacklustre skin becomes apparent. Moisturisers help replenish skin with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and petrolatum, all of which hydrate the skin.”  

People in perimenopause and menopause

“Major concerns of people going through these stages include skin slackening, age spots, sensitivity, and unpredictability,” says Charlotte McHale, Clarins Training Manager.  

“Because your oestrogen levels start to decline – and oestrogen is responsible for collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production – skin becomes dehydrated. The skin barrier becomes compromised, fine lines become more prominent, and you’re more likely to flare up with things like rosacea. Since your hormones are fluctuating, there’s a lot of skin unpredictability going on for that age group,” she adds.  

The best moisturiser for mature skin aged 45-59 years old

“If we talk about the lack of collagen, there’s organic harungana, a natural retinol in all of the Super Restorative Range,” says McHale.  

Clarins has found out that the organic harungana has intensive replenishment and anti-ageing benefits and offers the same effect as retinol whilst being tolerated by all skin types. 

Organic Harungana contributes to collagen synthesis and is as powerful as Vitamin A’s derivative retinol. It works on all fronts to visibly improve the quality of the skin and keep fine lines and wrinkles at bay as well as help cells regenerate and accelerate skin cell turnover and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.  

The super restorative range also has organic gorse extract, which helps improve the tone of fibroblasts by up to 89% and provides a firmer, more toned skin alongside other ingredients, such as organic desert date extract, organic sea lily and vitamin C derivative. 

For your A.M. routine, Beauty Daily recommends The Super Restorative Day Cream, £77. It has all the hardworking ingredients to brighten and smoothen your skin. It replenishes your skin at all levels, reduces the appearance of deep wrinkles, nourishes and moisturises and prevents the appearance of dark spots. 

It also protects your skin against pollutants thanks to the anti-pollution complex and protects your skin’s natural barrier with vegetal squalene.   

For your P.M. routine, Beauty Daily recommends the Super Restorative Night Cream – All Skin Types, £81. At night, skin’s microcirculation slows down but this skin saviour is formulated with organic service tree bud, which helps to enhance skin radiance so you can wake up with a glowing complexion.  

This intensive overnight treatment helps to fight visible changes on the skin, which includes dryness, skin slackening, loss of density, deep-set wrinkles, and an uneven skin tone. 

Due to the skin’s unpredictability during this stage, the moisturisers come in different textures to suit women’s varying needs. Check the Super Restorative Range.   

People who are post-menopause

“The stage after menopause is when the fluctuation of hormones has stopped, and oestrogen is at a permanently lower level. The skin concerns of people in this stage are dryness, dullness, lack of nutrition, and fragility” says McHale.   

The best moisturiser for mature skin

This stage is all about making sure the skin gets the nutrients it needs so it can function well and look and feel great.   

For your A.M routine, we recommend the award-winning Nutri-Lumière Day Cream – All Skin Types. It was crowned the winner in the ‘Better not Younger’ category by The Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards in 2020.  

It is formulated with organic horse chestnut flower extract, which maximises the penetration of nutrients in the skin. It ensures the skin is nourished and luminous by improving its micro-nutrient network to deliver key nutrients more efficiently so your skin is deeply nourished from the inside and skin glows, looks radiant and healthier, wrinkles are reduced, and the skin is firmer and denser. 

It also has plant and fruit extract desert date and hexylresorcinol, which are scientifically proven to reduce the appearance of age spots.  

Learn How To Treat Age Spots, According To Experts. 

Dermatologist advice on picking the best moisturiser for mature skin   

Dr Lal also advises when choosing the best moisturiser for mature skin: “Look for moisturisers that have ceramides, glycerine, petrolatum, dimethicone, and hyaluronic acid to boost hydration. Ceramides and hyaluronic acid are naturally found in our skin, and we lose both as we mature. Replenishing these ingredients is essential at maintaining skin tone and texture.”  

Want to know How Your Mental Health Affects Your Skin’s Health, Read this.