Skincare trends women over 40 should avoid

We all want radiant skin that makes us look young as ever. But when one chooses to experiment with their skincare routine in order to get that shiny smooth skin—especially when they grow older and are in their 40s, things can often turn more wrong than right. With anti-aging techniques becoming extremely popular, it’s important for the ladies to know the trends they should stay away from. 

Two leading dermatologists give us the details. 

Avoid using physical exfoliating agents on a day-to-day basis: Because they can contain harsh ingredients that can damage the layers of the skin. This is why it's better to use a chemical exfoliator. The word chemical doesn't mean bad. They just mean that they don't cause any mechanical injury. They actually work to break the bridges between dead or living skin cells and help to bring new skin cells to the surface.

So if you want to start exfoliation, a physical one is to be avoided. As you age the skin gets delicate and the skin barrier is more easily disturbed. So over-exfoliation needs to be avoided. Keep your skin hydrated and ensure that hyaluronic acid is your best friend.

Use of physical scrubs: These can cause micro-abrasions on the skin and hence render the skin sensitive, dry, and irritated.

Micro-needling at home: This is a medical-grade procedure for a reason. There is a method, specific machinery, and technology that requires a doctor to perform this procedure. Using derma rollers can cause serious injuries to the skin and micro tears. Using it in a non-sterile environment also brings in the risk of post-procedure infections that are tough to deal with.

Laser hair reduction at home: This requires very specific technology and medical personnel to perform this procedure. If not done correctly, the complications can vary between getting inadequate results, increased hair growth, to as bad as severe burns that require prolonged treatment. Please avoid falling for attractive pricing rather than having a medically monitored procedure in a clinical setting. 

BB Glow facial: This involves the use of foundation along with microneedles and apparently depositing the foundation into the skin with the help of microneedles. These foundations or drums contain almost 40-50 ingredients including pigments and preservatives like titanium dioxide (a well-known physical sunscreen) and propylene glycol (a known allergen) that are only supposed to go on your skin. Forcing these foundations into the skin will trigger the body’s immune system to eliminate them and in certain cases can form granulomas in the skin which, on the surface of your skin, can appear like little hard boils that will need removal. 

Using DIY masks or creams: Although the ingredients in these masks are easy to source and sound harmless, it may not be so. Many individuals are sensitive to different ingredients and the use of these ingredients can cause serious allergic reactions on the face. It can involve anything between redness and itching to even burns. 

Inputs by Dr Poorva Shah (MBBS, MD Skin), Consultant Medical and Aesthetic Dermatologist, Derma Centre Pune, and Dr Meghna Gupta, Dermatologist and Founder, Delhi Skin Centre