5 Essential Tips for Changing Your Skincare Routine Over 50, According to Model Molly Sims
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Whenever you see a photo of a celebrity with seemingly flawless skin on the red carpet, it's easy to assume there is a team of well-paid estheticians, plastic surgeons and dermatologists beyond that radiant visage. Lasers, chemical peels, IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy and micro-needling are some of the priciest skincare treatments celebs pay top dollar for, to keep their A-list skin looking luxe and while that might be the case for some, it definitely wasn't for model, actress and beauty entrepreneur Molly Sims.
After years of trying these very treatments in her 20s and 30s, she found her skin was more dry, red and irritated than ever before—in her 40s. When her husband mentioned she had a little dirt on her face (which was actually a dark spot), she wanted to get off the rollercoaster ride that happened to be her current skincare routine.
That's when she started developing YSE Beauty, her line of efficacious, clinically-tested skincare products that are designed to target hyperpigmentation, dark spots and redness—without irritation. Fun fact: Sims launched the line the year after three years of testing when she turned 50 and coincidentally started having her best skin ever.
Related: The 9 Best Foundations and Moisturizers for Mature Skin, According to Celebrity Makeup Artists
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While most would assume it's harder to maintain great skin as you get older, Sims is a testament to the opposite—but the road to glow was paved with many skincare mistakes and lessons learned, which she's shared with us below.
Keep reading for five skincare rules she swears by and how she was able to ultimately transform her skin to its brightest, tightest, glowiest state yet.
Related: My Honest Review of Molly Sims' YSE Beauty Skincare Line
Courtesy Molly Sims
5 Essential Tips for Changing Your Skincare Routine Over 50, According to Model Molly Sims
1. Start Your Day With a Gua Sha Cleanse
Sims' secret to snatched, depuffed skin? Using a gua sha tool with her YSE Take It Off Gel-Oil Cleanser. These ancient Chinese lymphatic devices are known for their face-sculpting benefits and when used with a makeup remover, you get a 2-in-1 cleanse and face workout at the same time. Like Sims points out, you can't start brightening with dry skin and this 5-minute step is especially helpful after a night out or before a big event for really clean, refreshed, hydrated skin.
Don't have a gua sha at home? Stick a spoon in the fridge until icy to the touch, then use the back for an easy hack that works in a pinch. Jenny Patinkin Cryo Glow Globes are another great tool to keep in your fridge for cryo rolling, which constricts blood vessels in the skin, promotes circulation and reduces redness.
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2. Ease Off the Lasers and Hydroquinone
Sims says you can get into tricky territory when you get laser treatments too frequently—or use skin-lightening agents like hydroquinone—to address hyperpigmentation and discoloration.
"I did I lot of things...VI Peels, cold lasers; I mean I was absolutely addicted to hydroquinone," she tells Parade, adding that it took a toll on her skin over the years.
"It's great that you don't have any dark spots or unevenness or you feel like it's going away, but all of a sudden you're dry, you're red, you're irritated, you look like you've just worn three days of retinol and not put any sunscreen on," she recalls. "It just really messes up the barrier because it's stripping it ultimately and if you can't use it while you're pregnant, you probably shouldn't be using it."
Related: 6 Top Makeup Mistakes Made by Women Over 50, According to IT Cosmetics Founder Jamie Kern Lima
3. Keep It Consistent
"Consistency is key!" as Sims says, and we couldn't agree more.
What led to her achieving the best skin of her life, in her 50s, was a long road of trial and error, but once she finally found what worked for her skin she committed to that routine—every day and night.
Related: I'm an Esthetician, and This Is the #1 Skincare Product I Recommend for Women Over 50
4. Don't Forget the Cocktails
Skincare wise, we mean. Instead of relying on too many products to do singular things, Sims started turning to multitasking products that are a cocktail blend of good-for-you ingredients.
"Like with our Ex Pads," she tells us. "Yes, we're stripping and we're brightening, but there's Ectoin to retexturize and refresh the skin for optimum renewal. That acts as a barrier to help save your barrier."
Arguably knowing which ingredient cocktails are right for your skin makes all the difference, so if you're not sure, it might be time to consult an expert.
Board-certified dermatologist and founder of NicholsMD of Greenwich, Dr. Kim Nichols, says a few of the best skincare ingredient cocktails include:
niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and glycerin
vitamin C with SPF (always!), vitamin E, glycolic acid and ferulic acid
retinol with hyaluronic acid, peptides and ceramides (but never pair or layer it with AHAs/BHAs, benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid because doing so could cause a rash or irritation)
5. Start Using Vitamin C
If you're not already. "It's the #1 thing women forget in the morning because they don't like how it smells," says Sims. "They don't want to smell like an orange. They don't like the texture because it's sticky and it peels underneath their makeup, so they think, 'Oh I'm just going to skip that step,' and it's the most important step."
Vitamin C not only protects your current supply of collagen (what keeps your face looking youthful and plump), but it revs up production on a backup supply. It also helps ward off fine lines and wrinkles, improves hyperpigmentation and defends your face against sun damage and free radicals.
No wonder Sims—along with so many derms—consider vitamin C serums to be a holy grail product you should be using as you get older. As for a few of our faves, those would be YSE Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum, Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C and SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.
