Secret of staying beautiful over 40

By the Hollywood make-up artist who makes Cindy Crawford look SO amazing

At last, change is afoot in the beauty industry. Now older women are almost commonplace in skincare campaigns, the focus is shifting from wrinkle creams to midlife make-up. Julia Roberts, 52, and Christy Turlington, 51, have modelled for Lancome and Maybelline foundation respectively, while last year Charlotte Tilbury hired Joan Collins, in her 80s, to promote her Flawless Foundation. No longer are the over-40s encouraged merely to cover wrinkles and tone down their lippy. Now they can experiment with colour and style instead.One man above all is championing this change.

For more than 30 years, celebrity make-up artist Riku Campo has worked with some of the most beautiful women in the world, including Gwyneth Paltrow, 48, Rachel Hunter, 51, Cindy Crawford, 54, and Meg Ryan, 58. He believes ‘beauty is enhanced by age’ and that the over-40s must ditch ‘old-fashioned stereotypes’ and refuse to fade or become invisible. Riku, Finnish by birth but based in California, has rewritten the rules for older beauty with a new book full of insider secrets and top Hollywood tips. So ditch your ‘I always do it like this’ attitude. Now’s the time to revamp your routine and teach yourself how to make the most of your face, whatever your age…

Riku, based in California, has rewritten the rules for older beauty with a new book full of insider secrets and top Hollywood tips

FIRST THE BAD NEWS...

Once you hit 40, wrinkles become more prominent because the skin loses elasticity. There’s just no avoiding it. The skin around the eyelids starts drooping, and the lines are deeper along the forehead and glabella (the skin between the eyebrows and above the nose). Hyper-pigmentation (dark spots and sun spots) may appear or be more visible as a result of years of UV exposure.

These spots may appear on the hands, chest and neck as well as the face and because of the lack of elasticity and reduced collagen production, slackness becomes more severe, especially in the lower face (jowls, corners of the mouth) and the neck. As we reach our mid-50s, oestrogen levels drop, which, along with environmental damage, contributes to premature ageing. As the epidermis thins, cell turnover slows down.

As skin ages, keratinocytes — found in the outermost layer of your skin, the epidermis — change shape and become shorter. Sebum decreases by as much as 60 per cent, and enzymatically active melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) decrease at a rate of 8 to 20 per cent per decade, resulting in pigmentation. 

There is also a loss of water in the skin, which reduces its barrier function. The skin appears drier and we see a decrease in collagen turnover and elastin production.

By your 70s, skin loses fat in the subcutaneous layers, which causes it to sag around the temples, eyes, cheeks and chin and can result in a hollow look.

THE GOOD NEWS

It’s not impossible to reverse the damage and prevent further deterioration. Here’s how ...

YOUR DIET MATTERS

You already know you need to add more veg and fruit to your daily diet, consume foods that contain healthy oils and fats and watch your alcohol intake.

It also helps to increase your bone density by doing weight-bearing exercise and taking collagen supplements.
And it’s important to raise your protein intake, as 50 per cent of your bones are made of protein, and maintain a diet high in calcium, the most important mineral for bone health. Vitamins D and K help your body absorb calcium.
Vitamins play a huge role in skin health, particularly vitamin A/retinoid. Beef, eggs and dairy are good sources of vitamin A. Vita-min B3/niacin brightens the skin’s appearance and reduces redness; all animal and plant foods are good sources.

Vitamin B5 prevents water loss from the skin and improves skin barrier function: wholegrains, avocado and chicken are good sources. Vitamin C creates collagen that keeps your skin firm and protects it from free-radical damage: tomatoes, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries and broccoli are good sources.

Vitamin D defends your skin against acne and other infections: milk, fish and eggs are good sources and unless you live somewhere with a sunny climate, you should take supplements.

Vitamin E protects your skin from free-radical damage: veg, fruit, nuts and seeds are good sources. Vitamin K heals wounds and bruises. It can be found in cabbage, liver, kale and milk.

Daily Mail