I looked at my clean, makeup-free face up close in the mirror. Yep, I saw it in the bright bathroom lights and plain as day. My skin was starting to look... better! Yay!
Just one week before, my skin was dry, rough, and looked tired. I retraced my skincare steps and thought, "I've been washing my makeup off every night. I use a top-of-the-line moisturizer. I get enough sleep and eat well, with an occasional cookie here and there (hey-you gotta live). I know I'm in my fifties, but this is not normal. Where am I going wrong?
Then, the light bulb lit up. I was over-cleansing.
I used my cleanser twice a day, morning and night like a good girl. But at 53, did I really need to?
The Research
Research shows that as skin matures, oil production decreases. Still, many women (like myself) continue washing twice a day with foaming or stripping cleansers designed for younger, oilier skin. The results are exactly what I was experiencing... tightness, flaking, and a dull, tired appearance.
My bottom line: When your skin feels dry immediately after washing, that’s not “clean.” That’s compromised.
The Reset
Since I wear makeup, it made sense that I would wash my face at night, but did I really need to in the morning? I tested my process and stopped using a facial cleanser in the morning. Instead, I just splashed water on my face.
The Result
I'm now 62 and have never gone back to using a cleanser in the morning. It worked beautifully! But here's what else I realized...
The cleanser I was using then was right for a younger face, but wrong for my over-50 face. I needed a gentle cleanser. And that's what led me to formulate my Hydrating Aloe Facial Cleanser.
A gentle cleanse should remove debris without disrupting your protective barrier. The Hydrating Aloe Facial Cleanser is formulated to cleanse without stripping, leaving skin comfortable—not squeaky.
The Lesson
If you have mature skin, the goal isn’t aggressive purification, it’s stability. Try washing with a gentle cleanser to start, then test reducing the number of times you use it to wash your face. If your skin is dry and tired-looking, this could make a big difference.
When you stop fighting your skin and start protecting it, texture improves. Tone evens. Makeup sits better. Sometimes less is more and the biggest improvements come from doing less.
