my Skincare after 40 - BLOG
My Skin After 40: The Routine That Finally Worked for Me
I TURNED 45 THIS YEAR
After years of fighting oily skin and enlarged pores, I finally found a routine that makes me feel good in my own skin.
I’ve struggled with my skin for as long as I can remember.
As a teenager, I had incredibly oily skin, breakouts, clogged pores and far too much sebum. My skin always seemed to be doing something I didn’t want it to do.
Like so many teenagers, I tried everything.
And thankfully, things improved somewhat in my twenties and thirties. My hormones changed, my skin calmed down, and I honestly thought that chapter of my life was behind me.
Until I turned 40.
I never expected to find myself dealing with my skin the way I had as a teenager again. But somehow, it felt like I was back there. My skin became oilier, my pores looked larger, I had more redness, and instead of getting better with all the products I was using, it seemed to get worse.
So I started researching.
I read a lot about what happens to our skin during perimenopause and how dramatically hormonal changes can affect it. And suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense.
But knowing why it was happening didn't automatically make my skin better.
I tried product after product. Different cleansers, different treatments, different creams — all designed to improve my skin.
And somehow, I was only making things worse.
My skin became more and more sensitive. My pores never seemed to calm down. The redness increased. And I had the feeling that I was constantly fighting my own face.
Then I did something completely different.
I STOPPED.
I put almost everything away.
All the cleansers. All the products that were supposed to “fix” my skin. All the things I thought I should be using.
And for the first time in a long time, I simply gave my skin a break.
Within just a few weeks, I could see a clear difference.
My skin started to calm down.
It wasn't perfect, but it was less irritated, less overwhelmed and somehow much more balanced.
And that was the moment I realized something that completely changed the way I think about skincare:
Maybe my skin didn't need more. Maybe it needed less.
From there, I slowly built a new routine.
Not a complicated ten-step routine. Not a bathroom full of products.
Just four simple parts that have made the biggest difference for my skin:
Cleansing. Skincare. Sun protection. And my evening routine.
And because I live in the Mediterranean, where we have around 300 days of sunshine a year, I also needed a routine that fits the life I actually live.
I don't want to hide from the sun or live my life indoors. I want to swim, go out for breakfast, sit outside, spend time at the beach and simply enjoy my life.
So this isn't a routine designed for someone living in a dark, cold climate and spending most of the day indoors.
It's my routine for 45-year-old, oily, pore-prone skin — in the Mediterranean.
And the difference has been remarkable.
My skin is noticeably less oily throughout the day. My pores look much more refined, my skin is calmer, and I no longer have that constant feeling of my face being shiny or congested.
And perhaps most importantly:
I feel comfortable in my own skin again.
I don't feel like I have to hide my pores before I leave the house. I don't feel like I need makeup just to feel presentable at breakfast.
My skin simply looks healthier, fresher and more balanced.
This is what works for me:
01
CLEANSING
One of the biggest changes I made was also one of the simplest.
In the morning, I only wash my face with water.
That's it.
No cleanser. No scrubbing. No complicated morning ritual.
I gently pat my face dry with a towel and then apply my pore-refining serum.
Using it consistently has made a noticeable difference to the appearance of my pores. My skin looks more refined, fresher and more balanced.
And I honestly love that I can look in the mirror first thing in the morning and feel good about what I see.
I don't have that old feeling anymore that I need to immediately cover my skin before I can leave the house.
For me, this was one of the first signs that doing less could actually do more.
02
SKINCARE
After my morning cleansing and pore-refining serum, I don't rush through ten different products.
I usually get on with my morning.
I have breakfast, do other things and leave some time between my skincare steps. I like giving each product a little time rather than immediately layering everything on top of each other.
My next step is Vitamin C.
This is the product that gives my skin that beautiful glow — the fresh, youthful, almost sun-kissed look that I love.
The scent isn't my favorite, but because it doesn't contain added fragrance, that's something I'm completely willing to overlook.
For me, how my skin reacts is much more important than how a product smells.
After that comes my eye cream.
And I can honestly say: this is the best eye cream I have ever used.
I've discovered that I can only use eye cream during the day. If I apply it at night, I tend to wake up with puffiness and fluid under my eyes.
So I use it in the morning instead.
And this one has been a complete game changer.
It has a very subtle tint and a slight glow, which makes my eye area look instantly fresher. Since I started using it, I don't even feel the need to use concealer anymore.
My eyes look brighter, more awake and much less tired — without actually covering them up.
The final step is a very small amount of moisturizer.
And this is another lesson I had to learn the hard way:
More moisturizer does not necessarily mean better skin — especially when your skin is still oily.
For years, I believed that once you reach your forties, you should automatically switch to richer and richer creams.
Looking back, I think that was one of my biggest skincare mistakes.
The more rich products I put on my skin because I thought I needed them at my age, the worse the shine and the appearance of my pores became.
Now I use a lightweight gel cream.
It doesn't feel greasy at all, but it still gives my skin the moisture and care it needs.
For me, it's the perfect balance between anti-aging care and a very lightweight moisturizer.
My skin feels hydrated without feeling overloaded.
03
SUN PROTECTION
I live in Antalya, where the sun is a huge part of everyday life. And honestly, I don't want to spend my life avoiding it.
I want to be outside.
I want to swim. I want to sit in the sun. I want to go for breakfast. I want to spend my days at the beach.
So I needed sun protection that fits into my lifestyle — not something that makes me feel like I'm wearing a heavy layer of skincare and makeup.
Most days, I don't wear makeup at all.
Instead, I use a lightly tinted SPF 35.
And I absolutely love it.
It doesn't provide a lot of coverage, and that's exactly why it works so well for me.
It simply gives my skin a beautiful, fresh, slightly sun-kissed look while protecting it at the same time.
I don't feel completely bare-faced, but I also don't feel made up.
And when I'm swimming twice a day during the summer, that makes much more sense to me than putting on a full face of makeup.
This has become one of my absolute everyday essentials.
04
MY EVENING
ROUTINE
My evening routine is probably the simplest part of everything.
When I get ready for bed, I use a cotton pad to remove the last bit of tint from my sunscreen.
And then I don't use everything every night.
Instead, I rotate three different treatments.
One night: an enzyme peel.
The next night: a tonic.
The third night: a retinal shot.
And then I start again.
I really like this approach because my skin doesn't get overwhelmed by too many active ingredients at once.
The enzyme peel helps remove the buildup and little flakes from my skin without harsh mechanical scrubbing.
And I can see the difference quite quickly.
My skin looks smoother, the texture appears more refined and it feels much softer.
For me, this has been especially helpful with my oily skin and visible pores.
On the next night, I use my tonic.
For me, this is about keeping my skin balanced and helping the appearance of my pores look more refined.
Again, the idea isn't to attack my skin.
It's about giving it exactly what it needs — and then leaving it alone.
And then there is retinal.
This has become an important part of my routine because it works for two things I care about at 45: skin aging and the appearance of enlarged pores.
When I started researching skincare after 40, I also learned more about the difference between retinal and retinol.
Retinal is one step closer to the active form that the skin can use, which is one of the reasons I chose to incorporate it into my routine.
And I love that one step can address both the signs of aging and the appearance of my pores.
Because at 45, I don't want to choose between the two.
I want both.
Looking back, the biggest change wasn't one miracle product. It was changing my entire approach to skincare. For years, I thought that if something was wrong with my skin, I needed to do more.
And these are the products that made me love my skin at 45:
1.CLEANSING / Pore Refiner: Every morning, this is my first step. It mattifies my skin and makes my pores look so much smoother, a small routine that makes a real difference all day.
2.SKINCARE / Vitamin C Serum: I've tried so many Vitamin C serums over the years, and most of them left my sensitive skin irritated. This one is the first that never does — just a gentle glow and a fresh look that stays with me the whole day.
3.SKINCARE / Eye Cream: Every morning, this is my first step. It mattifies my skin and makes my pores look so much smoother, a small routine that makes a real difference all day.
4.SKINCARE / Gel Cream: After 40, oily skin still needs balance — anti-aging without heaviness. This Kiehl's gel cream has become my number one for exactly that: it controls shine while still doing the work my skin needs.
5.SUN PROTECTION / Tinted SPF 35: On summer days when I don't want to wear makeup, this is what I reach for. It evens out my skin and gives it a soft glow, so I feel put together without feeling covered.
6.EVENING ROUTINE / Enzyme Peel: This enzyme powder peeling has become part of my weekly ritual. It lifts away oil and flaky skin without ever irritating it, which for my large-pored, oily skin has honestly been a gamechanger.
7.EVENING ROUTINE / Tonic: This tonic really helps balance my skin, reduce excess oil and make my pores appear more refined without drying my skin out.
8.EVENING ROUTINE / Retinal Shot: This retinal shot is great for reducing the appearance of my fine lines and my enlarged pores while supporting smoother, more youthful-looking skin. I really love it!
MY SKIN RESET at 40+
Today, my skin is still oily — but it is so much more balanced. My pores are still there, of course, but they are much less visible. My skin looks smoother, calmer and fresher. And I feel comfortable leaving the house without feeling like I need to cover everything up.
That, for me, is the real result.
Final Thoughts...
Looking back, the biggest change wasn't one miracle product.
It was changing my entire approach to skincare.
For years, I thought that if something was wrong with my skin, I needed to do more.
More cleansing.
More exfoliating.
More products.
More treatments.
More moisture.
But my skin was telling me the opposite.
It needed me to stop fighting it.
It needed less.
And once I understood that, everything became much easier.
Today, my skin is still oily — but it is so much more balanced.
My pores are still there, of course, but they are much less visible.
My skin looks smoother, calmer and fresher.
And I feel comfortable leaving the house without feeling like I need to cover everything up.
That, for me, is the real result.
Not perfect skin.
Not trying to look 25 again.
But looking at my skin at 45 and thinking:
I actually really like my skin :)
And after spending so many years fighting it, that feels like a pretty amazing place to be.
This is the routine that works for me — simple, effective and realistic for the life I actually live.
