Your 50s can bring about some of the most dramatic changes to your skin, largely thanks to the hormonal shifts that happen during and after menopause.

According to multi-award-winning aesthetic doctor Dr Ana Mansouri, founder of Dr Ana The Skin Clinic, many women notice that skin suddenly feels drier, thinner and less robust than before, while pigmentation, fine lines and loss of firmness also become more visible.

This happens as collagen and elastin production – the skin’s natural source of bounce and resilience – starts to decline more rapidly. “Broken sleep and insomnia are often symptoms of menopause, and this can have a significant impact because sleep is essential for skin repair,” she explains, adding that delicate areas such as the eyes, neck and décolletage often need more attention this decade, too.

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With the onslaught of hormonal fluctuations during menopause, you might feel there’s little you can do to improve matters. But despite these changes, it doesn’t mean it’s time to wave the white flag. Instead, it’s about understanding what your skin needs now and giving it the comfort, hydration and care it deserves.

The best skincare routine to follow in your 50s, according to experts

Rather than overloading skin with strong acids or too many active ingredients, Dr Mansouri recommends focusing on hydration, barrier support and consistent SPF application. She warns that “over-exfoliating can weaken the skin barrier, leaving it irritated, dehydrated and more sensitive,” adding that, just as in any other decade of our lives, sun damage remains one of the biggest contributors to collagen breakdown and pigmentation.

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You don’t need to spend a fortune or jump into a complicated routine, Dr Mansouri also insists. Instead, she advises tailoring your products to work with skin during and after menopause with ingredients such as ceramides, peptides, hyaluronic acid, richer moisturisers and gentle retinal products.

Hydrating serums, targeted best eye creams and replenishing overnight treatments can also help support repair while we sleep, with Dr Mansouri adding that the biggest improvements often come from consistency and focusing on overall skin health rather than trying to “aggressively anti-age.”

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Step 1: Cleanse and comfort

With skin often becoming more reactive and dehydrated during perimenopause and menopause, the focus should shift towards thorough yet gentle cleansing, rather than harsh products or over-exfoliating the skin barrier.

CeraVe

Hydrating Cleanser

RRP: £13

This creamy cleanser is a fab skincare staple thanks to its ability to deeply cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or dry. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides, it helps support the skin barrier and lock in moisture – ideal for menopausal skin that’s feeling more sensitive or depleted.

Gatineau

Collagene Expert Melting Cleansing Balm

RRP: £48

Who doesn’t love a balm? And this cleansing balm melts effortlessly into the skin to dissolve makeup, SPF and daily grime while leaving the complexion feeling soft, comforted and hydrated. Formulated with nourishing oils and collagen-supporting ingredients, including marine collagen and peptides.

Step 2: Deep hydration and barrier support

As natural oil production declines, skin often craves richer textures and moisture-replenishing ingredients to help restore comfort, bounce and resilience.

Vichy

Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Serum

RRP: £28

This lightweight but hardworking serum combines hyaluronic acid with Vichy volcanic mineral water to drench skin with hydration and strengthen the skin barrier. Perfect for restoring freshness and suppleness when skin starts to feel less than its best.

L’Oreal Paris

Revitalift Filler [+Hyaluronic Acid] Serum

RRP: £32

A much-loved, affordable buy, this plumping serum uses concentrated hyaluronic acid to help smooth dehydration lines and leave skin looking fresher and juicier. It layers beautifully under moisturiser and works especially well on menopausal skin that’s lost some of its natural elasticity.

Dr.Jart+

Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturising Cream

RRP: £38

Hailed by some as a dry skin hero, this rich cream is packed with barrier-supporting ceramides and skin-softening panthenol. Its velvety texture feels wonderful and leaves skin replenished, soothed and noticeably more supple overnight.

Step 3: Tighten up and strengthen

As collagen decline accelerates, peptides and gentle vitamin A products are particularly helpful for maintaining firmness, texture and skin quality in your 50s.

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PAI

ROSEHIP BIOREGENERATE FACE OIL

RRP: £34

If you prefer a natural approach to skin renewal, this cult facial oil combines rosehip fruit and seed oils rich in antioxidant carotenoids and essential fatty acids to help improve radiance and softness, leaving skin feeling super nourished. We are also fans of Pai’s Retinoid 0.3% Skin Renewal Booster, which is a great next step for slowly introducing vitamin A into your routine.

Avène

Retrinal 0.1% Intensive Cream

RRP: £49

This gentle retinal treatment has all the complexion-boosting benefits of vitamin A without excessive irritation. Formulated with retinaldehyde and soothing Avène Thermal Spring Water, it helps improve pigmentation and fine lines while remaining kind to sensitive skin.

Step 4: Restore radiance and defend skin

Pigmentation and dullness often become more noticeable during menopause, so antioxidant protection and daily application of the best facial sunscreen are essential for helping skin look brighter, fresher and more even-toned.

Vichy

Liftactiv 16% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum

RRP: £39

Formulated with 15% pure vitamin C alongside antioxidant pycnogenol, this brightening serum helps soften uneven tone and leave skin looking more luminous and refreshed over time. Particularly good for dull or lacklustre complexions.

La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+

RRP: £21

It goes without saying that wearing SPF every day, regardless of the weather, is non-negotiable. Just this step alone will help protect against pigmentation, collagen breakdown and premature ageing, and this lightweight formula offers high UVA and UVB protection without leaving skin feeling greasy or heavy, so it’s easy to wear every day under makeup.

Step 6: Extra helpers for delicate skin

The thinner skin around the eyes, neck and chest is often one of the first areas to show signs of menopause-related collagen decline, dryness and loss of elasticity, so in your 50s it’s worth investing in products designed specifically for these areas.

e.l.f.

SKIN Illuminating Eye Cream

RRP: £11

A brilliant budget-friendly eye cream, this lightweight formula helps hydrate and brighten the delicate under-eyes while softening the appearance of tiredness and dehydration lines. Infused with hyaluronic acid and peptides, it leaves the eye area looking fresher, smoother and more awake.

Boost Lab

Edelweiss Neck Firming Serum

RRP: £24.95

Reviewers say this neck serum feels far more luxurious than its price tag suggests, thanks to its silky, lightweight texture and instantly smoothing feel on the skin. Designed specifically for the neck and décolletage area, it combines antioxidant-rich Edelweiss extract with hydrating ingredients to help improve firmness and leave skin looking smoother and more refined with regular use.

No7

Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum

RRP: £35

One of the most talked-about skincare launches in recent years and for good reason. This peptide-led serum was developed to help support the skin’s natural repair process while tackling midlife concerns like lack of firmness, uneven texture and sun damage. As well as the face serum, the range also includes targeted products for the body and neck and décolletage. We think it’s a great mid-price option for science-backed skincare that won’t break the bank.

The expert’s no.1 in-clinic treatment for skin in its 50s

If she had to choose one approach for women in their 50s, Dr Ana Mansouri says she would opt for a combination of skin boosters and LPG Cellu M6 Infinity®. “Lymphatic drainage is so often overlooked, but it’s essential as a first step in improving overall skin quality,” she explains. Originally developed for physiotherapy, the LPG treatment uses precise cellular stimulation to support lymphatic drainage while also helping calm the nervous system, which can have knock-on benefits for the skin, too.

Dr Mansouri then combines this with regenerative injectable treatments such as Sculptra or polynucleotides, which help improve hydration, tissue repair and collagen stimulation for firmer, healthier and more radiant-looking skin. “The results are incredibly natural, which is something many women in this age group are looking for,” she says.

“Skin tends to look fresher, smoother and more rested without looking overdone.” She adds that they can work particularly well around delicate areas such as the eyes, where skin often becomes thinner and more crepey during menopause and beyond.