These days it seems like whenever we ladies of a ‘certain age’ get together, one of the inevitable topics that comes up is how older women take care of their skin.

Part of the problem is that we just don’t think of ourselves as ‘older.’ In our minds we’re still the same smart girls we started out as in our younger days, just more experienced. Unfortunately, our skin is ‘more experienced, ‘ too.

However, scientists have invested so much research in learning about skin and how it works that we’re blessed with a whole new range of products and treatments especially for mature skin. Many of us like to think of our skin as ‘experienced, ‘ just like us. And what some of those experiences have been! We’re outside more, enjoying sports, traveling or sightseeing, but we’re also getting lots more exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays that can damage skin. We’re exposed to more pollutants in the air from dust and smog. Most of all, the fact that we’re juggling jobs and family responsibilities, household chores and social relationships just piles more and more stress on our bodies, including our skin.

Thankfully there are more options for restoring our poor, stressed-out skin. One of these is really exciting – treatment using intense pulsed light. These sessions are supervised by medical professionals and they’ve achieved some astounding results. Skin blemishes that we once couldn’t get rid of, like age spots, freckles and redness, can be reversed using these treatments. Even such unsightly things as spider veins can be reduced or eliminated.

Another treatment that’s made great strides is the whole realm of anti aging skin care products. Even 20 years ago we knew very little about things like antioxidants, collagen and the like. Now there are whole shelves full of these kinds of products in the health and beauty sections of department stores and drug stores.

Of course, the thing that works best with these products is the same kind of discipline we were taught early on about good skin care: the old ‘cleanse-tone-moisturize’ formula, twice a day. Only now we have so many new products to try, the regimen might be ‘cleanse-tone-moisturize-treat!’ It all depends on how a woman’s skin responds to the products she’s trying, because each woman’s skin reacts differently. The trick is to keep trying products until we find the right combination. It’s a good idea to try a new product for at least six to eight weeks to give it plenty of time to work properly. Otherwise, our skin might become over-sensitive from too many changes over too short a period of time.

Finding that perfect restorative product can take some time. However once it’s found, a woman would sooner give up her beauty perfume than part with her skin care product!