Request A Consultation
Main Menu

Best Women’s Skincare Routine For Women Over 40

Dr. Harmony’s Skincare Routine

People always ask me what I do for my skin. It’s always a work in progress, but I want to share my current routine and thoughts on each item.
My current age is 49 years, so this routine might not be the best for you if you’re younger, or if you have acne or other concerns to address. Make sure to consult with us for your specific needs.

Night Routine

  • Micellar water cleanser at night. (available on Amazon.com)

    • I believe in the benefits of minimalist skin cleansing because it allows the skin to maintain its natural barrier of oils and probiotics that promote a youthful glow and prevent acne and irritation.

    • I simply apply Micellar water to a cotton pad to remove makeup and prep my skin for the wonderful nutrition that’s coming next.

  • SK-II facial treatment essence. (available on Amazon.com)

    • Kate Blanchett looks amazing, and I want to age as gracefully as she does. So, yes, her promotion of this product got me to buy it, but the results got me to keep buying it.

    • After one week of use, my skin started looking much healthier and more vibrant. I noticed a reduction in wrinkles, dark spots, and uneven texture.

    • This product is good for skin of all textures, colors, and ages.

  • Stella cream from Stive Pharmacy (by prescription, it contains GHK-Cu/Estriol/Niacinamide/Tretinoin). Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients:

    • GHK-Cu attracts immune cells and promotes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, stimulating collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in skin fibroblasts and promoting blood vessel growth. It signals tissue remodeling, removing damaged/scarred tissue, and generating new, healthy tissue. I love this ingredient because I have scars on my chin and nose. I’ve found that using GHK-Cu has softened and reduced the scars significantly. It also does this for wrinkles.

    • Estriol is the weakest form of estrogen and plays a significant role in skin elasticity. In a study written up by the NIH, they reported that treatment for 6 months reduced wrinkle depth by 61%, and pore sizes had decreased by up to 100%. They also found that skin moisture had increased and there was an increased numbers of collagen fibers at the end of the treatment period. No significant hormone side effects were noted in this study.

    • Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, helps strengthen the skin’s barrier function, which is essential for maintaining hydration and preventing moisture loss, and reduces redness and irritation in the skin. Niacinamide helps lighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Niacinamide also stimulates collagen synthesis in the skin, which helps improve skin elasticity and firmness.

    • Tretinion is a derivative of vitamin A and is effective for increasing collagen synthesis in the skin. Collagen production naturally declines with age, leading to sagging skin and wrinkles. Tretinoin improves the skin’s natural cell turnover via an exfoliation process, which reduces the appearance of sunspots and improves skin texture.

Morning routine:

  1. Hyaluronic cleanser in the shower. 
  2. SK-II skin treatment essense as described above.
  3. Rapamycin cream from Prime Peptides (by prescription) is best known for it’s “senolytic” effects. This means it helps old cells die when it’s time for them to be replaced. Improving senolysis reduces the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots. It also improves skin texture, elasticity, and hydration, and repairs and protects your skin from UV-induced damage, preserving its natural beauty and health.

The internal routine that promotes healthy skin:

  1. Hydration with plenty of water and electrolytes. Plenty of water means that you aim for drinking about half your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces of water, but if you get 70 ounces of water, you did well! I add a pinch of Himalayan pink salt to my water to get the 82 essential minerals and electrolytes it provides. Your cells can’t absorb water without electrolytes. If you drink the right amount of water but don’t add electrolytes, you’re still dehydrated.
  2. Promoting adequate Growth Hormone levels will optimize your skin by reducing sagging and droopy skin and producing firm muscle structure underneath. You can increase your GH levels by taking a peptide that promotes your own natural production. There are several options available. It’s best to get your blood tested for a baseline level and then start treatment with the recommended prescription. My favorite is called MK677, which is also known as Ibutamoren. Since I’ve started taking it, I find I don’t need to get Botox anymore. The changes in my body and skin have been astounding. After struggling with my weight and signs of aging since entering my 40’s, I now feel and look like I did in my 20’s and 30’s. If prescriptions aren’t for you and you want to try it the old-fashioned way, you can often increase your GH levels naturally with:
    • Intermittent fasting by eating dinner before 7pm and not eating or drinking again until 7am. Twelve to fourteen hour fasts overnight are a great way to reduce the strain of digestion on your body, which improves sleep, cellular repair and healing, and metabolism reset. It’s best not to have any calories within about 3 hours of your normal bedtime.
    • Vigorous activity in the morning sun between 7-10am. This means a round of jumping jacks or jumprope, or doing pushups, jumping squats, or walking lunges. It doesn’t have to take a long time, but you do want to get a little out of breath and do these short burst exercises as if the prize for a higher level of exertion is a million dollars.
    • Resistance training that promotes muscle growth and strength. Lifting weights also promotes a faster metabolism because muscle burns more calories. Resistance training recruits a large number of muscle fibers, which triggers the release of growth hormone as part of the body’s response to the stress of exercise.

Enjoy your skin!
Dr. Eve Harmony, ND

Related Blogs

Eternity Health Partners helps men and women reclaim lost energy and vigor, sharpen thinking, improve memory, decrease body fat

MEET ELIZABETH BECKNER AND DAISHA ESCAMILLA

OUR CALIFORNIA LICENSED PHLEBOTOMISTS

Liz started doing personal blood draws after her son, Dashiell, was born with Zellwegers disease. His diagnosis required numerous blood draws and drug levels throughout his life. After sitting through long wait times at the labs followed by watching many different phlebotomists, many new to the job, struggle to find his veins, often poking him multiple times, as a seasoned phlebotomist, Liz decided to draw his blood at home and hand deliver it to the lab myself. Soon after she began doing personal touch blood draws so she can now offer that same personalized service to you.

Liz graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Biology in 1994. She moved to Santa Barbara and earned her phlebotomy certificate in 1995. Liz began working at St. Francis Medical Center in the Physical Therapy Department and quickly transferred to the Laboratory. Perfecting her venipuncture techniques on all floors of the hospital, including post-operative patients, pregnant women going into labor, sick or premature babies, and emergency room patrons, she then improved her patient care skills working for internal medicine doctors, one of whom was the Medical Director of Hospice and won Doctor of the Year. In 1999, Liz started working with a group of local retinal surgeons. Her primary job consisted of injecting dye into arm veins and photographing its flow through the patients retinal vessels. When patients are worried about their diagnosis or apprehensive about the procedure because of difficult veins, her quick, almost pain free needle stick and kind but professional bed side manner would put them at ease.

The various settings and patients Liz has encountered over the years have enabled her to become very skilled at finding the smallest and most fragile of vessels. Her specialities include infants and the elderly, diabetics of all ages, patients with rolling veins, on blood thinners or chemotherapy. She lives in downtown Santa Barbara, travels from Goleta to Carpintera and brings all the necessary supplies directly to you. All she needs from you is a lab request and your home or office becomes an instant draw station. Appointment times are very flexible, and she is friendly, reliable and punctual. Be kind to your arm and treat yourself to the luxury blood draw you deserve!!!

MEET MICHAEL BROOKINS; BS, CNMT, ABAAHP

Mike brings more than just a medical perspective to his clients; at the age of 14, he began an athletic career as a pole-vaulter that would end up taking him on an incredible journey over the next 13 years of his life. Throughout his athletic journey Mike was constantly working to find the ideal balance of fitness and proper nutrition in order to maximize his performances. Combined with his medical knowledge the years of athletic experience provide a unique and successful combination that serve to benefit his staff and clients.

“After I shifted the focus of my practice from Sports Medicine into Nuclear Medicine specifically Interventional Endocrinology. I found myself questioning our western medical paradigm…Here I was performing thyroid cancer and Hyperthyroidism treatments with harmful radical thyroid radioactive ablations which really made me take a hard look in the mirror and become more of a researcher to find safer and more effective options to better treat my clients. During my research I realized that there were very few, if any, medically directed programs focused towards achieving a “Healthier Lifestyle” rather than typical “Diet” fads.” A few years later after training and working with some of the worlds foremost Bio-identical Hormone Replacement specialists I became Board Certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. Sort of just found my passion and the answers I had been looking for with this new specialty finally after years of treating people with the Band-Aid “fix it when its broken” mentality instead of at the root cause.”

Mike has spent the last 10 years in Anti-Aging, Functional and Regenerative Medicine. He has trained over 120 physicians in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and consulting for their practices. Today his vision is a reality, and clients from all of the world come to benefit from the successful programs that have been established at Age Management Institute Santa Barbara. He firmly believes in educating the patient about the importance of good nutrition, hormone balance, stress management, and regular exercise is the key to aging well and having a high quality of life well into your golden years.