Caroline Hirons is a British esthetician and beauty consultant who runs a wildly successful blog and YouTube channel

At 51, she holds 30-plus years of knowledge in the industry that make her content a go-to for everyone from skin care lovers to novices looking for tips, techniques and product recommendations, delivered with honest, no-bullshit opinion and dry wit. 

Caroline Hirons

She’s also been vocal about her confusion over the term “anti-aging” in the beauty industry, as “aging is a privilege that not everyone gets to do.”

“I wouldn’t be in my 20s again if you paid me,” she quipped to BeautyIndependent.com. “All we want to do is make the best of how we look now and stop being criticized for allowing ourselves to age because we’re all going to age.”

One of my most requested columns is tips for women who are 60 and older. Beauty has no age-limit and most of the products that I use are suitable for any age but there are certain concerns that are specific to women over 60. I put together some tips and tricks but I wanted to make sure Caroline’s approach is in the forefront. Aging IS a privilege and the goal isn’t to look 30 years younger — it’s to look and feel better in your own skin.

Take your vitamins.

Vitamins are the basis of a healthy life but topical products containing certain vitamins are paramount to great skin.

Everyone’s routine should contain a vitamin C product but it’s especially key for those preventing signs of aging. Collagen production slows with age which makes, skin looks saggy and drawn. Vitamin C is a super antioxidant that helps kickstart collagen production. Vitamin C also is known to fade dark spots and help skin to look fresher and brighter. As we’ve talked about before, Vitamin C is an unstable ingredient so look for bottle with that protects from air and light (aka no dropper-top bottles) such as Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum.

Vitamin A, aka retinoids, is one of the most beneficial ingredients you can use as it softens lines and wrinkles, rebuilds collagen and repairs sun damage. (It’s also the only ingredients besides SPF that Food and Drug Administration will legally allow to you claim as “anti-aging.”) There’s varying degrees of vitamin C or A in products ranging from drugstore to prestige brands to prescription strength. It really depends on your preference and budget.

 

Don’t forget to hydrate.

As we age, we lose the ability to retain moisture and oil in the face. Adding in rich facial oil such as Clarins Santal Face Treatment Oil helps to replenish what you lost. This will almost immediately make the skin appear plumper and like you’ve had a good night’s sleep. The oil also acts as a barrier to keep moisture in and strengthen your skin’s outer layer  for a bouncy appearance.

 

Cream over powder.

Powder makeup formulas are drying, not to mention that powder creates texture and settles into lines. Cream blushes and eyeshadows (Nars The Multiple is a an all-in-one for eyes, face, lips and body in a range of shades) will melt into skin and provide the hydration your skin is missing. Also, when buying foundation, stay away from matte formulas and opt for hydrating ones instead, with a luminous finish.

 

Color inside the lines.

Eyebrows frame the face and, the younger you are, the fuller your eyebrows. An eyebrow pencil will fill in and shape brows. Follow the natural shape your eyebrows are, now, as trying to recreate the eyebrows from your 20s can look unnatural. 

Natural lip lines fade as we age so invest in a good liner in a few colors to define lips.

 

Keep a smudge-free zone.

Mascara holds the power to transform any look but it can sometimes smudge and run, accentuatuing dark circles, puffiness and fine lines around the eyes. A tubing or fiber mascara is the way to go as it coats the lashes in tubes or fibers instead of pigment and is less likely to smudge. It comes down to preference but my favorite fiber mascara is Glossier Lash Slick, which DOES NOT MOVE until you use warm water or makeup remover. 

 

It’s never too late.

There’s this weird myth that if you haven’t started a skin care routine by the time you’re 60, it’s too late. That’s just not true. While skin care is preventative, there’s plenty of products that will instantly make a difference. Products with glycolic and lactic acids help to gently break up bonds between skin cells to banish dullness. Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum is a great option that works while you sleep and will give you a glow by morning. 

Also, SPF is a must at any age and a guaranteed way to look more refreshed and glowing over time? Quit smoking.