Best Skincare for Men Over 40: A Simple Anti-Ageing Routine

There’s something slightly suspicious about skincare advice for men over 40. Apparently, you turn 40 and suddenly need an eye serum, three acids, retinol, peptides, a facial roller and a 12-step evening ritual performed precisely 20 minutes before bed. You really don’t.

That said, your skin probably isn’t behaving exactly as it did at 25. Maybe your face feels drier after shaving. The lines around your eyes linger when you stop smiling. Your skin looks more tired after a bad night’s sleep. Or perhaps you’ve finally realised that washing your face with whatever happens to be in the shower isn’t quite cutting it anymore.

That’s normal. The best skincare routine for men over 40 doesn’t need to be complicated. For most men, getting the basics right - cleansing, moisturising, caring for the skin after shaving and wearing sunscreen - will take you surprisingly far. If you want to do more, you can add to it later.

What Actually Happens to Men's Skin After 40?

Skin ageing doesn’t suddenly begin on your 40th birthday. It’s been quietly happening for years. Collagen and other structural components of the skin change with age, while years of UV exposure become more visible. Your skin may retain moisture differently, recover more slowly and show expression lines that remain even when your face is relaxed.

For many men, shaving adds another variable. Dragging a razor across your face several times a week is repeated mechanical stress. If your skin recovered from it effortlessly when you were younger, you may find that redness, dryness and post-shave tightness become more noticeable later on.

Then there’s sun exposure. If you spent your twenties and thirties outdoors without thinking much about sunscreen—and plenty of us did—the cumulative effects may start showing as uneven tone, pigmentation, rougher texture and deeper lines.

None of this means you need to wage war on your face. The aim isn’t to make 45-year-old skin look 25. It’s to keep it looking healthy, comfortable, smooth and well cared for. That’s a much better target.

If You Only Do Four Things, Do These

A men’s skincare routine over 40 can be surprisingly short: cleanse, moisturise and apply sunscreen in the morning; use aftershave after shaving; then cleanse and moisturise again at night. That’s your foundation.

Everything else - serums, eye creams, exfoliators, masks and retinoids - is optional. Each product should solve a specific problem rather than simply take up space in your bathroom.

And yes, cleanser comes first. It’s not particularly exciting, but neither is brushing your teeth. A gentle facial cleanser removes sweat, sunscreen, excess oil, and the day's general buildup without leaving your face feeling like it's been polished with sandpaper.

If your skin feels painfully tight immediately after washing, that isn’t proof that it’s wonderfully clean. Your cleanser may simply be too harsh. Men with oily skin often make this mistake: they try to remove every trace of oil, reach for something aggressively foaming and feel squeaky clean for five minutes before discomfort sets in. Clean skin should still feel like skin.

The Product That Becomes More Important After 40: Moisturiser

If you’ve spent years avoiding moisturiser because you thought it would make your face greasy, it’s worth revisiting that assumption. Modern facial moisturisers don’t all feel heavy. A lightweight cream-gel can work beautifully for combination or oily skin, while drier skin may prefer a richer cream.

Why does moisturiser matter more after 40? Because hydration changes how skin looks almost immediately. Dehydrated skin makes fine lines and rough texture more obvious, while well-moisturised skin looks smoother, softer and generally healthier. A moisturiser also supports the skin barrier, which becomes particularly important if you shave regularly or use active ingredients.

Depending on your skin type, look for ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, nourishing oils and mineral complexes. At Jericho Skincare Australia, many of our men’s creams and facial moisturisers combine moisturising ingredients with Dead Sea minerals and botanical extracts, making them easy to incorporate into a straightforward routine without building a shelf full of separate products.

Then There’s Sunscreen: The Anti-Ageing Step Men Keep Skipping

If you ask what the most important anti-ageing skincare product is and expect me to say an expensive serum, this section may be disappointing. It’s sunscreen.

UV exposure is one of the major external contributors to visible skin ageing. Over time, it contributes to wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, roughness and changes in skin texture. In Australia, that isn’t exactly a minor consideration.

You can spend good money on peptides, retinoids and anti-ageing creams at night, but if your skin is repeatedly exposed to significant UV radiation without adequate protection during the day, you’re making the job much harder. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen suitable for your skin and follow Australian sun-protection guidance.

Think of sunscreen less as the glamorous anti-ageing treatment and more as the thing that protects the investment you’re making everywhere else.

Shaving Is Skincare, Whether You Call It That or Not

This is where men’s skincare advice often gets strangely disconnected from reality. For many men, shaving is the thing they do to their face most frequently, so why wouldn’t it be part of the skincare routine?

Every razor pass creates friction. Too much pressure, repeated passes, shaving against the grain or using a blunt blade can leave skin red, tight and irritated. As skin becomes drier or less resilient with age, your old shaving routine may simply stop feeling as comfortable.

Start by softening the beard with warm water. Use enough shaving cream or gel to create proper slip, and let it sit briefly rather than applying it and immediately attacking your face with the razor. Then shave gently. You don’t need to press the blade into your skin to convince the hair to leave.

Once you’ve finished, don’t treat aftershave as an optional splash of fragrance. A good aftershave can be one of the most useful skincare products a man owns.

What Should an Aftershave Do for Men Over 40?

Traditional aftershave was often associated with one experience: splash, burn, pretend it doesn’t hurt. Times have changed.

Modern aftershave balms and creams can be much closer to skincare treatments. They can help soothe post-shave skin, replenish moisture and reduce that dry, tight feeling. For men over 40, I’d generally pay more attention to hydrating and soothing aftershave formulas than to how dramatically they sting.

Look for ingredients such as aloe vera, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, botanical oils, antioxidants and soothing plant extracts. Dead Sea mineral aftershaves are another interesting option, particularly when they’re formulated alongside moisturising and calming ingredients.

Jericho Skincare Australia’s men’s collection includes mineral-rich aftershaves and facial care from Dead Sea skincare ranges including Black Pearl Heroic Men and Juman Dead Sea, designed to make post-shave care part of the skincare routine rather than an afterthought.

If your face feels better after applying your aftershave than it did before, you’re heading in the right direction.

Aftershave or Moisturiser? You May Need Both

It depends on the products and your skin. If you use a rich aftershave balm and your skin feels comfortable afterwards, you may not need another cream immediately. If your aftershave is lightweight and your skin still feels dry, apply moisturiser afterwards.

The order is simple: shave, aftershave, moisturiser if needed. You don’t need to wait 17 minutes between each step. Let one product settle briefly, then move on.

What About Fine Lines and Wrinkles?

Now we get to the part most people actually mean when they search for anti-ageing skincare for men. First, wrinkles aren’t a skincare failure. Faces move. Skin ages.

The goal isn’t to erase every line from your face, but you can use ingredients that help improve the appearance of fine lines, texture and firmness. This is where peptides and retinoids become useful.

Peptides are found in many anti-ageing serums, eye creams and moisturisers. Different peptides have different functions, but they’re commonly included in formulas designed to support smoother, firmer-looking skin.

Retinoids—including cosmetic retinol and retinal—have a stronger evidence base for photoageing and can help improve fine lines, texture and uneven pigmentation over time. There’s a catch, though: retinoids can irritate skin.

If you’re already shaving several times a week, introducing a strong retinoid every night while exfoliating enthusiastically is a fairly efficient way to make your face unhappy. Start gradually. More isn’t always more.

Do Men Over 40 Need a Serum?

No. But a serum can be useful. There’s a difference.

If you already cleanse, moisturise and protect your skin from the sun, adding one targeted serum can address something specific. If your main concern is dehydration, look for hyaluronic acid or other humectants. For visible ageing and firmness, consider peptides. For uneven tone and antioxidant support, vitamin C may be worth exploring. For more established photoageing concerns, a retinoid used appropriately at night may make sense.

One targeted serum is usually enough to start. Buying five and layering them all together doesn’t make you five times younger. It mostly makes your bathroom more expensive.

And Do You Really Need an Eye Cream?

That depends on what you’re expecting from it. The skin around the eyes is thinner and can show dehydration, fine lines and tiredness quite readily. A well-formulated eye cream can provide targeted hydration and may contain ingredients such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants or caffeine.

If your regular moisturiser works comfortably around your eyes and you’re happy with it, an eye cream isn’t mandatory. If crow’s feet, dryness or tired-looking eyes are a particular concern, a dedicated eye product may earn its place.

That’s really how every extra skincare product should be judged: does it have a job? If the answer is no, you probably don’t need it.

Your Evening Routine Doesn’t Need to Become a Ceremony

At night, wash your face even if you showered in the morning. During the day, you’ve accumulated sunscreen, oil, sweat and whatever the weather decided to throw at you.

Then apply any targeted treatment you’re using and finish with moisturiser. Your routine might be cleanser, peptide serum, moisturiser, or cleanser, retinol or retinal, moisturiser. On nights when your skin feels dry, it might simply be cleanser and moisturiser.

That last one is still skincare. Not every night needs an active ingredient.

What About Dead Sea Minerals for Men’s Skin?

Dead Sea minerals aren’t a replacement for retinol, peptides or sunscreen. They have a different role.

Mineral-rich skincare fits particularly well into a routine focused on cleansing, hydration, and comfort, especially when Dead Sea minerals are combined with moisturising ingredients, botanical oils, and antioxidants.

For men who don’t want a complicated routine, multifunctional products make sense. A good mineral moisturiser doesn’t require another five products around it, and a well-formulated mineral aftershave can soothe and moisturise while fitting naturally into something you’re already doing.

That’s particularly valuable for men who want better skin but have absolutely no intention of turning their bathroom into a beauty department. Fair enough.

Dry Skin After 40? Make This Your Priority

If your face regularly feels tight or rough, don’t start by buying the strongest anti-ageing active you can find. Fix the dryness first.

Use a gentle cleanser and choose a richer moisturiser. If your current post-shave splash leaves your skin tight, switch from an aggressive, alcohol-heavy formula to a moisturising balm or cream. Avoid very hot water and be careful with scrubs.

Once your skin feels comfortable and balanced, think about adding peptides, vitamin C or a retinoid. A calm, well-hydrated face is a much better starting point for anti-ageing skincare than an irritated one.

Oily Skin? You Still Need Moisturiser

Being over 40 doesn’t automatically mean dry skin. Plenty of men still have combination or oily skin. The answer isn’t to skip moisturiser; it’s to choose the right one.

Look for lighter creams, lotions or cream-gel textures that hydrate without feeling excessively rich. And don’t confuse oil with hydration. Skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time.

If you’re constantly stripping it with harsh cleansers and then refusing to moisturise because it looks shiny, you may be making the whole situation more difficult than necessary.

Sensitive Skin and Shaving Need a Little More Strategy

If shaving regularly leaves your neck red, burning or covered in small bumps, the answer probably isn’t another aggressive active. Look at your shaving technique first. Is the blade sharp? Are you shaving the same area repeatedly? Are you pressing too hard? Does the hair on your neck grow in several directions? Are you applying something highly fragranced immediately afterwards?

Then simplify the skincare around shaving days. A gentle cleanser, proper shaving product, soothing aftershave and moisturiser may be all your skin wants. Save your stronger treatments for another evening.

Exfoliation After 40: Useful, but Easy to Overdo

Exfoliation can help remove accumulated surface cells and leave skin feeling smoother, but your face doesn’t need to be scrubbed into submission. Once or twice a week may be plenty for many men, depending on the exfoliant and your skin type.

If you use retinol or retinal, pay even more attention to how much exfoliation you’re doing. The combination of regular shaving, retinoids and aggressive exfoliation can quickly become too much.

If your products suddenly sting, your skin is peeling and your face feels permanently tight, don’t add another product to “fix” it. Use fewer.

The Simple Anti-Ageing Routine for Men Over 40

If you’ve read this far and are now thinking, Fine, just tell me what to put on my face, here it is. In the morning, use a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. If you want a targeted serum, apply vitamin C or a peptide serum before moisturiser and sunscreen.

After shaving, apply an aftershave balm or cream, followed by moisturiser if needed. In the evening, cleanse and moisturise. If you’re targeting visible ageing, use either a peptide serum or retinol or retinal before moisturising.

That’s enough for an excellent routine. Seriously.

The Five Products I’d Prioritise

If you were building a men’s skincare routine after 40 from scratch, I’d spend money in roughly this order: a good facial cleanser, a moisturiser suited to your skin, broad-spectrum sunscreen, a genuinely good aftershave if you shave and one targeted anti-ageing treatment.

Not ten. Five. And you may only need four.

Once those are working, you can decide whether an eye cream, mask, exfoliator or additional serum would actually improve anything.

Common Mistakes Men Make With Anti-Ageing Skincare

One of the biggest is starting too aggressively. Someone notices a few wrinkles, buys retinol, glycolic acid, vitamin C and a scrub on Saturday, uses everything by Monday and wonders why their face is burning on Wednesday.

Introduce products gradually. Another mistake is spending heavily on treatment serums while using no sunscreen, or using an excellent moisturiser but continuing to shave with a blunt blade. Some men also assume a product needs to sting to be effective. It doesn’t.

Perhaps the most common mistake is expecting visible ageing to disappear. Good skincare can improve how your skin looks and feels. It cannot stop time. Frankly, that sounds exhausting anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best skincare routine for men over 40?

Keep it simple: cleanse, moisturise and use sunscreen in the morning; cleanse and moisturise at night. If you shave, add a soothing aftershave. One targeted serum or retinoid can then be added for specific ageing concerns.

What skincare should a 40-year-old man use?

A gentle cleanser, facial moisturiser, broad-spectrum sunscreen and suitable aftershave form a strong foundation. Peptides, vitamin C or retinoids can be added depending on concerns such as wrinkles, firmness or uneven tone.

Should men over 40 use retinol?

Retinol can be useful for men concerned about fine lines, texture and visible photoageing, but it isn’t mandatory. Start gradually because retinoids can cause dryness and irritation.

What is the best anti-ageing cream for men over 40?

Look beyond the word “men” on the packaging. Choose a moisturiser appropriate for your skin type with useful ingredients such as humectants, peptides, antioxidants, ceramides, nourishing oils or mineral complexes.

Do men need a different moisturiser from women?

Not necessarily. Skin type and formulation matter more than gendered packaging. Some men’s products are designed with lighter textures or post-shave use in mind, which may make them more convenient.

Should men use moisturiser after aftershave?

If your aftershave provides enough hydration and your skin feels comfortable, you may not need another moisturiser immediately. If your skin still feels dry or tight, apply moisturiser afterwards.

What is the best aftershave for men over 40?

Look for a soothing, moisturising aftershave balm or cream that leaves skin comfortable rather than tight. Ingredients such as glycerin, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, botanical oils and mineral complexes can be useful, depending on the formulation.

How can men reduce wrinkles after 40?

Daily sun protection is fundamental. A good moisturiser can immediately improve the appearance of dehydration lines, while ingredients such as retinoids and certain peptides can be used for longer-term visible ageing concerns.

Is it too late to start skincare at 40?

Not remotely. Improving cleansing, moisturising, shaving care and sun protection can benefit your skin at virtually any adult age.

How many skincare products does a man over 40 really need?

Probably fewer than advertising would have you believe. For many men, four or five carefully chosen products are enough to build a very good routine.

Looking After Your Skin Doesn’t Need to Become a Hobby

You don’t have to know the difference between every peptide. You don’t have to photograph your bathroom shelf, and you definitely don’t need a 12-step routine because you’ve turned 40.

Start with the things that matter: clean your skin without stripping it, keep it moisturised, shave gently, use an aftershave that actually cares for your skin and protect your face from the sun.

Then, if fine lines, pigmentation or firmness bother you, introduce one targeted treatment. That’s it.

Because the best skincare for men over 40 isn’t the routine with the most products. It’s the one you can realistically follow on a Monday morning when you’re already running ten minutes late.