Glance at your phone at any given time, and what do you see? Probably an avalanche of tweets, TikTok videos, Facebook updates and Instagram posts ― many of them touting a trendy new skin care product from older women having great skin or some influencer’s morning and nighttime routines. It’s truly impossible to keep up with what’s hot in skin care (eco-friendly packaging, electrolytes) while maintaining some knowledge of what docs say is actually effective (retinol, squalane, hyaluronic acid).
On the flip side, you’ll see the internet go crazy when it finds out Elizabeth Warren, whose skin is absolutely glowing at age 70, never washes her face and uses nothing but Pond’s moisturizer.
HuffPost turned to the OG skin care gurus: moms, aunts, grandmas and other women over the age of 55 who’ve accumulated life experience that has only made their faces more beautiful. They told us exactly what they do to keep their skin looking and feeling luminous. older women
Among their recommendations, you’ll find tried-and-true favorites like Vaseline and Oil of Olay, and beloved brands like Kiehl’s, Philosophy and Cetaphil. Some of the women shop at Sam’s Club, Walmart and Family Dollar, while others rely on products from higher-end brands. The one thing they all have in common? Unanimous agreement that sunscreen, exercise and drinking lots of water are essential to skin health. older women
If you want to snag some of their go-to products for your own bathroom shelf, read on for their recommendations (and reminiscences).
Darlene Oates, 60

Morning and nighttime routine: Splash face with water, then apply organic coconut oil.
Darlene says: “I think keeping it simple is the best way to go, honestly. I splash my face with lukewarm water and then I apply the coconut oil onto my skin. I rub it in a rotational direction around my cheeks, in the T-zone, and just get it into my cells.” older women
Geri “Nana” Fotsch, 87
Mom of eight; grandmother of 31; great-grandmother of 14; patron of/volunteer at Ronald McDonald House, Marquette University, Women’s Care Center (Milwaukee), Operation Finally Home, Kathy’s House (Milwaukee) and others
Morning routine:
- Splash face with water older women
- StriVectin SD Advanced PLUS Intensive Moisturizing Concentrate
- StriVectin Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles (both purchased at Costco)
Nighttime routine: Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes followed by the StriVectin moisturizer and eye cream

