The Best Skincare for Aging Skin and Wrinkles: An Esthetician’s Guide 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:  If you’re an esthetician looking to better support your older adult clients, understanding the best skincare for aging skin and wrinkles is essential. From gentle exfoliation and hydrating treatments to barrier-boosting ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, this guide breaks down the top non-invasive techniques estheticians can use to help clients age gracefully. Learn how to elevate your facials, recommend smart at-home habits, and choose professional treatments that promote smoother, brighter, healthier mature skin.

We've got a spoiler for you – as clients age, their skin changes. OK, that's not the spoiler, you knew that. This is the spoiler: as their skin changes, their skincare needs change alongside them. 

Mature skin often becomes drier, thinner, slower to exfoliate, and more prone to lines, wrinkles, dullness, and loss of elasticity. 

But here’s the good news: estheticians are uniquely positioned to help older adults age gracefully with confidence, comfort, and glowing skin.

Whether you're treating clients in their 50s, 60s, 70s, or beyond, your expertise can dramatically improve the look and feel of their skin through gentle professional treatments, nurturing touch, and targeted skincare ingredients. 

And the best news of all is that you don’t need needles, fillers, or anything invasive to help older clients see meaningful improvements in their skin's appearance or health.

This guide breaks down the best skincare for aging skin and wrinkles, the most effective esthetician techniques, and the top habits to encourage long-term results.

Why Aging Skin Needs a Different Approach

Before we dive in, we want to make one point abundantly clear – aging isn’t a flaw. Aging is a normal, beautiful biological process and it's a fact of life that gets infinitely easier to accept once we realize it's a lovely process. 

But, of course, the skin undergoes predictable changes over time as it ages, like:

• Decreased collagen and elastin production

• Slower cell turnover

• More dryness or sensitivity

• Fine lines becoming deeper wrinkles

• Thinning skin and reduced firmness

• Uneven skin tone or hyperpigmentation

• Loss of volume

• Increased dehydration

Sometimes, those signs of aging in skin can throw your clients for a real loop.

As much as you might want to, estheticians can’t turn back the clock. 

What you can do is help their skin function better, look smoother, feel softer, and maintain a youthful radiance. 

Many older clients don't want a full, invasive solution – they simply want to feel refreshed and revitalized without extremes or discomfort.

The Best Skincare Ingredients for Aging Skin & Wrinkles

If you work with clients who have mature skin or you want to specialize in aging skin solutions, here are the top ingredients that we recommend incorporating into facials for your clients. 

Retinoids (Vitamin A Derivatives)

Retinoids are a long-time fave of the skincare world because they support cell turnover, soften fine lines, refine texture, and improve radiance. Even gentle retinol formulas work beautifully for older clients when used correctly. 

Consider using:

• Retinol-infused serums

• Encapsulated Vitamin A formulas for sensitive skin

• Retinoid alternatives (bakuchiol) for delicate or reactive skin

Retinoids can be an incredible tool for clients, but they do require education. Be sure you have resources and a full debrief available for clients using retinoids. Educate clients on slow introduction and sunscreen use (an absolute must).

Hyaluronic Acid

This long-loved ingredient delivers intense hydration by pulling moisture into the skin – making mature skin look plumper and smoother almost instantly. While it doesn't turn back time or completely get rid of wrinkles, the hydration element can help skin appear healthier and decrease the appearance of lines. 

Here's a peek at how estheticians like to use it with their clients:

• As a hydrating serum under masks

• During oxygen infusion treatments

• Paired with LED therapy for hydration + repair

Vitamin C

This powerhouse brightens, supports collagen production, reduces sun damage, and improves uneven tone – all major concerns for aging skin.

During facials, it can be applied as:

• A brightening serum

• A Vitamin C + enzyme combo

• Infusion through hydrafacial or microderm (depending on skin tolerance)

It's also helpful to have go-to resources on hand to provide your clients with context and information. Consumer guides like Vogue's best wrinkle cream resources is a fab option for clients wanting more information on products that might work best with mature skin. 

Niacinamide

Niacinamide is a magical ingredient that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces redness, softens fine lines, and improves elasticity. Translation?? This one is an ideal ingredient for aging skin that’s become a bit more delicate.

Try using niacinamide in: 

• Moisturizers

• Barrier creams

• Anti-aging serums

• Post-exfoliation repair treatments

Popular Esthetician Techniques That Support Aging Skin

Thinking that mature skin is a new speciality of yours? There are a few high-impact services estheticians like you can offer to provide hydrating, gentle, and effective treatments for your clients – no injectables or invasive treatments needed.

Exfoliation & Peels – Gentle, Skin-Appropriate

As cell turnover slows with age, dead skin builds up faster, causing dullness, deepened lines, and uneven texture. Professional exfoliation reveals smoother, brighter skin underneath.

You can try options like AHA peels (lactic/glycolic), enzyme exfoliation, or even low-strength chemical peels for texture + pigment. Be mindful as you create formulas for your clients: mature skin can be sensitive. Patch test, monitor, and choose gentle formulas.

And, of course, every time you add a new service, you should be covered. If peel services are on the horizon, exfoliation and peel liability insurance is a must. 

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is one of the most effective non-invasive tools for both acne-prone skin and aging skin. It supports collagen production, reduces inflammation, improves circulation, and enhances elasticity.

While there are a ton of benefits for older clients, these are a few favorites to make sure your clients are aware of: 

• Softer lines

• Improved firmness

• Overall glow

You know what we're going to say next, right? If you add a new service like this one, make sure you're covered for it. (Peep our red light therapy insurance here). 

Microdermabrasion & Microneedling-Style Services 

Microdermabrasion can help resurface the skin, improve texture, and soften wrinkles by removing dead skin and stimulating cell turnover.

The big caveat here is to offer these services within your state and licensing scope. Depending on your state scope, some estheticians may also offer microneedling-adjacent, non-medical depth treatments.

Always check legality and training requirements for your state if you're thinking about certification for these, and of course, make sure you have microdermabrasion and microneedling coverage before you offer these services. 

Hydrafacials for Older Skin

Hydrafacials are fantastic for mature clients because they combine exfoliation, extraction, and hydration in a single gentle treatment. Many devices have boosters specifically targeted toward wrinkles, elasticity, and antioxidant repair.

Benefits include:

• Hydration (critical for aging skin)

• Brightening

• Plumping effect

• More even texture

Lifestyle Tips Estheticians Should Recommend to Older Clients

The beautiful news is that you can control what happens to your clients' skin when they visit in-office. But your clients may only see you once or twice a month – it's really their daily habits that make the biggest difference. 

The best thing you can do is drive that point home and encourage simple, sustainable practices.

Sunscreen Every Single Day 

UV exposure is the #1 cause of premature aging. Daily SPF protects collagen, prevents pigmentation, and slows the development of new wrinkles.

Recommend:

• SPF 30+
• Mineral or hybrid formulas
• Consistent reapplication for outdoor exposure

Moisturize + Hydrate on the Reg

Older skin needs more water and lipids to stay plump and comfortable – more than your clients might even imagine!

Encourage things like this for your clients: 

• Hydrating serums in the morning
• Rich moisturizers at night
• Drinking water regularly
• Avoiding dehydrating habits (excess alcohol, harsh cleansers)

Remind Them That Clean Skin Means Happy Skin

A gentle cleansing routine removes pollution, oils, and makeup that can accelerate aging.

Recommend products and practices like non-stripping cleansers, removing makeup nightly, double cleansing when needed, and avoiding overly-hot water, which worsens dryness.

Remember, the best routine is one your client will actually do. Your clients love easy, doable routines – keep it simple and repeatable.