Your Best Skin as You Get Older

Things change as we get older, but you don't need me to tell you that.  I get more questions about the best way to deal with changing skin than anything else.  

When oestrogen levels reduce during the peri-menopause or menopause,  this brings with it a raft of different symptoms:

• Thinner Skin
• Extremely Dry Skin
• Dull Skin
• Red-ness and Flushing
• Increased sensitivity

The bad news is that I don't have anything up my sleeve that is going to magically slow the ageing process down.

I won't promise you miracles.  If you are looking for instant eternal youth or those before and after pictures where a 50 year old morphs into a 20 year old you're in the wrong place. 

But there are a number of changes you can make for a positive difference. To make your life easier, to care for and nourish your skin in an honest way. 

My customers want to look like themselves, just better.

 

Once we are free of the expectations set in the media of what beauty looks like, (and unsurprisingly it’s not the face of a teenager in a woman's body), we can focus on caring for ourselves in a way that nurtures our skin and allows us to feel healthy and well.

Exaggerated promises are exactly that - and we are too savvy to be taken in by false advertising and empty claims.

Here are some of my favourite strategies:

 

Gentle Exfoliating

 

Be gentle - no scrubbing your skin within an inch of its life.  Exfoliating gently is fine.  A spot of dry body brushing is also good.  But avoid any sandpaper like action - this is simply going to result in sore, aggravated skin.

As levels of oestrogen drop, it's not just drying our skin out, it also becomes more sensitive.  The dryer it becomes, the more vulnerable it becomes.

 

 The Best Natural Oils for Mature Skin

 

Plant oils are great for dry skin, it's just about finding the right ones.  Think make up remover, body and face moisturiser, the ability to reduce scarring and pigmentation and all those vitamins and nutrients.

Oils rich in olieic acid are good for dry skin.  Some of my favourites are Argan, Camellia, Baobab and Macadamia.

These oils have a richer, nourishing and sometimes heavier feel - but they also  have the ability to replenish dry skin.

I could wax lyrical about the virtues of facial oils forever.  They are amazing for dry and mature skin types.

I have designed my Facial Essence with Rose & Blackcurrant to be deeply nourishing, hydrating and softening specifically for skins that need a moisture boost but without any greasy or heavy feeling. 

 

 The Best Essential oils for Anti-Ageing Skin

 

Some essential oils are especially suited to dry, mature skins with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Frankincense is a favourite for older skins, it has a beautiful aroma and is a real powerhouse of skin healing and repairing properties, due to it containing boswellic acid.

 It's not going to change you over night, but it can help with the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, scars and blemishes.  And the aroma helps improve feelings of happiness and positivity.

 Rose oil has an exquisite scent, nothing like the synthetic, cloying copy-cat scent most of us are familiar with.  It's excellent for helping with dry and mature skin, broken capillaries and fine lines.  Not to mention its ability to lift the spirit, de-stress and calm the soul. 

There's a catch though.  It's extremely expensive to produce which is why there are so many synthetic copies on the market.  It takes over 60 roses to produce just one drop of rose otto flower oil.

Neroli has rejuvenating and regenerating benefits plus it's anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory.  Extracted from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, it has a divine scent.  Originally from China and India, the Seville orange tree is thought to have been brought over to Europe by the Crusaders.

Lifestyle Tips

 

Products are not the whole story.  Even the amazing ones!

While a topical product can and will make a positive difference, ageing is part of a wider body wide process.

What you eat counts.  A sensible, balanced, vitamin rich diet plays a key part in how we age.

Be sensible about how much time you spend in the sun.

A little relaxing in the sun is great, we feel good about ourselves and revitalised.  Our bodies need vitamin D, which our bodies create directly from the sun.  

But the flip side is that exposure to ultraviolet rays can speed up the ageing process.  Balance your time between the sun and shade, sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection is your friend.

Sleep is not a luxury but a necessity (despite how it sometimes feels).

It's called beauty sleep for a reason.  The time you spend sleeping is when your body repairs itself, and is crucial to how you look and feel.

 

Join it all Together

 

Most of my customers come to me, disheartened with commercial skincare, with a desire to use real ingredients and understand exactly what these are and be sure they are not dangerous or toxic.  

As we age, there's no getting away from the fact that Mother Nature has some sneaky little tricks up her sleeve.

The sahara dry skin - and the more dry or and dehydrated our skin is, the more haggard our skin looks.

If you are really unlucky you might see a breakout of spots which you have been free from since your teens.  (If this is you, check out my Facial Essence with Rose & Marula which is specially designed for misbehaving skin).

It's not all doom and gloom.  You will be amazed by the difference pure, effective natural skincare can be.

Just remember it's important to pick botanical ingredients that will work with rather than against your skin. 

Plant oils are magical, their different properties mean you can manage skin that is prone to dehydration and break outs.  Couple that with a healthy diet and you're good to go.

 

Less is more - a little simplicity

The idea behind The Rose Tree is  grown up beauty.  Less about looking 10 years younger and more about feeling amazing.  The best ingredients for the job, not the cheapest. The finest natural and organic plant oils and butters,  selected for their effectiveness. 

I am all about being small, because small means personal, and comes with great service. I want finding beauty that works to be easy.  I am passionate about manufacturing  in Britain, sourcing ingredients ethically and being able to give a little back to the world.

 

My customers tend to fall into two groups.

They're either in their 30s and  40s juggling kiddies and jobs.

Or they tend to be in the 40s, 50s, and upwards - and are juggling busy lives with and adapting to their skin's changing needs, perimenopause, menopause and beyond.

 

I'm all about ignoring the rules, must have products, must have ingredients, it's exhausting.  Let's ditch this idea that you need tens of products and a 10 step skincare routine.

 

Simplicity is good.

My face oils, balms and creams are all designed to nurture and protect.  

For skin that is  dry, dehydrated, or mature pick my Facial Essence with Rose & Blackcurrant.  It's all about feeding your skin, nourishment, and satiny plumped up skin with generous amounts of Argan, Blackcurrant, Baobab, Camellia and Cranberry oils but no heavy or greasy feeling.

For skin that is prone to oiliness, breakouts and rosacea, or just a little fiddly pick my Facial Essence for Rose & Marula.  Think super soft skin.  Clear skin - with the hand selected essential oils which are inherently anti-bacterial and particularly suited to oily, combination skins.  Plumped up, cushiony, comfortable skin.  It helps keep breakouts under control.  It's perfect if you suffer from red-ness or rosacea.

I'm Olga, founder of The Rose Tree, and I'm more about making  your life easier, to care for and nourish your skin in an honest way. 

Nurturing and coaxing  tricky into looking the best it can.  

I use flower and plant oils with therapeutic benefits, to relax your mind and body, de-stress your mind, energise you. 

To my mind radiant, glowing skin and a relaxed happy you will never go out of fashion.  I think beauty is about feeling good.

I'm in my 50s now, and I've been fascinated by plant oils since I was a child.

Today I run my very small but multiple award winning business and am all about serving my lovely customers.

I used to have a 'proper' job commuting in and out of London, working crazy hours for a big blue chip organisations.  I was a tad stressed, and my skin was not very happy,

 

I still works crazy hours  but for herself, creating beauty and wellbeing goodies. Grown up beauty designed to make your life easier, that's a little clever, and that's a little easy.

 

The Rose Tree is a multiple award winning British beauty brand with a focus on grown up beauty.  The finest natural and organic plant oils and butters,  selected for their effectiveness.  A small boutique producer which offers great service, who manufactures in Britain with a focus on sourcing ingredients ethically and giving back through it’s partnership with Buy1Give1.  

What women are saying about us...

"As if it wasn't bad enough that the menopause and lack of oestrogen has dried my skin to the point of reptilian , I was horrified to keep having outbreaks of spots too - talk about insult to injury . Was sceptical that an oil would help - but on a friend's recommendation tried this oil and it clears any outbreaks overnight! Amazing!"  Justine

"I have tried many other products - top of the line products - none of which accommodated the change to my maturing skin. How I wish I'd found The Rose Tree products years ago. My skin looks and feels wonderfully nourished." - Kara Joy

"I love The Rose Tree products. The mango and carrot cleanser is a joy to use on my older, dryer skin. The body oils are super, smell gorgeous and leave my skin smooth. The rose and blackcurrant facial oil is another favourite and my new lip balm is great. Yes Olga, you’re doing a great job, thank you. " - Elaine

At The Rose Tree, I believe that grown up beauty means being responsible.  This includes sourcing ingredients ethically, manufacturing in England, and giving a little back. 

I care about making my products safe and healthy for you—and our planet. I package the majority of products in glass.  I am extremely picky about my ingredients.  We never test our products on animals.

I also partner up with Buy1Give1 (B1G1),  a social enterprise and non-profit organisation with a mission to create a world full of giving. Unlike conventional giving models, B1G1 helps small and medium-sized businesses achieve more social impact by embedding giving activities into everyday business operations and creating unique giving stories.

That means, with your help, we can make a small but positive difference.