It’s finally here!  My complete guide to best foundation for women over 40!  This has been a long time coming to say the least.  I initially thought the post would be much quicker but after diving into it I realized I wanted to be as thorough as possible and answer all the questions that I get on a consistent basis when it comes to mature skin and foundation.

*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.  This comes at no cost to you, but is paid by the company.  I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly.  If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product. 

*Suzi (Gurl Gone Green) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

You might be reading this and thinking, wait is she over 40?!  No, I’m not but getting closer every year.  However, I enlisted some family and friends to test out the foundations for me.  Of course I tested them out as well just to be able to speak to them but I really wanted to hear from the models themselves who are 40+ on what they thought was the best formula overall.

Huge shoutout to Credo Beauty for sending me all the foundations so I could get them in the hands of the models!  Credo Beauty is my one stop shop for all things clean beauty!  They have it all, from natural skincare, makeup, body products and more.  Like the Sephora of clean beauty but squeaky clean.  Shop all of Credo Beauty here!

What Your Changing Skin Needs

As we age, so does our skin.  It might seem like a no brainer but often we can forget that when it comes to our makeup and skincare products.  What once worked may not work anymore.  Why is 40 the magic number?  Typically when you turn 40 your skin starts to show pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles are more pronounced.  The skin has lost elasticity and firmness which causes overall volume in the skin to be lost.  Your skin needs more hydration, plus products that are going to naturally give your skin a glow and the plumpness that it’s lost.  Foundation can really add some depth and warmth back to mature skin if done correctly.

How to Apply Foundation to Mature Skin

The key to flawless looking foundation for women over 40 or even women under 40 is hydration!  You want to make sure and hydrate the skin properly so you have a great even canvas you’re working with from the start.  And hydrate everywhere!  Especially under your eye area as well.  Get to know your skin type and what it needs.  Some may just need a primer if they have naturally oily or combination skin.  Others who have more dry skin may need an oil or face lotion to really moisturize the skin properly.  Find out what feels good on your skin by trying a few different products and seeing which look the best.  Take a selfie in natural light and see which look better under foundation.  You don’t want anything too oily or greasy that will disrupt the foundation application and longevity but just enough to wear your skin doesn’t feel dry but plump to the touch.

1. Do you need a primer/Does a primer fill in the wrinkles? A primer is a great additive to your makeup routine as you age because it really can help create a seamless canvas.  Even after moisturizing with an oil or a facial lotion a primer can be the little extra that takes your foundation look to the next level.  I recommend primers because they can really help to seal pores.  As you probably know, no matter how big or small your pores are, if you wear a liquid foundation it’s usually can sink into the pores.  Not the look we want.  That’s not all they shield, they also help to make your makeup last longer by blocking the dust/debris from the day.  They also do help fill in fine lines and wrinkles by creating a smooth canvas for your whole complexion.  I heard one makeup artist say it acts like drywall for your face, filling in the gaps where needed and creating an even canvas.  Especially if you get one with silicone in it.  I know there has been some controversy over silicone being a mask and causing breakouts but I disagree.  I think it really depends on your skin and how you tolerate a silicone.  Apply a moisturizer first, then a primer.  A couple of my fave primers in clean beauty are Beautycounter’s Glow First Primer, Exa Just Start Smoothing Primer and Vapour’s Essential Day Primer.
2. Do I put concealer on before or after my foundation? You always want to apply your foundation first, then apply your concealer.  Once you apply your foundation, you can spot treat where needed for more coverage.  Applying concealer first can create a cakey look quick if you’re not careful.  You want coverage but nothing too heavy, especially for mature skin.
3. Should I use my finger or a brush to apply the foundation?  I get this question often!  It really depends on what you prefer, there are a few minor differences.  I like applying with a foundation brush most of the time because it keeps my hands clean.  I might go in afterwards and blend a little with my fingers if needed.  Some makeup artists will say to use your fingers to get the most blended/natural look.  The warmth from your fingers helps to blend the product in more.  Also, I’ve found you tend to use less when you apply with fingers than with a brush.  But as I said, it’s ultimately up to you!  This is my favorite makeup brush brand in clean beauty- amazing quality.  I have the Blender Brush and the Foundation brush and use them both for my foundation.  

Best Foundation for Mature Skin Over 40

Ok, let’s get into all the juicy details when it comes to the best foundation for mature skin over 40!  I asked 4 family and friends to help me out who are a little older than me to test out 9 foundations in clean beauty.  I had already vetted these foundations, making sure they were somewhat suited for mature skin.  However, I wanted to see what others thought of the formulations and how they wore on their skin and ultimately which foundation they liked best.  After all, I wanted you to have some real life mature skin examples to help you find the best foundation for your mature skin!

Here are the foundations they tested:

• Beautycounter Skin Twin
• Kosas Tinted Facial Oil
• Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen
• Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
• Lily Lolo BB Cream
• Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
• MyChelle Sun Shield SPF 50
• Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick
• Saint Cosmetics Flawless Radiance Foundation

*I had a 43 year old, a 50 year old, a 60 year old and a 69 year old test out the foundations.  

Each one of them has a slightly different skin type too!  I really wanted to make this as comprehensive as I could for you.  Check out their skin types below and what they look for in a foundation.  This will help when seeing their favorites.

*43 year old- She has oily skin, larger pores.  She likes a medium to full coverage foundation overall.

*50 year old- She has dry skin and large pores.  She likes a medium to full coverage foundation.

*60 year old- She has combination skin. She prefers light coverage and hydration for everyday wear, and a little more coverage on special occasions.

*69 year old- She has very dry skin.  She prefers a light coverage overall and lots of hydration.  She does like something to cover redness and pull her look together but not be too heavy that it settles into fine lines.

I’ll be sharing all the foundation details on the following:

1. Full Coverage
2. Mature Oily Skin
3. Mature Dry Skin
4. Liquid Foundation for Mature Skin
5. Mature Skin with Large Pores

Full Coverage

The best full coverage foundation for mature skin goes to:

• Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
• Kosas Tinted Facial Oil

The 43 year old preferred the Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Flawless Serum Foundation for full coverage and so did the 69 year old.  The 43 year old said, “It adds a glow to my skin and doesn’t feel heavy or cakey, nice flawless look.”

The 50 year old and the 60 year old preferred Kosas Tinted Facial Oil for full coverage.  The 60 year old said, “I like how it doesn’t feel heavy, yet offers more coverage on days when I want to wear a little more makeup.”

Mature Oily Skin

The best foundation for mature oily skin goes to:

• Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
• Kosas Tinted Facial Oil
• Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen

The 43 year old has oily skin and larger pores and preferred the Juice Beauty foundation for her skin for everyday wear.  She likes a medium- to full coverage foundation.

The 60 year old has more combination skin overall getting a little oily in the t-zone at times.  She loved how the Kosas Tinted Facial Oil felt for a more full coverage.  She also loved the Suntegrity  5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen for everyday use and a lighter coverage.  She liked how it added some color and had sunscreen, but didn’t feel over done or heavy at all.

Mature Dry Skin

The best foundation for mature dry skin goes to:

• Lily Lolo BB Cream
• Beautycounter Skin Twin

The 50 year old has dry skin and really loved the Beautycounter Skin Twin the most after testing out the samples.  She said. “Moisturizing. Nice in between of matte and glowy. Light to Medium coverage. Super easy to blend and wear. Not a heavy look.”

The 69 year old has very dry skin overall.  She really likes a minimal look and light coverage.  Her favorite overall was the Lily Lolo BB Cream.  It offered a seamless, smooth look to her skin she said, yet didn’t feel heavy at all.  She had been looking for something with a little more coverage than her tinted moisturizers she had used in the past and really liked how this one felt and looked overall.

Liquid Foundation For Mature Skin

The best liquid foundation for mature skin goes to:

• Kosas Tinted Facial Oil

The 50 year old and 60 year old both loved the Kosas Tinted Facial Oil.  They liked that it offered better coverage and that it didn’t feel heavy but like your skin.  Also blurs pores.

Mature Skin With Large Pores

The best foundation for mature skin with large pores goes to:

• Kosas Tinted Facial Oil

Both the 43 year old and 50 year old have larger pores and commented on how they loved the Kosas for helping to blur their pores overall.  It felt hydrating still, but not too oily overall.

*Here are some photos of the models who tested the foundations using natural light.  They were gracious enough to give me permission to share them with you. No filters were used.

Rose/43 Year Old- Her favorite foundation is Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Serum Foundation.

Rose is my older sister and her skin is completely different than mine!  She has had oily skin, larger pores her whole life.  I was so happy she was willing to try the foundations for me!

Kristin Svets/50 Year Old- Her favorite foundation is Beautycounter Skin Twin.

Lisa/60 Year Old- Her favorite foundations were the Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen and the Kosas Tinted Face Oil.

I was so excited when Lisa took on the task of trying all the foundations!  She’s a mom of 10, yes 10!  An amazing human and looks beautiful.  She ideally likes to have light coverage for most days and then wants to be able to have more coverage on days when she wants to feel a little more pulled together.

Carol/69- She liked the Lily Lolo BB Cream the best and the Juice Beauty Phyto-pigments Serum Foundation.

This is my mama!  I asked her for a pic several times and she didn’t give me one…:) haha so there’s no photo! She prefers a more subdued and unfussy look overall.  Some days she won’t even wear foundation.  So a BB cream like Lily Lolo is perfect for her.  She has very dry skin, so extra moisture is huge for her.  She doesn’t like things that settle into her fine lines either.

Here are a couple other questions that I’ve received when talking about mature skin foundations.

What foundation is best for aging skin?

The best foundation for aging skin is one that doesn’t settle into fine lines, adds some warmth back into your complexion and gives your skin a dewiness, which always makes you look more youthful!  My top picks for a foundation for aging skin in clean beauty are  Kosas Tinted Facial Oil and Suntegrity’s 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen.  These will all add a little life back into the skin!

Why do my wrinkles look worse with foundation?

There are many reasons your wrinkles look worse with foundation.  One being your not priming your skin.  Getting your skin prepped with a good primer is essential in making sure your foundation isn’t settling into fine lines.  Also, making sure your skin is properly moisturized before that is key.  A lot of times people won’t hydrate their skin beforehand leaving it a little dehydrated when they apply their foundation.  The foundation then is soaked up into the fine lines. Application is another reason why the wrinkles can look worst.  Making sure your not being too heavy handed and using the correct brush for the correct foundation formula is vital too.  For instance, for a cream based foundation you want to use a flat synthetic brush, if you’re using a liquid foundation you want to use sponges, fingers or makeup brushes using a stippling motion instead of a brushing motion.

How Do I Choose The Right Foundation?

The key to choosing the right foundation is knowing your skin type first.  Then accessing what you prefer for coverage.  Some people don’t like a lot of coverage, other people do.  Knowing what coverage you like can help determine what foundation you’ll want to try.  Also, think about what you will actually use.  I think a lot of times we see people use products and think they’ll be great, but then we don’t actually use them ourselves because it’s not us.  Get what you will practically use and fits in your lifestyle!

I hoped this guide on helping you find your best foundation for women over 40 helped you find your new favorite clean beauty foundation!

What’s your favorite foundation for women over 40?

If you liked this post, check out past posts below:

• The Best 9 Green Beauty Cleansers
• Saie Beauty Glowy Super Skin Foundation Review
• Best Natural Beauty Concealers