Jennifer Garner Shares Her Best Skincare Tips for Women Over 50

Jennifer Garner Shares Her Best Skincare Tips for Women Over 50
  • Jennifer Garner shares her top skincare tips for women over 50.
  • The 51-year-old reveals her top products for glowing skin.
  • “I just want to look as age-appropriate and as good as I can,” she says.

Jennifer Garner knows about skincare. After spending decades in the makeup chair, she’s learned plenty from top skincare pros and makeup artists alike (check out her favorite drugstore cream she uses for “great skin,” and the hair serum that “instantly repairs” damaged strands).

While some celebs opt for Botox or fillers, Garner keeps it natural. “I’m not a big believer in lasers and peels,” the Family Switch star says. “All of this stuff, I haven’t done it. I don’t want to look like I’ve been peeled. I just want to look as age-appropriate and as good as I can.” The star, and Neutrogena ambassador, sat down with Prevention to share her top skincare tips for women over 50, and what she’s focusing on as she thrives in her fifth decade.

Less is more

“I think it’s really easy to be seduced by things on TikTok; that are going viral. That happens to women over 50, 12-year-old girls, and everyone in between. You start watching and go down a rabbit hole and suddenly have hundreds of dollars of things in your cart,” she says. “It’s not about what’s viral, it’s what’s vital for your skin.”

Ultimately, the 13 Going on 30 star says “we’re overdoing it. Less is more.” She has her skincare routine down, and says she’s “loyal” to her favorites.

Use retinol

“The best makeup trick is how you prep your skin,” she advises. “Tell your skin cells to replenish by using retinol every couple of nights or whatever works for you.” She says she loves “retinol products.” In particular, she’s a fan of Neutrogena’s retinol eye cream and serum.

And science backs up the ingredient’s use in those with mature skin. “It is a gold standard in topical treatments for anti-aging,” according to Blair Murphy Rose, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in New York previously told Prevention for our roundup of the best retinol eye creams.

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Hydrate

Bring moisture to the surface of your skin by using hyaluronic acid. “When I use the moisturizer and serum I do it from here to here,” she says while gesturing from the top of her face to her décolletage. “That’s the beauty of the drugstore product. I’m not being precious with it.”

As for the products she uses to keep skin moisturized? “The cleanser I’m really into all of the time. I have one in my shower and one by my sink,” she says of Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Gel Facial Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid. “It’s gentle, it doesn’t strip, it gives you moisture while you’re cleaning your skin.” She says she’s a big believer in going to bed with a cleansed face.

She follows up with the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream, which she says “gives you a little bit of a dewy thing. That moisture fills in your fine lines because as we age we lose moisture, as we know. I’m about to be 52, so I’m right in the thick of that. You want to prevent it and be on top of it.”

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Apply sunscreen

“Protect your skin from damage by using a SPF,” she says. UVA rays prematurely age your skin, while UVB rays cause sunburn, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), notes. The star uses Neutrogena’s Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum with Broad Spectrum SPF 60+. “I bow to it. It’s new. Daily defense SPF 60 serum. It’s a primer and moisturizer and it’s SPF 60. It’s fantastic under makeup,” she says. She’s such a big fan that she says she’s gifting one to all of her girlfriends.

As for the rest of her body, she’s a fan of Neutrogena’s Ultra-Sheer Lightweight Sunscreen Spray SPF 70. “The evolution of the sprays, its mist. So it is this daily defense ultra-sheer mist. The coverage is really great. It envelops your whole arm or body or whatever it is. And that’s 70. Super lightweight, great under clothes,” she says.

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Headshot of Emily Goldman

Emily Goldman is the deputy editor at Prevention. She’s spent her career editing and writing about health, wellness, beauty, fashion, and food for Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Bridal Guide, Good Housekeeping, and more. She’s loved all things health and wellness since starting her bi-weekly podcast Pancreas Pals—a series all about the highs and lows of living life with type 1 diabetes. When not podcasting, she spends most of her time curled up with a good book or watching a period piece on BBC.