After 50, I think our beauty routine should get smarter—not necessarily more expensive.
There are products where spending $10 instead of $50 makes very little difference. Then there are a few beauty purchases where a better formula, better ingredients or better performance really can make a difference.
The trick is knowing which is which.
As our skin, hair and makeup needs change, it can be tempting to buy every new anti-aging product that promises firmer skin, fewer wrinkles or thicker hair. But you don’t need a bathroom full of expensive products to look your best.
Instead, I like the idea of saving on the basics and splurging on products where you can actually see or feel a difference. Here are the beauty products I think are worth saving on—and the ones where spending a little more may be worthwhile.
Skincare
Skincare: Where to Save, Where to Splurge
Cleanser, moisturizer, serum and sunscreen — sorted by where the price tag actually matters.
Image by freepik
SAVE
Facial Cleanser
A cleanser is one of the first places I would save.
Think about it: you apply cleanser to your face, massage it around for a minute or two and rinse it off. You don’t necessarily need to spend $75 on something that isn’t staying on your skin.
Look for a gentle cleanser that doesn’t leave mature skin feeling tight or stripped.
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
CeraVe is one of those brands that proves you don’t have to spend a fortune for a good basic skincare product. Its cleansers are widely available and designed around ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Rita’s Tip
If your face feels squeaky clean after washing, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Especially after 50, I prefer a cleanser that leaves the skin comfortable rather than tight. Save your money here.
Unlike cleanser, a serum is designed to remain on your skin. A well-formulated vitamin C serum, retinol treatment or peptide serum can contain a much more targeted combination of active ingredients.
You don’t need all three. Choose the treatment that addresses your biggest concern.
For fine lines: Look for a retinol or retinoid product.
For dullness and uneven tone: Consider a well-formulated vitamin C serum.
For hydration and firmness: A peptide or hydrating serum may be a better choice.
Rita’s Rule
I’d rather spend $80 on one excellent treatment serum that I use consistently than $200 on four trendy serums that sit in my bathroom cabinet.
SAVE
Body Lotion
Your body deserves good skincare, but you don’t need an expensive body cream to keep dry skin comfortable.
This is an excellent place to use a larger, affordable moisturizer.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid and is designed for normal-to-dry skin. It’s large enough to use generously on your arms, legs, elbows and feet without feeling like you’re wasting a $100 jar of luxury cream.
Rita’s Tip
Apply body moisturizer immediately after showering while your skin is still slightly damp. You’ll get more mileage from an affordable moisturizer when you use it consistently.
You don’t necessarily need an expensive moisturizer. In fact, an affordable ceramide-rich moisturizer can be an excellent choice.
But if you have very dry, mature skin and you love the way a more luxurious cream feels and performs, this is a reasonable place to splurge. A good moisturizer can make your skin feel softer, more comfortable and more hydrated—and makeup often looks better over well-moisturized skin.
Instead of focusing on the brand name, look for ingredients such as:
Ceramides
Hyaluronic acid
Glycerin
Squalane
Peptides
Shea butter
Rita’s Rule
Splurge because you love the formula—not because the jar is pretty.
SPLURGE
Sunscreen
If there is one skincare product I would never skip, it’s sunscreen.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher as part of daily sun protection. And this is where spending a little more can be worthwhile if it means you will actually wear your sunscreen every day.
EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 is a popular facial sunscreen formulated with niacinamide and designed to be lightweight. It is available in both tinted and untinted versions. If an inexpensive sunscreen works beautifully for you, use it. But if you hate the way an affordable sunscreen feels and therefore never wear it, spending more on one you’ll actually use is money well spent.
Rita’s Tip
The best sunscreen is the one you will wear consistently.
You don’t need a $100 exfoliating treatment to remove dead skin cells.
And after 50, more exfoliation isn’t necessarily better. Over-exfoliating can leave mature skin dry, irritated and uncomfortable.
If you want to exfoliate, start slowly with a gentle product and see how your skin responds. Don’t use several exfoliating acids simply because each one promises a different benefit.
Makeup
Makeup: Where to Save, Where to Splurge
From mascara to lipstick — the products worth trading up, and the ones that don't need a bigger budget.
Image by freepik
SAVE
Mascara
Mascara is another beauty product where I don’t think you need to spend a fortune.
Mascara has a relatively short lifespan, and you generally replace it every few months. There are excellent drugstore options that can lengthen, separate and volumize mature lashes.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High
This is a perfect example. Maybelline Sky High has become one of the most popular affordable mascaras, with a flexible brush designed to lengthen and volumize lashes. It also comes in washable and waterproof versions.
Rita’s Tip
After 50, I often prefer length and separation over massive volume. Thick, clumpy mascara can make sparse lashes look even heavier. Try one thin coat first.
Foundation is one area where I think spending more can be worthwhile—especially for mature skin.
A foundation that looks beautiful at 25 isn’t necessarily going to look beautiful at 55. Mature skin often benefits from:
Lightweight coverage
Hydrating formulas
Natural or luminous finishes
Buildable coverage
Less powder
Products that don’t settle heavily into fine lines
A good foundation can make a surprisingly noticeable difference in the overall appearance of your makeup.
But don’t automatically buy the most expensive one. A $75 foundation isn’t necessarily better than a $30 foundation. The right foundation is the one that looks like skin. If you find an affordable formula that does that beautifully, keep using it.
SAVE
Makeup Brushes and Sponges
You don’t need a $200 makeup brush collection.
In fact, most women probably need far fewer brushes than they think. Spend your money on a few good-quality brushes that you actually use:
Foundation brush
Blush brush
Eyeshadow brush
Small blending brush
You can find excellent affordable options.
Rita’s Tip
Clean your brushes regularly. A $20 brush that is cleaned frequently can be more useful than a $75 brush covered in months of old makeup.
SAVE
Lip Balm
Don’t spend $40 on a lip balm just because it comes in beautiful packaging.
A basic moisturizing lip balm can do an excellent job. Look for ingredients such as:
Petrolatum
Shea butter
Ceramides
Squalane
Hyaluronic acid
If you love a luxury lip balm and enjoy using it, that’s different. But from a practical standpoint, this is an easy place to save.
SPLURGE
Lipstick You Love
Here’s where I’d happily spend a little more.
The right lipstick can instantly brighten your face and make you look polished—even when you’re wearing very little other makeup.
After 50, look for comfortable formulas that don’t emphasize dry lines. Creamy, satin and sheer finishes are often easier to wear than extremely matte formulas.
Rita’s Tip
Don’t automatically choose nude lipstick because you think it’s more “age appropriate.” A flattering rose, berry, mauve or pink can bring life back to the complexion.
SAVE
Eye Makeup Trends
This is another place to have fun without spending a lot.
Want to try brown eyeliner, burgundy mascara, a new eyeshadow color, cream shadow or a TikTok makeup trend? Buy an affordable version first.
If you love it, you can always upgrade later. There is no reason to spend $60 on an eyeshadow palette when you aren’t even sure you’ll wear the colors.
Hair
Hair: Where to Save, Where to Splurge
Tools, color and shampoo — where a bigger budget actually shows up in the mirror.
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SPLURGE
Hair Tools You Use Every Week
If you style your hair several times a week, this is one category where I think spending more can make sense.
A high-quality hair dryer, flat iron or multi-styler may:
Reduce styling time
Give you more control
Create better results
Reduce the number of passes over your hair
Replace several different tools
This is particularly useful for fine, thinning or fragile hair, where excessive heat and repeated styling can contribute to breakage.
Rita’s Rule
Don’t buy a $600 hair tool because everyone on TikTok owns it. Buy it if you will actually use it. If you’re styling your hair five days a week, a premium tool may be worth the investment. If you air-dry your hair most days, save your money.
SAVE
Shampoo
This may be controversial, but I don’t think shampoo is where you need to spend the most money.
A good shampoo needs to clean your scalp without leaving your hair overly dry or irritated. That doesn’t mean you should buy the cheapest shampoo available—your hair type matters. But you can often find excellent shampoos at drugstore and mid-range prices.
Spend more on treatment. If you have dry, damaged, color-treated or thinning hair, I would rather spend more on a quality treatment, mask or leave-in conditioner than on an extremely expensive shampoo. Shampoo gets rinsed away. A treatment stays on your hair longer.
SPLURGE
Hair Color
If you color your hair, this may be one of the most important beauty splurges after 50.
Poorly chosen color can make mature skin look dull, while beautifully blended color can make your entire face look brighter.
This doesn’t necessarily mean paying hundreds of dollars every six weeks. Instead, consider spending more on:
A skilled colorist
Natural-looking highlights
Gray blending
Techniques that require less frequent maintenance
Treatments that protect the condition of your hair
The goal isn’t necessarily to hide every gray hair. The goal is beautiful, healthy-looking hair.
SPLURGE
Professional Beauty Treatments
This is where I would rather spend money than continually buying products that promise miracles.
A professional facial, haircut, massage, brow shaping or other treatment that makes you feel fantastic can be worth more than another bottle of serum sitting unopened in your bathroom.
The key is choosing treatments that you genuinely enjoy. You don’t need to spend money on every treatment available. Choose the ones that make you feel good.
Quick Reference
The After-50 Beauty Spending Rules I Live By
If you’re trying to simplify your beauty budget, here’s the easiest way to remember it:
Save On
Cleanser
Body lotion
Mascara
Lip balm
Makeup brushes
Trendy makeup
Basic shampoo
Exfoliators
Beauty accessories
Splurge On
Treatment serums
Foundation that truly works for your skin
Hair tools you use frequently
Professional hair color
A moisturizer you genuinely love
Sunscreen you’ll actually wear
A favorite lipstick
Professional beauty treatments you enjoy
Our Take
The Biggest Beauty Mistake After 50
I think the biggest mistake is assuming that more expensive automatically means better. It doesn’t.
Some of the best beauty products in my bathroom are affordable. CeraVe moisturizer, for example, can provide the basic hydration and barrier support your skin needs without the luxury price tag. L’Oréal’s Revitalift line is another example of an affordable anti-aging option that combines ingredients such as Pro-Retinol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. And Maybelline Sky High proves you don’t need a luxury mascara to get impressive-looking lashes.
At the same time, there are products where I think paying more can make sense. The trick is to stop asking “Is this expensive?” and start asking “Is this worth it for me?”
Our Take
The Bottom Line
Beauty after 50 shouldn’t be about chasing every new anti-aging product or trying to look 25 again. It’s about looking healthy, polished and like yourself.
Save money on products that perform a basic job just as well at a lower price. Splurge on products that genuinely improve your skin, hair or makeup—or simply make you feel wonderful every time you use them.
And perhaps the best beauty rule after 50 is this: spend less on products you forget you own and more on the products you reach for every single day.
