Over 40 Beauty Searches Are Up 525%, What’s Behind the Surge?
By Cheryl Gushue
As a beauty editor, brands cross my desk every week, and lately I’ve watched the mature beauty space expand with more products, tools, and wellness therapies, all built specifically for women over 40. I’m not the only one seeing it. The search data backs it up.
Google searches for “over 40 beauty” are up 525% in the past year. Women aren’t chasing their 25-year-old skin. They’re searching for skincare, makeup and beauty advice built for the skin they have right now.
Searching for What Women Need Now
Something has genuinely changed, and it isn’t in your head. Danielle Louise, beauty expert on Fresha, has watched this play out across thousands of clients and says the pattern is consistent.
“For a long time, so much beauty advice has been built around the idea that ageing is something women should try to hide. What we’re seeing now feels much more practical. Women want to understand what works for their skin now, rather than necessarily trying to recreate how their skin looked at 25.
Your skin can behave differently as you get older. Makeup you’ve used for years might suddenly sit differently, certain finishes might not give you the result you want anymore, and your skincare needs can change too. That doesn’t mean that something needs fixing. It means your routine might need to change with you.”
“Your skin can behave differently as you get older. That doesn’t mean there is something that needs fixing. It means your routine might need to change with you.” Danielle Louise, beauty expert on Fresha.
Your Skincare Doesn’t Need Fixing, It Needs Updating
For years, the only skincare advice available to you was built for someone else’s skin or a young-looking brand model. Louise says that’s exactly what’s changing.
You aren’t alone in searching for answers either. “Skincare over 40” searches are up 391% this past year, and “women over 40 makeup” is up 396%. Every day, thousands of women are typing the same questions into Google that you’ve probably been asking yourself.
“It suggests women are actively looking for information tailored to this stage of their lives. There is clearly demand for more age-specific advice rather than one skincare routine being presented as suitable for everybody.”
The good news is that the fix isn’t complicated or expensive. “I’d always encourage people to focus less on the age printed on a product or tutorial and more on what their own skin is telling them. Hydration, preparation and the amount of product you apply can often make a much bigger difference than trying to cover every line or piece of texture.”
Your Makeup Should Work With Your Skin, Not Against It
“Mature skin makeup” has become one of the most searched beauty terms there is, pulling in around 43,000 searches a month and up 73% this past year. “Over 40 makeup” is up 64%, too.
“People aren’t necessarily searching because they want to look younger,” Louise says. “They want to know how to make their makeup sit well, how to work with texture and how to choose products and techniques that suit their skin as it is today.”
The instinct to reach for more product is usually the wrong one. “If someone is concerned about texture or fine lines, their instinct can be to add more foundation or concealer, but heavy layers can sometimes make the areas you’re trying to disguise more noticeable. Start with well-prepared skin and build makeup gradually. You can always add coverage where you actually need it rather than applying the same amount across your entire face.”
And nothing you love needs to be retired. “You don’t need to stop wearing something because you’ve reached 40. If you love a particular makeup trend, adapt the technique or finish to suit your skin rather than assuming it isn’t for your age.”
You’re Allowed to Feel Good About This
This search data lines up with something bigger happening in how you and women talk about aging. Mentions of “confidence” within Reddit’s AskWomenOver40 community are reportedly up 97% this past year, according to beauty trend reporting referenced in the Beauty Trend Scout analysis. The conversation is shifting away from correcting your appearance and toward simply feeling comfortable in it.
Louise sees it firsthand. “There is also much more visibility now of women over 40 actually enjoying beauty. That matters. Beauty doesn’t suddenly become purely anti-aging when you reach a certain birthday. You can still experiment with makeup, hair, nails and treatments because you enjoy them, rather than because you’re trying to correct something.”
“Women over 40 are clearly telling the beauty industry what they want through what they’re searching for. They want advice that actually speaks to them.” Danielle Louise, beauty expert on Fresha.
The Beauty Industry Owes You Better Advice
You’ve been telling the beauty industry exactly what you want, and the search numbers prove it. Louise says the fix starts with something simple.
“Women over 40 are clearly telling the beauty industry what they want through what they’re searching for. They want advice that actually speaks to them. For salons and beauty professionals, that means listening to the individual client rather than making assumptions based on age. Someone might want subtle, natural makeup, and another person of the same age might want something bold. The consultation should start with what they want to achieve, not what beauty rules say someone over 40 should look like.”
Women over 40 stopped asking how to look younger and started asking how to feel like themselves again. That’s a better question. You are not behind, and you are not alone. The beauty industry is finally catching up to what you already knew: your skin changes, and that’s not a flaw to fix. It’s simply information.
The research is from Fresha, the AI-powered booking platform behind this research, which works with more than 140,000 businesses and 450,000 professionals globally, and whose app passed one million monthly downloads in 2026.
Research, data and expert commentary courtesy of Fresha, the world’s leading AI-powered booking platform for beauty and wellness.
Source: fresha.com.
FAQ
Why are over 40 beauty searches increasing so fast?
Because women over 40 want advice built for the skin they actually have, not a promise to look younger. Google searches for “over 40 beauty” are up 525% year on year, a clear signal that generic, one-size-fits-all beauty advice no longer cuts it.
Do women over 40 need to change their skincare routine?
Not necessarily overhaul it, but it may need updating. Skin’s needs shift with age, and beauty expert Danielle Louise says the focus should be on hydration, preparation and how much product you apply, not chasing a new routine every time something changes.
Why does makeup sometimes stop working the way it used to?
Skin texture and hydration change with age, which can affect how foundation or concealer sits. A technique that gave a flawless finish at 25 may need adjusting, usually by building coverage gradually rather than applying it all at once.
What’s the biggest makeup mistake women over 40 make?
Reaching for more product to smooth out texture or fine lines. Heavy layers can settle into lines and draw more attention to them. Starting with well-prepared, hydrated skin and adding coverage only where it’s needed gives a more natural result.
Is mature skin makeup a real, mainstream category now?
Yes. It’s one of the most searched beauty terms among women over 40 and has been growing steadily year on year, which points to lasting demand rather than a passing trend.
Does loving a beauty trend mean you’re too old for it?
No. Beauty expert Danielle Louise says no trend needs to be retired at 40. If you love a technique or finish, adapt it to suit your skin today rather than assuming it isn’t for your age.
What does this search trend mean for the beauty industry?
It means salons, artists, and brands need to bring real age-specific expertise to the table instead of one-size-fits-all advice. Women over 40 want to be asked what they want to achieve, not told what someone their age should look like.
