I will be turning 40 this year. On April 11, I will be welcoming my fourth decade into this life and honestly, when you say it that way, 40 sounds exciting. It feels like reaching level four in a level 10 video game. You’re not even halfway there, but you’re getting close – and the closer you get, the more you feel competent, knowledgeable, confident, and accomplished.
I believe that is how we should all look at aging. We need life experiences to truly understand who we are and what our purpose is, yet society continues to condition people—especially women—to fear aging after 25. How miserable would life be if we knew we were only meant to live for 25 years? However, that is how we behave every time we fear the new year instead of celebrating it sincerely.
The truth is, there is no one blueprint for how we should live our lives. We don’t have to get married and have children at a certain age. We don’t have to hit certain career points or make six figures at a certain point, either. We are human beings designed to live lives designed specifically for us – to find and fulfill our purpose during our time on Earth. That is what I truly believe, and that is why my soul does not fear old age. I’m not afraid of turning 40. In fact, I’ve been looking forward to it for over a year. I’ve already started making thoughtful changes to my health, fitness, and beauty routines — small but intentional changes that I believe will set me up well for the next decade of my life.
But here’s the thing: While I deeply respect women who choose to stop aging and go natural, that’s not the way I want to approach it. I plan to age with purpose – prioritizing my health, fitness, and dedicated beauty regimens that include high-quality skin care, home innovations, supplements, and cosmetic treatments that help me age slowly and gracefully.
And even though I still don’t have a single fine line or wrinkle anywhere on my face, I’ve finally started thinking about the preventative medications I’d like to adopt this year, so that my skin stays healthy and glowing in my 40s.
As for injections, the only thing I do is Botox in my chin twice a year to relax an overactive muscle that used to cause me to rub it. And while I’m committed to that, I don’t want injections anywhere else. Instead, I want something that actually improves my skin over time. So in early January, I had my first Sofwave treatment at Aethos Spa on Fifth Avenue with my favorite esthetician, Ewa Pietri.
If you haven’t heard of Sofwave yet, let me introduce you to it. The treatment is one of the newest and most hyped skin tightening procedures of the moment – and celebrities like Khloé and Kim Kardashian swear by it. FDA-cleared in 2019 to treat the face, neck, underarms (skin under the chin), arms, and abdomen, Sofwave uses a combination of ultrasound energy combined with heat to stimulate collagen and elastin production. The result is improved skin quality over time, which is why full results are usually not seen until about three months after treatment. My goal is to see my full results by my birthday in April — about three months after my Jan appointment. 9.
The treatment costs about $2,500 for a 45-minute session, but you only need to do it once a year to maintain the results. I see it as a preventative measure – a way to start building what they call “your collagen bank.” So I target the areas I want to keep the most: my jawline, underarm area, cheeks, and the area around my mouth, where nasolabial folds – or “laugh lines” – tend to develop. Although the results are subtle immediately after the session, I noticed an immediate tightening around my jaw and lower area, as well as a gentle lift in my cheeks. What really interested me was the ultrasound they did before starting the treatment. Ultrasound assesses the thickness of your skin – the aim is to thicken it over time so that your skin appears smoother, firmer, and younger.
Getting lymphatic drainage massages on my body also taught me the importance of doing them on my face, too. So for $116 a month, I became a member of Facegym. After just one Signature Sculpt – which uses professional hands and tools to sculpt, lift, and reduce puffiness – I noticed how much more defined, sculpted, and radiant my skin looked after a facial lymphatic drainage massage. These treatments not only reduce bloating and water retention; they also help reduce inflammation, which can contribute to acne breakouts, irritation, fine lines, and dullness.
I also plan to eventually immerse myself in microneedling with biostimulators and exosomes at least twice a year.
To be clear, I’m not chasing the “eternal face of 35.” Even as I approach 40, I still feel 30 years old – and in some settings, even 20 years old – but I don’t see a facelift or liposuction in my future. But is it really wrong that I would always like to look and feel five to 10 years younger than my actual chronological age? This is the body and face I was born with – and the body and face I will live and grow old in, and I want to live a life where I truly love what is looking back at me in the mirror. That’s the kind of self-love I choose to embrace.
From high-quality skin care and at-home facial devices to supplements, here are the beauty and wellness products I’m using to get my 2026 glow on my 40th birthday this April.
