Our skin changes a lot throughout our lifetime. There's different stages that we go through and they all effect our skin.
Menopause has such a profound effect on the skin, but many of us put it down to other things like being tired, not eating correctly, too much alcohol etc etc.
In the 3 stages of menopause, you'll see different things happening to your skin. Perimenopause is the start of your menopause journey. This is when your hormones are starting to fluctuate. You might notice you've got a few extra breakouts on your skin, it might feel a bit dry?
When oestrogen hormone drops, it effects 300 bodily functions. It's really quite a workhorse! A drop in oestrogen can cause dryness, not just on your face but all over your body. It can also hinder wound healing, which when your skin is in the sun and needs to fight back the free radicals, it is unable to fight as strongly as before. The drop in oestrogen also causes sensitivity levels to increase. So a product you absolutely love could all of a sudden cause your skin to react against it.
A drop in testosterone causes breakouts and it could feel like you have adult acne. Breakouts can be quite aggravated and healing slow and possibly hyper pigmentation once the breakout has healed.
During menopause our collagen drops by 30%! That's a whopper! Cell renewal slows down too. When we are teens, our skin renews itself every 15 days, however when we reach around 45, our cell renewal is just once a month.
It all sounds quite sad, but knowledge is power? If you know what you're up against, it makes it easier to use tools to combat and help these things.
You probably need to rethink your skincare routine during and after the menopause. The products you've been using since your 20's are most probably not suitable for you anymore.
There's a handful of products I recommend to help your journey through menopause.
A nice creamy cleanser, quite gentle but feels like your skin is clean after you've washed your face is important. Dermalogica's Intensive Moisture Cleanser £35.00 is lipid rich for dryness and has BioReplenish Complex.
2. Rapid Reveal Peel £79.00 for 10 tubes is a best seller. It totally arms your skin with all it needs for cell renewal. It increases cell turnover by a massive 44%! It's like a chemical peel that you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Clinically proven to enhance radiance and visibly reduce fine lines. A unique complex of phytoactive AHA extracts, Lactic Acid and fermented plant enzymes helps reveal new, firmer skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by removing dulling surface debris without causing dehydration.
3. Powerbright Dark Spot Serum £89.00
Clinical test results:
1 week - starts fading dark spots
4 weeks - begins reducing dark spots’ size
8 weeks - reduces the number of dark spots
4. Ultracalming Mist £35.00 Great for calming hot flushes and put on your bedside table for night hot flushes.
5. If retinol is now making your skin sensitive Phyto-Nature Firming Serum £130.00 is 2 serums in 1. Rich in peptides, stimulates cell renewal, is super nourishing and hydrating and full of antioxidants.
Those are my 5 go to products for menopausal skin. Salon based facials are also a good way to track what's going on with your skin.
As a therapist, I take notes on changes in your skin and talk to you about what's going on.
Come in, even if it's just for advice on any concerns you have with your skin, I'm happy to talk to you and give you any help you need.
Take care and thanks for reading,
Best wishes,
Kath xx