I'll be honest with you.. 27 years in the industry and its taken me 24 years to get to the point where...I hear you, I understand you, and I recognise what really is going on when it comes to women and peri-menopausal skin...and it's tough!
I've spent a quarter of a decade listening to women discuss the changes that occur when they age, nodded with respect but never fully understood until the past few years, where I have begun this journey of life, myself.
Think - hot flushes, sleepless nights, crawling skin, frustration, brain fog and definite skin drooping! (us professionals call this skin laxity) either way it's confrontational even when you are having a 'supermodel day' in the mirror.
So lets talk about what menopausal skin really needs.
CARE
You may be a skincare junkie or you may be someone whose washed your face with water your entire life...either way all of a sudden things are starting to irritate, cause flushing or the products that were once your ride or die favourites, no longer seem to suit. Adjusting your product selection to a gentle care like approach is key as your skin shows signs of change. You want to encourage a reliable, consistent approach to your every day skincare routine and leave the bigger skin stuff to the clinically qualified skin professionals.
TIP - As you loose nourishment from Estrogen levels, consider swapping out a gel or foam based cleanser or soap to a cream or oil balm instead.
SUPPORT
Estrogen is the key hormone that diminishes as we age - this is responsible for the suppleness of our skin, providing our internal 'youth elixir'. Unfortunately there is nothing quite like Estrogen, once we loose it we really notice the changes that occur. Dryness, thinning of the skin, laxity drop, fat pads in our face that anchor everything up.. the list goes on.
TIP - There are views for both sides but HRT therapy seeks significant improvements for many of the symptoms listed above, but it's not for everyone. Alternatives like Evening Primrose supplements, Essential Fatty Acids, and the many skin supporting supplements available, offer great alternatives to HRT. I often say it's a little of everything that makes the difference rather than 1 individual thing.
FOCUS ON LESS IS MORE
In a desperate plea for miracle anti-ageing products, I often find clients over load their bathroom cabinets with over-marketed, under-delivering skincare. Keep it simple. Remember, sunscreen is your biggest age-well recipe for success.
ALWAYS CLEANSE
This is a non-negotiable (you should already know) for me. The occasional skin exfoliation is helpful, 1 x per week - 1 x per month depending on the skin type and condition it's in. Don't over exfoliate as this makes the skin more fragile. The focus is to hydrate and Nourish. The way you hydrate now requires oil emulsion; high water content moisturisers won't work now to retain hydration and maintain the skin's condition.
TIP - Pick your potion! In the search for the eternal youth elixir, don't get trapped into buying every bottle under the sun.
Vitamin C or alternatives provide great glow, reduce hyper pigmentation and fight free radical damage if you have seen a lot of sun in your younger years.
Vitamin A - is the only ingredient to clinically be tested to produce collagen fibres piggy backed on the ones we already have. It mainly provides hydration to the existing fibres expanding space in the dermis that helps with the appearance of ageing. It can sometimes cause more trouble than good so be careful with Vitamin A introduce it slowly.
Vitamin B3 - it's the doctor of our skin, lipid producing, anti red and inflammation, hydration all in one!
PREVENTION OF BARRIER DISFUNCTION
This is the one we want focus on the most.. especially as many peri-menopausal skin types shows signs of barrier disfunction with things like redness, irritation, dryness. The way to support these skin conditions is ensuring a less is more approach with the right skin routine for you as an individual. The way you wash your face is such an important step to ensure success with everything that follows in your day to day skin routine.
You are what your eat, how you sleep, the environment you expose your skin too, stress, health and your skincare choices.
TIP - Find a cleanser that leaves your skin feeling relaxed, not lacking in moisture but clean. Don't splash remove or wash your face with water, as your main form of face washing. Be kind, be respectful and nourish it with care. It needs a little patience day to day, and recognition to identify when things aren't quite working - which is when I recommend you seek support and advice from a professional.
Ageing is inevitable, and it's okay to have those days where you feel vulnerable about what you see in your reflection - change can be hard and it's not self indulgent to wish you looked a little different. Age well is always my moto, now lets work on that together by getting your cleansing routine right to start with!
Michelle (Peri Menopausal Human).
