Our Guide to Skin Changes During Menopause
At Ameliorate, we want to support you through all life stages, including Menopause! Our expertly formulated products help to improve symptoms that appear as the skin changes during menopause.
Before we start talking about products, let's begin by talking about what Menopause is.
What is menopause?
Menopause is when a woman’s periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, however it can sometimes happen earlier. This could be naturally, or for reasons such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) or the uterus (hysterectomy), cancer treatments like chemotherapy, or a genetic reason. Sometimes the reason is unknown. What we do know, however, is that it is something every single woman will go through.
There are three stages of menopause...
Most of us will be surprised to learn that there are different stages to every woman’s menopause journey. Menopause is discussed as one overarching concept, but it is broken down into three phases:
Perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
Perimenopause can begin eight to 10 years before menopause when the ovaries progressively produce less oestrogen and can start as young as the 30s. Menopause is the year-long phase when a woman does not have her menstrual period.
Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, and hot flushes may appear. Skin changes during menopause can include dryness, enlarged pores and fine lines or wrinkles.
Post-menopause comes after menopause and can last for up to a decade or longer, symptoms can continue during this time.
What skin changes during menopause may you experience?
Like most things in life, skin concerns may differ from person to person, however the below skin concerns mentioned are the most common.
Dryness – As estrogen levels decrease, you may experience increased dryness due to decreased sebum (oil) production.Dehydration - As we age, our hyaluronic acid levels (which keep the skin hydrated) decrease.Enlarged Pores - Pores will appear larger due to weaker collagen and elastic tissue.Blemishes - Due to hormonal changes, women may break out during perimenopause and menopause.Fine Lines/Wrinkles - In the first five years of menopause, a woman can lose approx. 30% of her skin’s collagen, causing a loss of firmness which contributes to the development of wrinkles.Sunspots or Age Spots - this is not specifically related to oestrogen withdrawal but occurs alongside menopause symptoms due to life stage and age.
How can you support your skin during menopause?
If you are experiencing very dry skin during menopause, start by swapping foaming, soap-based cleansers for something gentler and nourishing like cream (non-soap) cleansers. This is because soap-based formulas tend to pull oil from the skin.
Moisturising creams that contain ceramides, glycerine, and hyaluronic acid are recommended to replenish the hydration your skin is missing. Our
You may find that your skin may need a boost whilst you are sleeping, especially after a long day, and this is where a serum will come in. A serum with ingredients that can tackle dry and dull skin. Well, feast your face on our
6 reviews
£24.00
Now that we have covered how we can support the skin on your face, we must not forget your body. The skin on your body will go through the same changes, and it can be easy to forget about, so let us make this as easy as possible.
Let me introduce you to Ameliorates hero body care product –
113 reviews
Just like your face and body, the skin on your hands will also change during menopause, and you may even find that your hands can become super dry and more sensitive. Enter: a hand cream that has ingredients like Lactic Acid and Sweet Almond Oil to help deeply hydrate, exfoliate, and protect. Our
113 reviews
Exfoliation during the menopause
Whilst we are on the subject of dry skin, let's discuss exfoliation. As the skin ages, its cell turnover slows down, which means that dead skin cells are more likely to accumulate on the top layer. The skin is thinner and more sensitive, meaning gentle exfoliation is super important! I am sure we all know that exfoliation can help remove dead cells quickly and easily and encourage cell renewal. The recommendation is that those with menopausal skin should exfoliate no more than twice a week, using a gentle, hydrating, and natural exfoliating scrub.
Targeting fine lines and wrinkles during the menopause
Now let us move on to how to best improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As mentioned earlier, 30% of the skin’s collagen can be lost during the first five years of menopause. Therefore, consider looking for products with these 2 hero ingredients - Vitamin A in the form of a retinoid or retinol and Vitamin C. They are both amazing collagen boosters and skin protectors, they make a great team and can enhance each other’s properties.
Obviously, on top of that, sun protection (alongside diet and healthy lifestyle choices) is one of the best preventatives for fine lines and wrinkles. The recommended minimal sun protection should be 30 SPF, but also look out for SPFs that have broad spectrum protection, you will know if a sunscreen has this as it will have the PA+ symbol (UK). At Ameliorate we advocate using sun protection every day regardless of the time of year, especially when using any skincare products that contain AHA’s as these will make you more UV sensitive.
Targeting oily skin during the menopause
After all this dry skin talk you may be wondering, how could you possibly then get oily skin and blemishes? Well, this may not happen to every woman, but it is quite common during perimenopause. It is all to do with hormonal shifts, in a nutshell, this can increase the overproduction of sebum (oil). When looking for products to help with this it is recommended to avoid harsh blemish remedies because the skin is thinner and more sensitive during menopause. Try looking for soap-free cleansers with salicylic acid to unclog pores as well as using a retinoid 2 to 3 times per week.
No matter your journey through menopause just know that there is lots of support out there and that Ameliorate can help alleviate some of the skin symptoms to help make this road a little less bumpy for you.
Hero Products
While these are our hero products, we also recommend using some of our other great products as part of your routine, to support skin changes during menopause:
5 reviews
£20.00
1 reviews
£15.00
4 reviews
RRP: £28.00Current price: £11.20
60% Off
1 reviews
RRP: £22.00Current price: £8.80
60% Off
22 reviews
Stacie is Ameliorates Global Education Manager, she has a huge passion for all things skincare and makeup, and loves sharing her knowledge to help people find the best products for their skin. In her spare time Stacie loves to walk her dog, Poppy and watch a Disney movie or 3.
