Menopause and Skin Care
The transition to menopause occurs somewhere in the 40s or 50s, and it’s defined as 12 full months without a menstrual period. However, the shift in hormones and symptoms may begin several years earlier in the menopause cycle, perimenopause.
One of the developments in response to these shifts in hormones like estrogen and progesterone is a decline in the quality of the skin. A decrease in estrogen causes testosterone to become more prominent and stimulate additional sebum from the sebaceous glands. This can cause oily skin and stimulate acne and other breakouts.
Levels of collagen and elastin also diminish during menopause. This makes the skin less firm and elastic. The result may be wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. Besides, changes in the location of fat deposits during this time can lead to thinner skin on the face and neck, making it more vulnerable to damage.
During menopause, the skin also begins to lose its ability to hold moisture, which can cause dry skin. Between this and the thinner skin, there’s a greater risk of sun damage, like age spots and other areas of pigmentation. An article in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology explored skin aging and its effects during menopause.
Due to these added skin problems, it’s very important to follow a healthy diet plan, which enriches the skin. Further, you should carry out a consistent and rich skincare routine daily.
5 Steps to Care for Your Skin During Menopause
If you’re looking for the ideal routine to help take care of your skin properly during menopause, follow these 5 simple steps to removing dirt and oil, smoothing out wrinkles and lines, getting rid of dryness, and nourishing your skin. Carry out this routine twice a day, in the morning and evening. The exceptions are the retinoid, which you should use twice a week, and the sunscreen, which is for the daytime.
Cleanser. Begin with a high-quality cleanser that includes salicylic acid. This not only cleanses the skin deeply, but also removes all of the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells in the pores. Eliminating these impurities can reduce the chances of developing acne and other aging spots.
However, salicylic acid can also dry out your skin, which is already an issue during the menopause years. If your skin becomes too dry, stop using it and switch to a basic mild cleanser. This will also help to get rid of dirt and oil, although not as rigorously.
Toner. A toner also works hard to remove dirt, oil, and dead skin cells from the pores. It can shrink the pores and balance out pH levels in the skin. If you can’t use a potent cleanser, this product should help reduce your risk of developing breakouts.
Toners also provide some hydration to the skin to prepare it for absorbing moisturizer. As getting rid of dryness is very important during menopause, this is a crucial step that will give you better overall hydration results. Finally, it can help remove age spots and areas of pigmentation that can develop during the menopause cycle.
Moisturizer. Choose an enriching, high-quality anti-aging moisturizer, which has a creamy texture. Avoid products that are foam or gel, as they often include drying ingredients like additional alpha hydroxy acid.
Purchase a product that is high in hyaluronic acid as it can hold a tremendous amount of liquid. This plumps your skin, which deeply moisturizes and also helps to smooth wrinkles and fine lines. The added anti-aging ingredients, like antioxidants and peptides, will also help get rid of wrinkles.
Once you hit menopause, you shouldn’t be using your day moisturizer at night. It’s important to buy an enriching night cream that will hydrate your skin while you’re sleeping. They include ingredients, which trap moisture. A review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology examined the science behind the functioning of moisturizers.
If you want to consider taking one of the top-rated menopause supplements as well, these also contain hydrating ingredients for the skin. Also, they balance the hormones, which eliminate symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
Relizen is a supplement, which has these effects. Many of the Relizen Reviews cited skin enrichment as one of the benefits of the product.
Retinoid Serum. We recommend that you use a retinol serum as part of your skin routine as it’s the best ingredient available for smoothing out the signs of age, like wrinkles and fine lines.
It’s high in antioxidants, which can repair damage to the skin barrier by killing free radicals and lowering oxidative stress. This provides rich anti-aging benefits. A 24-week study published in JAMA Dermatology concluded that retinoids were highly effective at removing wrinkles.
The issue with retinoids is that they can dry out the skin. For this reason, you should only use a very small amount, two nights a week. As your skin gets used to the product over the next few weeks and months, you may increase the amount in small increments and see how your skin reacts.
Sun Care. Your skin is thinner during menopause and can be much more affected by UV rays, developing age spots, dryness, and areas of pigmentation. It leaves you much more vulnerable to having wrinkles appear quickly. Besides, when estrogen decreases so do levels of melanin, which protects our skin.
For this reason, it’s important to wear sunscreen with at least SFP 30 daily in every season. These products are often high in antioxidants, which also help to fight sunspots.
Conclusion
You may notice changes in your skin during menopause like dryness, acne, oiliness, and signs of age like wrinkles, lines, and pigmentation. However, if you use high-quality skin products with hydration and anti-aging ingredients, you should be able to eliminate some of these issues.
In addition to following a consistent skincare routine, you can also consider trying one of the top-rated menopause supplements available. These products balance the hormones, which eliminates both unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes and also improves the skin.
Relizen is one such supplement on the market. It may raise levels of estrogen naturally, and one effect of this is better skin. The Relizen Reviews mentioned both an overall decrease in symptoms, as well as healthier, more glowing skin.