Try not to abandon your usual skincare routine or habits
When we get busy, it’s really easy to abandon our usual routine. You might feel you haven’t got time to go to the gym or to meet your friend for that weekly coffee. Healthy eating can also go out of the window and a mince pie for breakfast seems like a reasonable idea when you’re trying to cram everything in. This approach can actually make your symptoms a whole lot worse though and increase your stress levels even though you feel like you are saving yourself some time. Try to avoid abandoning your usual habits especially if they make you feel calmer and more able to cope. Whether it’s an exercise class, a walk or coffee with a friend try your best to make time for it, if it helps you feel better.
Alcohol and Menopause aren’t a good cocktail
The truth is alcohol and menopause really aren’t a good mix. We know this from personal experience. I have personally developed what seems to be an allergy to white wine – a sociable single glass can makes me feel like I’ve been out clubbing until the wee hours the next day. Not only do menopausal women struggle to process alcohol but drinking has been shown to aggravate menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety and sleep problems. That’s because as we get older, we lose our ability to dilute alcohol, so we are much more sensitive to its effects. If you do like a drink, make sure you are drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated to help ease your symptoms. There are a huge range of non-alcoholic options available now so there is always a great alternative if you’d rather not drink.
Try and balance your eating
It’s easy to over- indulge at Christmas but too much sugar and rich food in particular can make menopausal symptoms much worse so it’s good to be mindful of what you are eating over the festive season. One or two days won’t make much difference to your overall health so enjoy yourself - it is Christmas after all! Just don’t over-indulge for the whole month and you will feel a whole lot better for it.
Be consistent with your skincare routine
Consistency is key to great skincare results and its even more important during the festive season to counteract the effects of late nights, rich food and alcohol. Make sure you are cleansing your skin properly – it’s tempting to fall into bed after a night out without taking your make up off, but your complexion will really start to suffer. Use a nourishing cream cleanser that won’t dry out skin and strip its natural oils making the skin dryness caused by hormonal skin fluctuations menopause even worse. Living M 2-in-1 Cream Cleanser & Mask is a super nourishing cream cleanser and rejuvenating face mask in one luxurious product. An indulgent blend of natural butters, oils and uplifting neroli blossom water. Use morning and night to gently remove make up and impurities and once a week apply as an overnight intensive face mask to rejuvenate skin in the lead up to Christmas. Make sure you are moisturising every day with a formula that will make a real difference to menopausal skin. Living M Collagen Boost is a velvety cream powered by collagen boosting peptides, radiance restoring antioxidants and vitamins and nourishing natural butters. Don’t forget a night treatment to stimulate cell turnover. Living M Super A Retinol Sleep Cream is the perfect retinol night cream for menopausal skin – with 0.5% encapsulated retinol, it also contains skin strengthening ceramides and 3 different types of super hydrator hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture while the retinol works its magic.
Remember you don’t have to say yes to everything
Christmas is BUSY - with diary commitments, nights out ferrying teenagers and all the shopping that needs to be done it’s easy to start to feel overwhelmed. Whether it’s an invitation to yet another party or the possibility of extra guests for Christmas, realise that it’s ok to say no to things. It takes practice but the world isn’t going to end if you say no to a party invite – and that early night might be just what you need to get back on track.
We love Christmas but it really is a busy time and if you can find ways to stick to good habits and routines over the festive season it makes Christmas and the menopause a whole lot easier to deal with.
