Menopause and Skin
Going through menopause can be a hormonal rollercoaster. Regardless of other symptoms, you can be sure that major changes will be going on in the skin. It might surprise you to learn that these hormonal shifts affect the condition of our skin far more than simply ageing. 30% of collagen is lost in the first 5 years of menopause. The good news? There is a lot that can be done to combat the effects of oestrogen and collagen loss with the right skincare regime and a targeted approach.
Surely I'm too young for menopause?
But what about perimenopause? You might be one of the 46% of women who’ve never heard of it* Perimenopause is the transition stage leading up to menopause when hormone levels start to fluctuate and decline. Most women enter this period in their 40s although it can be earlier or later. The average length of menopause is four years, but it can last up to 10 years. You are officially menopausal when you haven’t had a period for a year and are post-menopausal for the rest of your life.
* GenM Invisibility Report 2021
48 Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause isn’t all hot flashes and missed periods, there are 48 actually different symptoms ranging from physical to psychological. We’re proud to be a partner of Gen M – a collective of brands and organisations that work to improve our experiences of menopause by increasing awareness of the 48 symptoms. It’s often the symptoms that you wouldn’t associate with menopause that can be the most debilitating. Your periods may become heavier or lighter, PMS can become intense, itchy dry skin, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, loss of confidence, feeling unhappy or depressed, brain fog, poor concentration and fatigue are all common symptoms of perimenopause but not the complete list. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a while to figure out what is happening – it is easy to attribute a lot of symptoms to the stresses of everyday life.
How does menopause affect skin?
As hormone levels start to fluctuate and decline, collagen levels will start to decrease. Collagen is the structural protein responsible for skin’s elasticity.
As a result, skin becomes drier and thinner with a weakened skin barrier. Cell turnover slows rapidly, and skin starts to lose its ability to hold onto water appearing, less plump and radiant. Hyperpigmentation (sunspots) can also start to appear around this time. Skin can become more sensitive, and you might find that products that used to work well with your skin aren’t as effective anymore or are causing irritation. Hormonal imbalances can also lead to breakouts and inflammation that you may not have experienced since puberty.
Expertly Formulated Skincare
In menopause, it can be tempting to try lots of different products and ingredients to combat the skin changes you are seeing. Trust us, this isn’t the best approach in menopause. Overloading your skin can be a recipe for dryness, inflammation and irritation and can make your menopausal skin symptoms even worse. To care for your skin in
menopause for real results you need to be using the right skincare ingredients – we are talking proven actives that will boost collagen, relive skin dryness, calm irritation, and restore lost hydration.
For Real Results in Menopause
Understanding how our hormones affect our skin is at the heart of Living M. Just like when we hit puberty, menopausal skin needs a fresh approach. We have developed a range high-performance, multi-benefit products to target the visible signs of oestrogen and collagen loss. Expertly developed to complement one another they contain a blend of clinically proven actives and skin nourishing ingredients. Designed to boost skin health and condition through all three stages of menopause. Living M skincare is free of all known skin irritants – fragrance, drying alcohol, essential oils, sulphates and silicones. It’s also vegan, cruelty free and made in the UK. So, you can rest assured you are giving your skin everything it needs in menopause and nothing that it doesn’t.
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Discover our most loved products. Expertly formulated with proven active ingredients to target the hormonal skin changes caused by the menopause.
