The menopause, including the peri and post menopause, affects your body in so many ways as we all know. Today, we are talking about your skin and how it can be impacted by the menopause. 

While as a middle aged woman, those hormone-induced breakouts of your teenage years will likely be a distant memory, midlife (or middle youth as I like to think of it), and more specifically the menopause, brings its own skincare challenges. In fact, a recent survey conducted at a specialist menopause clinic found that 64% suffered from skin problems. We all have a spotty story to tell don’t we, but you don’t have to take these pesky skin issues lying down.

Here we take a closer look at how the menopause affects the skin and reveal exactly what you can do about it.

Your skin and the menopause

As your body’s largest organ, the skin is one of the main areas that will change during the menopause. Hormones, and the resulting imbalances that occur during and after the menopause, affect how the skin both looks and feels, with changes in elasticity often the first to be noticed.

During the menopause, your skin is likely to become drier, itchier and more prone to acne, but not quite in the way it was when you were a teenager. Hot flushes are a symptom synonymous with the menopause, and sweating increases as your body struggles to control its internal temperature. Wrinkles may also become more visible during the menopause. While battles with either hair loss or hair growth are often prevalent in menopausal women too.

As the warmer months approach, another skin symptom of the menopause may become apparent as My Menopause Doctor explains:

“Menopausal skin is more susceptible to UV damage causing deeper wrinkling and sun damage; like age spots and lentigo – which are small brown spots on the skin. The maintenance of melanocytes (cells that manufacture the pigment melanin) is controlled by oestrogen. The number of melanocytes in your skin reduces during the perimenopause and menopause, resulting in less protective melanin – so your skin can appear lighter. Menopausal skin is therefore more prone to sun damage.”

The stress that you feel during the menopause will also affect your skin’s appearance and condition. Read more about the impact of stress on your skin here.

Not great reading I grant you, but it’s not all gloom and doom ladies, there are things that you can do to help. Looking at the silver lining, if you always had oily or combination skin, a swing to drier skin might be a welcome relief.

As your skin becomes more sensitive to the sunlight maybe it’s the universe’s way of reminding us to slap on that sunscreen and protect our skin a bit more to keep hyperpigmentation marks at bay it will help with wrinkles too.

Change up your skincare routine

As your skin changes, so too should your skincare routine. As I’m sure you already know, here at Web of Goodness, we’re passionate about letting your natural beauty shine through at every life stage. As a result, our beauty ethos relies on one thing – 100% natural products. And we’re pleased to say that going all natural with your skincare can help counter some of the troubling symptoms of the menopause.

With the right natural skincare products, you can use nature to your advantage. If you are new to the concept of Green Beauty and using natural oils on your face then starting off with a simple Jojoba Oil is a great place to start.

If you want to dive right in or have tried other products in the past then you might like to know that our natural skincare products are free from artificial, synthetic, or additive-laden ingredients lists – meaning you can reduce your chemical load and feel confident that you are using total natural goodness on your skin, when choosing our products.

Adjusting your usual routine and using natural oils to cleanse and nourish your skin instead of chemical ladened mainstream products will give you the best possible chance to successfully manage the symptoms mentioned above. Keeping your skin well hydrated certainly goes a long way at this stage. All natural products also work better with hot flushes, changes in skin tone and texture, and hormonal breakouts too.

Natural deodorants keep the most sensitive underarm skin happy and menopausal perspiration under control too. We’re currently developing a natural deodorant, so watch this space!

Remember, healthy skin starts from within. Make sure you maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fibre. Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water, a little H2O can help to boost your skin’s glow is an easy win so how about following every drink you have during the day with a glass of warm/cool water to get you into the habit. Your skin will thank you for it!

The changes you see in your skin due to the menopause and peri and post menopause can be disheartening. Luckily, there’s no need to stress about these changes as they can be managed with simple skincare and lifestyle changes. If you would like support and to learn more about how you can make these changes to suit you and your skin then email me at sophie@webofgoodness.com .