Menopausal skin changes can start in your 40s (or even earlier) where due to decreasing oestrogen levels, skin can become drier, thinner and not as supple as it once might have been. These hormonal changes can also sometimes trigger pre-existing skin conditions that you once had such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. Not surpisingly, I've also seen many cases of hormonal acne that occur at this time.
Because menopause can also mean interrupted sleep as well extra stress (often because of the lack of sleep) together with some hot flushing/flashing in many women, you might find that you start getting some breakouts on your face as well as your body.
It can be a really hard time emotionally for many women because of all of this. As I mentioned in my previous post, it's often a time when our confidence can go down a little and we can sometimes find the changes in our physical being (no matter what we do, our bodies and faces will change) might probably have an impact on how we feel about ourselves.
I think a good starting point is to be really kind to ourselves and make a point of not criticising ourselves when we look in the mirror. This is a part of life (not always an easy part I know) but in my experience I found that the kinder I was to myself and the more care I took of myself, the better I felt about myself.
This is the perfect time to spoil yourself with some extra self care on a daily basis. It doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive but little things such as an aromatic bath or shower, a daily at home face or body massage with a beautiful mood enhancing oil can make a huge difference and it's also a really good way to get to know and be comfortable with your body and your face as it is now, which I think is really important.
When it comes to skincare, one thing that can often happen is that skin becomes quite sensitive. This can be for a couple of reasons - one is due to hormonal fluctuations and the other can sometimes happen if, over the years, we might have had or used a large number of exfoliating treatments or products that have left the barrier function of our skin weakened and compromised. This sensitivity often means that many women find their skin reacts to many of the so called 'anti-ageing' synthetic products on the market and that their skin isn't able to tolerate them any more, which is when they often turn to natural skincare.
There's another reason why I think natural skincare is the best option - well, there are actually a few reasons. I do believe that our skin and bodies are far more accepting of natural ingredients than it is of synthetic, processed ones - just like it is with the food we eat. It's also a myth that natural skincare isn't as effective - the right natural skincare products are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids - everything skin needs during this time to remain healthy, plump and alive.
Natural skincare such as facial oils, butters, balms, herbs, clays and floral hydrosols work beautifully during this time of our lives - giving our skin all the nourishment it needs while helping to repair, soothe and regenerate skin. In fact one of the most effective ways to get back that natural glow (which is what we all want) is to spend a few minutes massaging a beautifully rich oil based cleanser into your skin, using a warm compress to gently steam and exfoliate skin, mist an aromatic floral water followed by a beautifully formulated nourishing facial oil. This is really all your skin needs on a daily basis. The key is consistency - spending a few minutes with a ritual such as this each day, lovingly (that's the key word) massaging your skin will make a huge difference, not only to your skin but also your self esteem.
The added bonus of using natural skincare is that each product is often infused with beautifully relaxing and mood balancing essential oils which help us to also feel so much better emotionally. It's interesting that many Essential Oils have the same effect on our emotions as they do on the skin. An example of this is Geranium (found in our Rose Geranium Facial Mist) which is not only balancing for the skin (it works for both oily, congested and dry skin) but is also a wonderful essential oil for any emotional ups and downs we might feel. So when you mist this onto your skin, you're not only giving your skin a hydrating and balancing treatment, you'll also feel more balanced when you inhale the aromatic waters. This is the essence of what natural skincare is all about.
Our skin section has a number of products that work really well during this time. If you're not sure what might suit your particular skin or not sure what your skin type or condition is, please get in touch - just by getting a little extra info from you, I can make the right recommendations (without any hard sell, I promise you!).
There is also a Bespoke option in case you might have several different skin issues happening at this time, which means that you can have a completely customised skincare range for your current skin type.
Hope this helps - please get in touch if I can help more.
Audra x