Wouldn't it be easier if you could skip those challenging menopausal years and jump straight to the good part? While that might sound incredible, here's the truth: these years are actually the best time to restore radiance and suppleness to your skin without harming your body or causing long-term negative effects.
Here's a fact: As you age, your skin will age with you.
But here's another fact: Aging skin doesn't mean bad skin. It means vulnerable skin that you can heal and protect with the correct practices and natural remedies.
All you need is a solid, clean, and natural routine that works effectively to care for aging menopausal skin with extra attention and love. With some easy, at-home natural remedies combined with targeted skincare, your skin can be at peak health during menopause and beyond.
What's Happening to Your Skin During Menopause?
As you age, your skin changes due to both intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors. Extrinsic factors include pollution, stress, and sun exposure that accelerate visible aging. Intrinsic factors involve the natural deterioration of collagen, one of the fundamental processes that causes skin to gradually age over time.
Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its strength, structure, and elasticity. It's directly responsible for making your skin look and feel youthful, firm, and resilient.
Why Does Collagen Production Decline During Menopause?
Collagen production is stimulated by estrogen in your body. As you approach menopause, your ovaries gradually stop producing estrogen, leading to a drastic drop in collagen synthesis. Women lose approximately 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause begins.
This sudden hormonal shift and consequent changes are what lead to the seemingly frustrating transformations in your skin, body, and mood during perimenopause and menopause. Your skin becomes thinner, drier, less elastic, more prone to wrinkles and sagging, and more sensitive and reactive.
What Can You Do About It?
Nourishing your body with appropriate nutrients, lifestyle habits, and natural skincare can help restore your skin's glow from both inside and out. The most effective way to alleviate the visible symptoms of menopause is to adopt a non-toxic lifestyle with natural remedies and skincare specifically created for women with mature, hormonally changing skin.
Make sure to visit our article on Achieving Ageless Skin to learn more about how your skin matures and discover additional tips for keeping it healthy throughout menopause.
Natural Lifestyle Remedies to Support Menopausal Skin
Small changes you can make to ease your menopausal journey and support healthy, radiant skin!
Load Up on Fruits and Vegetables
Many menopause symptoms—including skin issues—can be improved with a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. These whole foods are excellent for weight maintenance because they're relatively low in calories while making you feel satisfied for longer.
Benefits for Menopausal Skin:
- Antioxidants protect against free radical damage that accelerates aging
- Vitamins A and C support collagen production which declines during menopause
- Hydration from water-rich produce helps combat dry menopausal skin
- Fiber supports gut health, which is linked to skin health
- Phytoestrogens (found in soy, flaxseeds, and certain vegetables) may help balance hormones naturally
Fruits and vegetables also aid in preventing certain diseases, including heart disease. This is particularly crucial because the risk of heart disease tends to rise after menopause due to age, weight changes, and lower estrogen levels.
Exercise Regularly for Skin and Body
Scientific evidence backs the profound benefits of consistent exercise during menopause, including increased metabolism and energy, stronger bones and joints, reduced stress and anxiety, better quality sleep, and improved circulation (which benefits skin health).
How Exercise Benefits Menopausal Skin:
- Improved blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells
- Increased collagen production through enhanced circulation
- Stress reduction prevents cortisol-related skin damage
- Better sleep quality allows optimal skin repair and regeneration
- Lymphatic drainage reduces puffiness and promotes detoxification
In addition to improving overall health and skin appearance, regular exercise reduces the risk of developing diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and obesity—all more common after menopause.
Recommendation: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly, including both cardiovascular activity and strength training to preserve bone density and muscle mass.
Hydrate with Water, Water, Water
Dry skin and general dryness throughout the body are major symptoms of menopause. Loss of estrogen is the primary reason for this frustrating symptom, as estrogen helps skin retain moisture. Consuming 8–12 glasses of water daily can significantly alleviate dryness and support skin health.
Why Hydration is Critical for Menopausal Skin:
- Plumps skin cells to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Supports barrier function weakened by declining estrogen
- Flushes toxins that can contribute to breakouts and dullness
- Improves skin elasticity and overall texture
- Reduces bloating caused by hormonal changes
Additionally, proper hydration supports all your body's functions, including collagen synthesis and cellular turnover—both crucial for maintaining youthful skin during menopause.
Pro Tip: If plain water feels boring, add slices of cucumber, lemon, or berries for flavor and extra antioxidants.
Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods
A diet overloaded with sugar and refined carbohydrates causes blood sugar to spike and crash dramatically, leaving you exhausted and irritable. This can worsen menopause symptoms—both physical and psychological—and accelerate skin aging.
How Sugar Damages Menopausal Skin:
- Glycation occurs when sugar binds to collagen, making it stiff and brittle
- Inflammation increases throughout the body, including skin
- Hormonal disruption worsens menopausal imbalances
- Accelerated aging through oxidative stress and free radical damage
If processed foods are replacing the nutrients you need from balanced meals, diets heavy in processed items can have an adverse effect on bone health—particularly concerning during menopause when osteoporosis risk increases.
Additionally, certain processed foods have been linked to worsening hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Common triggers include excessive caffeine and alcohol, which can also dehydrate skin and disrupt sleep.
Alternative: Choose whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables to stabilize blood sugar and support skin health from within.
Protect Your Bones with Calcium and Vitamin D
Menopause-related hormonal changes weaken bones and significantly increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. Strong bones support your body's structure, including facial structure, helping prevent the "sunken" appearance that can occur with bone loss.
Calcium-Rich Foods:
- Dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese
- Green, leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and collard greens
- Fortified plant milks and tofu
- Sardines and canned salmon with bones
- Almonds and sesame seeds
Vitamin D Sources: Vitamin D can be tricky to obtain adequately. While sunlight is your body's best source of vitamin D, excessive sun exposure is also responsible for premature skin aging and damage—particularly problematic for vulnerable menopausal skin.
Balanced Approach:
- Get 10-15 minutes of morning sun exposure (before 10 AM) without sunscreen
- After this brief exposure, always apply broad-spectrum SPF 30+
- Consume vitamin D-rich foods, including fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), egg yolks, fortified foods, and mushrooms exposed to UV light
- Consider a vitamin D supplement after consulting with your healthcare provider
Recommended Daily Intake: Women over 50 need 1,200 mg of calcium and 600-800 IU of vitamin D daily.
Prioritize Quality Sleep
Although not mentioned in the original content, sleep quality deserves emphasis for menopausal skin health. While night sweats and hormonal fluctuations make sleep challenging during menopause, prioritizing rest is crucial for skin repair and regeneration.
Tips for Better Sleep During Menopause:
- Keep your bedroom cool (60-67°F) to combat night sweats
- Use moisture-wicking bedding
- Establish a consistent sleep schedule
- Limit caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening
- Practice relaxation techniques before bed
- Apply Empress Naturals Luxe Night Elixir as part of a calming nighttime ritual
Manage Stress Naturally
Chronic stress accelerates aging and worsens menopausal symptoms, including skin issues. Elevated cortisol breaks down collagen, increases inflammation, disrupts sleep, and triggers breakouts.
Natural Stress Management:
- Meditation and mindfulness practices
- Yoga and gentle stretching
- Deep breathing exercises
- Time in nature
- Massage (including facial massage with natural oils)
- Aromatherapy with calming essential oils
The ritual of applying natural skincare can itself become a stress-reducing practice, especially when using products with calming aromatherapeutic benefits like those in Empress Naturals formulations.
Empress Naturals’ Menopause and Perimenopause Skincare and Wellness
At Empress Naturals, we believe in year-round wellness and skin nourishment, healing, and repair focused on perimenopause and menopause care. Our Rosehip oil-based skincare line is meticulously formulated by industry experts that cater to the specific needs of mature skin ensuring ageless radiance and luminous skin.
Our Best-selling products - Anti-aging Face Serum and Luxe Night Elixir Serum are all you need to cover the essentials when it comes to aging skin.
Our mission is to provide 100% pure and organic skincare products that make you feel incredible in your skin, regardless of what stage it is at. We carefully cultivate our ingredients from sustainable farms worldwide that harvest the highest quality without the use of hazardous preservatives or pesticides. Our products are non-toxic, clean, cruelty-free, and formulated with 100% Organic ingredients.
Experience the power of clean skincare and wellness with Empress Naturals.
*Disclaimer: We highly recommend that you contact a trained health professional, before introducing any products into your routine especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
