Have you ever heard the nickname often used in conversation about menopause: 'The Change'?
Well, it's not unheard of and definitely not inaccurate. It's no secret that menopause is one of the biggest biological changes you go through in your entire life. Your routine, holy-grail products, attitude on wellness - all can change faster than you realize; simply because your body needs care in a different way!
It's important to have a positive attitude towards menopause - but that doesn't magically get rid of the very real symptoms that accompany it.
But first, here’s how you know you are menopausal - in the absence of other symptoms, skipping your period for a year means you have entered menopause. Typically, women are seen to enter menopause in their 50s.
That’s when most of the not-so-fun symptoms start creeping up. Heat flashes, night chills, and irregular periods come into play, as they're all indicators that your ovaries are producing less estrogen.
With so many changes occurring internally, your body is bound to experience visible changes, especially with respect to skin health. But that doesn't mean all is lost!
We’re looking at the best skin and wellness practices to help smoothen and maintain your transition into menopause, filled with the best tips and tricks.
From DIY recipes to holy-grail products that will make your life so much easier without compromising on health, we’ve got you covered!
Understanding Skin Changes During Menopause
As you get older, your skin's epidermis often alters due to a combination of extrinsic or intrinsic factors. Pollution, stress, and sun exposure are examples of extrinsic variables that can cause your skin to age.
In contrast, inherent variables that cause skin to age over time include collagen loss. Collagen is the protein that gives our skin its structure and elasticity, so losing it over time can cause our skin to appear and feel older.
As you progress from perimenopause to menopause, your body produces less estrogen in your ovaries while producing more androgens, or masculine sex hormones like testosterone.
Estrogen stimulates the production of collagen and elasticity in our bodies. These proteins are necessary for keeping your epidermis moisturized and healthy. As a consequence of this abrupt imbalance, you have dry skin on your face, body, and just about anywhere else.
The loss of skin hydration and decreased collagen synthesis can make a significant difference in the look of the face. Once hormones start to decrease, the skin becomes thinner, wrinkled, and saggy.
But enough about this change! We all know it is bound to happen at some point. What we need to learn more about is how we can alter our routine to better facilitate the change and maintain our skin and overall health. After all, the aim is not to stop or reverse menopause but learn how to adapt and benefit from it.
Our Expert's Approach to Menopause Skincare
We asked our resident expert and CEO, Elizabeth Koshy, on her insider tips and tricks on how she takes care of her skin and body in her wellness journey.
We've got her must-have skincare and secrets that help her maintain a consistent menopause routine.
Elizabeth's Golden Rule: Keep It Simple, Keep It Minimalistic
Your skin is already going through a lot in how you live your daily life. Bombarding it with more products and action isn't helping its cause. Instead, cutting down your 12-step routine to more basic, natural ingredients that your skin actually needs will be a better value for your skin's health and your wallet.
Our 3-Step Skincare Routine For Menopause Skin
Step #1: Cleanse
The first step in any routine should be to cleanse your face, which might seem like a simple and obvious step but is often overlooked! Imagine trying to improve your health without getting rid of the root cause.
That's what treating skin that has not been cleaned properly is like! Our skin is subjected to so many pollutants and stresses during the day that cleansing it at night seems obvious.
The trouble here lies in picking the right cleanser that suits menopausal skin. Here are our recommendations for you to find the right cleanser for your skin type once you can identify its type!
Oily Skin: Use a gel cleanser to help eliminate excess grime from your face that may have accumulated during the day or night.
Acne-Prone Skin: Use a gentle wash with anti-blemish ingredients.
Dry Skin: If you have dry skin (which is extremely common during menopause!), search for a moisturizing oil or balm composition that includes ceramides and plant oils.
Want to try a DIY cleanser instead? We’ve got you covered!
Elizabeth makes her own blend of castor oil, coconut oil, pomegranate oil, raspberry oil, with ylang ylang essential oil for the perfect citrusy 'wake my skin' perfume. She uses this oil blend to soothe and cleanse her skin, which helps her combination-mature skin. Wipe with a clean, warm, wet towel, and you're good to go to nourish your skin further.
Step #2: Hydrate and Replenish
Cleansing strips your skin of all dirt and grime. But that means it also cleanses your skin of any protection and hydration. Now's the step where we replenish mature skin so it can continue to heal and glow!
Here's where the magic of a minimalistic routine comes in. The perfect formulations that give your skin all the nourishment it needs in one product. The right products will help you not only cut down on time and money but also not let you compromise your skin health in any way!
AM Morning Routine
Elizabeth uses Empress Naturals' AM Serum from the Serum Set in the morning. The simplest but effective blend of rosehip seed oil, CICA, this formulation is lightweight and provides your skin with the protection and hydration it needs every morning.
Your skin will never feel heavy or overburdened with this serum. It helps restore the radiance of the complexion throughout the day, and the vitamin A in rosehip seed oil works wonders for the main objective: anti-aging.
PM Night Routine
Your nighttime routine is to heal, repair, and nourish. Our PM Luxe Night Elixir is just that! Created to work while you rest, the PM Serum blends Circanblue™ postbiotic, Rosehip Oil, Pomegranate Oil, and Licorice Extract to support skin renewal and hormonal balance
Step #3: Don't Forget Your Body
It's more neglected than we like to think. We often think about all the changes happening to skin on your face, but seldom the body. Your body skin also needs to be nourished so you can feel hydrated and healthy all over. But maintaining skin health need not be complicated.
Your body wellness is one massage away!
We truly believe in the healing power of self-massages to help your body get the nutrition it needs and relaxation it deserves. There are multiple recipes that you can find online for the right kind of oils for self-massage.
But Elizabeth has very specific needs when it comes to taking care of her mature skin. That’s why she created the two massage oils she thinks every menopausal woman can benefit from - Our Calming Massage Oil and Circulation Massage Oil.
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.
