Menopause and Your Skin: How 100% Natural Skincare Can Help Your Skin Age Well

Menopause and Your Skin: How 100% Natural Skincare Can Help Your Skin Age Well

Menopause is a significant hormonal transition, but it isn’t simply about hot flushes, night sweats and changing periods.

Your skin is also affected.

As oestrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, many women notice that their skin suddenly seems to behave differently. It can become drier, more sensitive, thinner and less resilient. Fine lines may become more noticeable, skin can feel less firm, and conditions such as rosacea, itching and dryness may become more troublesome.

The good news is that while we cannot stop the natural ageing process, the right skincare routine can help support the skin and improve the way it looks and feels.

And this is where a thoughtful approach to 100% natural, plant-based skincare can have a valuable role.

What actually happens to your skin during menopause?

Oestrogen has important roles in maintaining the skin. It is involved in hydration, sebum production, the skin barrier and the maintenance of collagen and other structural components of the skin.

When oestrogen levels fall, these processes can change.

Dermatology sources identify several common skin changes associated with menopause, including increased dryness and itching, reduced elasticity, collagen loss, skin thinning and increased sensitivity. Existing conditions such as rosacea and eczema may also become more troublesome for some women. 

1. Dry, dehydrated skin

One of the most common complaints is simply:

“My skin has suddenly become so dry.”

Menopausal skin can become less effective at retaining water. Changes to sebum production and the skin barrier can contribute to dryness, tightness and itching. 

This is why moisturising becomes particularly important.

But moisturising isn’t simply about adding oil.

A good moisturiser should help address several aspects of skin hydration — providing water, supporting the skin barrier and reducing excessive water loss.

Plant-based skincare can provide a combination of humectants, emollients and occlusive ingredients from botanical sources.

Ingredients such as glycerine, aloe vera and flax seed mucilage can help support hydration, while plant oils and butters can soften the skin and help reduce moisture loss.

2. Loss of firmness and elasticity

Perhaps the change women notice most visibly is that the skin doesn’t seem quite as firm as it once did.

Collagen production and skin structure are affected by the decline in oestrogen. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that women can lose a substantial amount of skin collagen during the early years of menopause. 

The result can be:

• Less firmness
• Increased laxity
• More visible fine lines
• Deeper wrinkles
• Changes around the jawline
• A thinner-looking skin texture

No moisturiser can recreate the collagen you had in your twenties.

And we should be suspicious of any skincare product that promises to literally “turn back the clock”.

But skincare can improve hydration, softness, smoothness and the overall appearance of the skin, making mature skin look healthier and more supple.

That’s a much more realistic — and honest — goal.

3. Skin can become thinner and more fragile

As oestrogen levels decline, skin thickness and resilience can change. Some women find that their skin bruises more easily or seems much more delicate than before. 

This is one reason why a mature-skin routine shouldn’t necessarily be about using increasingly aggressive products.

More isn’t always better.

Strong exfoliation, excessive cleansing and highly active routines can be difficult for dry or sensitive menopausal skin.

Sometimes the better approach is surprisingly simple:

Cleanse gently. Hydrate. Nourish. Protect. Repeat.

4. Increased sensitivity and irritation

Menopause can also change how comfortable your skin feels.

Products that you’ve used for years without a problem may suddenly feel irritating.

The skin can become more sensitive and existing conditions such as eczema or rosacea may become more troublesome. 

This is particularly relevant when choosing natural skincare.

But “natural” doesn’t automatically mean “gentle”.

This is an important distinction.

Essential oils, fragrance materials and some botanical extracts can cause irritation or allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.

So the fact that an ingredient comes from a plant doesn’t automatically make it appropriate for every menopausal skin type.

Good natural formulation is about choosing the right ingredients, at the right concentrations, for the right skin.

For particularly sensitive skin, a simpler, fragrance-free formulation may be preferable.

5. Hormonal changes can influence oil production

It might seem strange that skin can become both drier and more prone to spots during menopause.

But it can happen.

The changing balance between oestrogen and androgen activity can contribute to changes in sebum production and, in some women, the appearance of adult or hormonal acne. 

This is another reason why aggressively stripping the skin of oil isn’t necessarily the answer.

If your skin is dry and dehydrated, harsh cleansing can potentially make the problem worse.

Instead, mature skin often benefits from a more balanced approach that respects the skin barrier.

Why consider 100% natural skincare during menopause?

There is no scientific rule that says a natural ingredient is inherently better than a synthetic one.

That isn’t the argument.

The attraction of a well-formulated 100% natural skincare routine is that plants provide an extraordinary range of useful cosmetic ingredients — oils, waxes, polysaccharides, antioxidants, vitamins, botanical extracts and other naturally derived compounds.

The key is formulation quality.

Plant oils can provide valuable emollience

Many botanical oils contain combinations of fatty acids, including oleic, linoleic, alpha-linolenic and other fatty acids, together with naturally occurring minor components.

They can help leave mature skin feeling:

• Softer
• Smoother
• More supple
• Less tight
• More comfortable

Different oils have different characteristics, which is why a good formulator doesn’t simply throw several oils into a bottle and call it a facial oil.

The choice, balance and concentration of oils matter.

Natural humectants can support hydration

Ingredients such as glycerine and aloe vera can help attract and retain water within the outer layers of the skin.

Flax seed mucilage is another fascinating plant-derived ingredient.

It forms a naturally occurring polysaccharide-rich mucilage that can provide a silky, moisturising film over the skin.

For mature skin that feels dry or tight, these types of ingredients can be particularly useful components of a well-designed formulation.

Antioxidant-rich botanical ingredients

Plant-derived ingredients can also provide naturally occurring antioxidant compounds.

Vitamin E-rich oils, botanical extracts and other plant materials can contribute antioxidant activity to a formulation.

Antioxidants are particularly interesting in mature-skin care because oxidative stress and environmental exposure are among the factors involved in skin ageing.

But again, formulation matters.

An ingredient having antioxidant activity in a laboratory doesn’t automatically mean that a finished skincare product will produce a clinically meaningful anti-ageing effect.

This is where responsible formulation and responsible claims become important.

What about “anti-ageing” skincare?

Personally, I prefer the phrase:

“age-supportive skincare.”

Because ageing isn’t a disease.

And menopause certainly isn’t something that needs to be “cured”.

Your skin is supposed to change.

The objective isn’t to make a 55-year-old woman look 25.

It is to help a 55-year-old woman’s skin look healthy, hydrated, comfortable, nourished and cared for.

There is a big difference.

Good skincare can help improve the appearance of dryness, roughness, dullness and fine lines.

It can help the skin feel more comfortable and supple.

And protecting the skin from UV exposure remains one of the most important things you can do to reduce premature photo-ageing. Dermatologists recommend daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, for exposed skin. 

A simple menopause-friendly skincare routine

You don’t necessarily need a bathroom cabinet full of products.

A sensible routine could be:

Morning

1. Gentle cleanse

Avoid unnecessarily stripping the skin.

2. Hydrating serum or gel

Look for ingredients such as glycerine, aloe vera or other well-formulated humectants.

3. Nourishing moisturiser

A combination of water, humectants and plant-derived emollients can help support comfortable, supple skin.

4. Sun protection

Use a suitable broad-spectrum SPF.

Evening

1. Gentle cleansing

Remove makeup, sunscreen and daily pollution without aggressive scrubbing.

2. Hydration

Replace some of the water that dry skin struggles to retain.

3. Facial oil or nourishing moisturiser

Depending on your skin type, a botanical facial oil can provide additional emollience and help leave the skin feeling soft and comfortable.

And perhaps most importantly:

Don’t constantly change your routine.

Give your skin time to respond.

Menopause doesn’t mean giving up on beautiful skin

There is sometimes an unfortunate message surrounding menopause that women should simply accept that their skin is going to deteriorate.

I don’t agree.

We can’t stop menopause.

We can’t stop chronological ageing.

And no skincare product can turn back time.

But there is a great deal we can do.

We can protect our skin from excessive UV exposure.

We can avoid unnecessarily harsh cleansing.

We can support hydration.

We can use well-formulated moisturisers and emollients.

We can choose ingredients appropriate for our changing skin.

We can eat well, stay active, manage stress and prioritise sleep.

And we can choose skincare that works with the skin rather than constantly challenging it.

The natrl approach

At natrl, our philosophy is simple.

We believe skincare should be formulated with a purpose.

That means choosing plant-based ingredients because they have something useful to contribute to the formulation — not simply because they sound natural on the label.

For menopausal and post-menopausal skin, that means focusing on hydration, nourishment, comfort, barrier support and antioxidant-rich botanical ingredients, while avoiding the temptation to promise miracles.

Because healthy-looking skin isn’t about trying to look younger at any cost.

It’s about helping the skin you have look and feel its best at every stage of life.

And perhaps that’s the best approach to skincare after 40, 50 and beyond:

Don’t fight your skin. Understand it.

Then give it what it needs.