Key points:

• The top signs of menopausal skin and what it looks and feels like.
• The importance of skin resilience and skin barrier restoration in matures skin.
• A 7-step skin protocol for dry, tight, pigmented, sagging, thin, and sensitized hormonal skin.

Perimenopause and menopause are finally getting the attention they deserve, but how to treat mature skin isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Most protocols for hormonal skin include harsh products and invasive treatments at a time when your skin is extremely sensitive. I completely understand that prescription medications and med spa treatments may be part of your menopause skincare routine. I’m here to advise on how to elevate your daily routine with gentle, high-performing actives. The skincare technology I use is hydrating, lifting, firming, and scientifically proven to restore skin and increase skin resilience.

WHAT MENOPAUSAL SKIN LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE

If you’re like most of my clients, you’ll begin to see and feel changes in your skin 5 to 10 years before your last period. The changes are gradual, and some are more apparent at different times in your menstrual cycle. In your first 5 years after menopause, changes intensify, as you’ll lose about  30% of your skin’s collagen. This is in addition to the gradual collagen loss of about 1% each year that begins in your mid-20s. If not addressed, the factors below accelerate aging, but they can all be minimized or reversed with a skincare protocol designed with fluctuating hormones in mind.

• Parched Skin: Fluctuating estrogen levels leave skin parched. So, even if you rarely struggle with moisture loss, your skin is likely to feel dry and tight.
• Uneven Skin Tone: Cellular turnover slows down, leaving skin looking dull and uneven and feeling rough. Sunspots and pigmentation increase.
• Sensitized Skin: Thin and parched skin is fragile and sensitive to existing skincare products, and highly reactive to harsh products and treatments.
• Thinning Skin: With age, epidermal skin cells grow thinner. Thinning skin darkens undereye circles and makes blood vessels more apparent.
• Sunken Skin: Natural fat pad loss causes your skin to deflate, leading to hollowed out areas, crepey and lax skin, and intensified wrinkles.
• Deep Wrinkles: Parched skin, combined with fat pad loss, causes skin to sink in, turning fine lines into deeper wrinkles and wrinkles into valleys.

PRIORITIZE RESILIENCE AND RESTORATION

Perimenopause is when many women unknowingly adopt  inflammaging skincare routines. Your skin may initially respond to harsher protocols, but the chronic trauma and inflammation harden skin, aging skin more over time. My approach to rejuvenating mature skin prioritizes skin resilience and restoration over aggression.

I completely understand that you want to slow and reverse aging. As you transition your skincare protocol in response to aging skin, select gentle actives your skin recognizes. Every product in the protocol below is a staple on my treatment bar and what I use in my skincare routine. It’s a lot of layers, but you’ll rapidly see and feel the difference.

7-STEP PROTOCOL TO MENOPAUSE SKINCARE

STEP 1: BARRIER PROTECTION

Your skin barrier naturally weakens as estrogen levels decrease. When barrier function weakens, your skin can’t retain moisture, and skin sensitivity increases.

• Begin your menopause skincare routine by cleansing with  Clean + Gentle in the mornings and evenings. This luxurious foaming cleanser won’t strip your skin and increases skin flexibility and hydration. You can double cleanse with this formulation in when you’re sweaty or grimy or wearing long-wear makeup, including eye makeup.

STEP 2: TRAUMA-FREE EXFOLIATION

Fluctuating hormones slow your skin’s ability to shed dead cells, leaving your skin dull and uneven. As cells build up, it intensifies lines and wrinkles and impedes actives from penetrating to the deep skin layers. Scrubbing harder with mechanical exfoliators isn’t the answer, as it damages your skin’s lipid barrier. Switch from mechanical exfoliation to ultra-gentle chemical exfoliation 2 to 3 times a week.

I suggest alternating chemical exfoliators, waiting at least 2 days between treatments:

• Use  In the Clear exfoliating pads for combined chemical and physical exfoliation 1 to 2 times a week. They contain mandelic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid to calm and nourish skin while sloughing away dead cells.
• Use papaya enzyme and kaolin clay  Enzyme Rescue Mask 1 to 2 times a week. Apply a thin layer and rinse it off after 8 to 10 minutes.

STEP 3: RESTORE YOUR HYDRATION LAYER

Menopausal skin lacks both oil and water. Restoring lipids and hydration requires layering a series of serums, often referred to as  skin flooding. This is contrary to the myth that applying a thicker moisturizer is all you need to restore hydration. A thicker cream may be required, but first you must push hydrating and nourishing actives into the skin. Always apply serums to slightly damp skin and wait a few minutes for each serum to absorb between layers. Multi-step layering may feel heavy at first, so begin with a single serum or only layer in the evenings. Before you know it, the layers will feel like a second skin.

• The first step to restoring parched skin is applying  4D Quench serum. This hydrating formulation includes Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, and an Organic Antioxidant Blend to smooth and brighten.

STEP 4: COLLAGEN AND FIRMING SUPPORT SERUM

Whether speaking of menopause or any other skin condition or season of life, your actives should be gentle. Instead of applying harsh actives that inflame sensitized skin, I strategically layer actives that stimulate repair. This method of micro-stimulation supports consistent production of reparative fibroblast cells that tighten skin by restoring firmness and elasticity.

The  Rejuvenating Ampoule is a super serum infused with polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN). PDRN is a medical grade biostimulator that prompts the body to heal by stimulating cellular repair. This formulation is infused with Propolis Extract and delivers a glass skin/glossy skin finish that doubles as a protective barrier. Apply at least once a day, in the mornings if alternating with the PLLA serum below.

CaviPLLA Advanced Volumizing Serum is part of House of PLLA’s injection-free facial filling line. This high-tech oxygenating serum is infused with Caviar Extract and Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA). The PLLA wraps around your hair follicles, prompting a steady stream of collagen production to plump out and firm skin. Apply at least once a day, ideally in the evenings if alternating with the PDRN ampoule above.

STEP 5: SKIN BRIGHTENING AND SKIN TONE CORRECTION

The UV damage of years past result in sunspots that form as early as your 30s, with many women experiencing accelerated pigmentation in their 40s and 50s. This acceleration is due to the combination of the natural aging process and unchecked inflammatory conditions caused by fluctuating hormones, harsh actives, and harsh physical treatments. Paring the chemical exfoliators above with a botanical brightener rapidly reduces discoloration. The SPF protection in Step 7 is crucial for keeping pigmentation to a minimum.

Brighten the Day is one of my favorite brightening serums. It contains 5 botanical brighteners to fade pigmentation and even out skin tone, while soothing inflammation and increasing hydration. Apply once a day, either AM or PM.

Bonus Pro Tip: To accelerate brightening and other menopause skin conditions, I suggest at home  Red Light Therapy 2-3 days a week. LED is extremely gentle and fades pigmentation without lasers, peels, or downtime. In addition to pigmentation, red light supports the skin barrier and stimulates collagen production.

STEP 6: REPAIR AND SEAL

Trans-epidermal water loss is one of the biggest challenges during menopause. Applying an occlusive moisturizer helps preserve the layers you’ve applied to accelerate restoration and support maximum efficacy. Occlusive formulations aren’t only thicker; they act as a secondary skin barrier.

• Create a rejuvenating seal by tapping or pressing  Renew + Hydrate Multi-Action Moisturizer in your skin, as rubbing causes friction. This formulation includes firming Peptides, Squalane, Swiss Apple Stem Cell Extract, and a Bioengineered Anti-Aging Complex clinically proven to boost firmness by up to 55% in 12 weeks! Apply twice daily.

STEP 7: NON-NEGOTIABLE: AM UV PROTECTION

Broad-spectrum UV protection is a year-round non-negotiable, and even more essential for estrogen-depleted skin. When estrogen takes a nosedive, so does the skin’s natural UV defense. Think beyond the sun, as most of us spend all day under fluorescent lighting and in front of electronic devices. A broad-spectrum sunscreen blocks the sun’s rays and the blue light of modern lighting and electronics. Both brightening serums and SPF are less effective if they aren’t used in unison.

• Select a  Reparative SPF Formulation depending on your skin conditions and daily UV exposure.

CARING FOR YOUR SKIN BEYOND MENOPAUSE

If you have additional skincare questions, you can join the CBE Rewards club. As a member, you’ll receive exclusive skincare tips for your local climate, lifestyle, skin type, skin conditions, and season of life.

Membership includes $10 cashback every month. The club is also where you can ask me personalized questions about your skincare routine. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if perimenopause is causing your skin conditions?

Skin changes are one of the first signs of perimenopause, making it easy to mistake for general aging. To determine if fluctuating estrogen levels are the cause of your dry, tight, sagging, thin, or sensitive skin, is to ask your esthetician or dermatologist. Your gynecologist or physician may request hormone testing to confirm you’re in perimenopause.

Is there a gentle retinol?

Yes! I suggest  Sleep On It serum in the evenings. This gentle botanical-based formulation doesn’t sting, burn, or inflame like prescription retinols. Skin may redden after application, but it’s gentle enough for most with sensitive skin.

How to heal skin after lasers, peels, IPL, and other harsh treatments?

If your skin barrier is damaged or inflamed post-harsh treatments or prolonged prescription use, repair and restore with Exosomes-infused  NeoGenesis Recovery serum or Caviar Extract and PLLA-infused  CaviPLLA Advanced Volumizing Serum. Apply twice daily for at least 4 weeks. If you use both serums, apply one in the morning and one in the evening.