During menopause, many people notice changes in their skin. It may be worth reviewing your skincare routine so that you don't use the wrong products for your skin type. But what is actually happening in the skin and is there anything you can do or should think about? Here we list our best tips!
What is happening at a biological level in the skin?
During menopause, there is what is called intrinsic ageing of the skin, which means that it is a natural ageing process that occurs from within the body and is not influenced by external factors. The aging that occurs during menopause is mainly due to a decrease in three hormones: estrogen, progesterone and DHEA. When women enter menopause and men enter andropause, there is an imbalance in the sex hormones. In women, this often leads to a dramatic change in the elasticity of the skin, due to reduced production of oestrogen which stimulates collagen in the skin. In men, the process is gradual due to decreased production of testosterone. Typically, menopause for women does not occur until they approach fifty, but many women notice a big difference in their skin as soon as they pass forty. Before menopause, which occurs around the age of fifty, there is a gradual decrease in the hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) from in the adrenal cortex during the period between thirty and forty, which is called adrenopause. DHEA is a hormone closely linked to ageing and is needed in the body to produce both oestrogen and testosterone. The concentration of DHEA is high at birth, then drops and increases again during puberty, and then decreases again between thirty and forty.
Skin changes in three stages during menopause
Drier skin
Sebum (tallow) production can increase up to the age of 50, but decreases thereafter.
Sebum production is important for the skin to build an effective hydrolipidic structure, which helps to maintain the skin's moisture. When sebum production decreases, the water content of the skin also decreases and the skin becomes drier.
Thinning skin and enlarged pores
Skin thinning is another age-related change that can lead to wrinkles and enlarged pores. Skin thinning is caused by keratinocytes not renewing themselves at the same rate as before. This causes the epidermis to thin by about 6.4% per decade.
Thinner skin makes us more sensitive to the sun, as it is easier for the sun to penetrate. The dermis also becomes thinner with age. With fewer fibroblasts that form collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, the network of these substances is reduced, contributing to reduced skin firmness. You can test this for yourself by pinching your skin and noting how long it takes for the skin to return to its original position. The longer it takes, the longer the aging process has gone on. The thinner skin also makes blood vessels more visible and can look like a spider web of vessels. The reduced elasticity of the skin also often leads to enlarged pores.
Uneven pigmentation
Another age-related change affecting the skin is uneven pigmentation. This is due to a decrease in pigment-producing melanocytes in the epidermis by 10 to 20 percent for each decade after the age of thirty. Overactive melanocytes can also cause age spots, which are brown patches on the skin.
In summary, ageing can lead to drier, thinner and more unevenly pigmented skin. It is important to protect the skin from the sun and to use moisturizing products to reduce age-related changes in the skin.
Product recommendations
As the skin is at risk of becoming more sun-sensitive, it is important to protect against the sun during the summer months. Sun Emulsion SPF 50+ has both high UVA and UVB protection and protects against the sun's strongest rays.
Since the skin becomes drier during menopause, it is important to choose products for the drier skin type. This can be easy to miss if you are used to using products for a more oily skin type.
We recommend Rich Emulsion or Rich Intense. Here you can change depending on the season but it is important to use barrier strengthening creams.
In terms of active ingredients, it may be a good idea to add vitamin A (retinol) to the skin, which both stimulates collagen and increases cell renewal to reduce wrinkles and reduce skin thinning.
Vitamin C and N-acetylglucosamine can also be added if you start to notice a reduced glow or uneven pigmentation. The above ingredients are found in Night Active Retinol which is excellent for the slightly more mature skin type.
If you do not have pigmentary changes, Probiotic Concentrate also works on signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and even enlarged pores. However, it has no effect on pigmentation.
References
Gillbro, Johanna, (2019), The Skin Bible: understanding your skin - myths, science and advice. Stockholm: Bookmark.
