How will menopause affect my skin?
As we all know, menopause is a naturally occurring event in a woman’s life and one that can often result in a change to a her skin. Today I’ll explore some of those changes and what you can do to help minimize the visible and not so visible effects of menopause on the skin.
You may experience dry skin
This is because the decrease in estrogen during menopause often results in a reduction in oil production, which can have a drying effect on both your facial and body skin. Therefore the skin is not as supple and is unable to hold on to the necessary level of moisture. There may also be a change in skin texture, and some women may begin to experience flaking and peeling.
Dry skin like this needs products that are designed to nourish and protect – such as those that include essential fatty acids, gamma linolenic acid (GLAs), omega-3 fatty acids, and even algae oil and squalene. These are capable of replenishing the hydrolipid barrier of the skin. As well, look for moisturizers that use argan oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, hyaluronic acid, and sea buckthorn oil, all of which have hydrating properties that work both on and within the skin. For instance, hyaluronic acid naturally occurs throughout our body (including the skin and deeper tissues) where it acts as a humectant, absorbing 1000 times its weight in water and thereby increasing the natural moisture factor in the skin.
