For Australian women in perimenopause and beyond: a guide to looking after menopausal skin with tallow. What's changing, why it's changing, and what a simple routine looks like.
What Happens to the Skin in Menopause
Menopausal skin is not simply older skin. It is structurally different.
As oestrogen declines, the skin gradually loses:
- A meaningful proportion of its collagen — most of it in the first few years after menopause
- Ceramide content — the lipids that hold the moisture barrier together
- Hyaluronic acid production — the water-binding molecule that keeps skin plump
- Sebum production — the skin's own moisturiser
The combined effect is a moisture barrier that is thinner, drier, less elastic and slower to settle. It is the difference between skin that shrugs off a stripping cleanser and skin that feels tight for a week afterwards.
Why Tallow Suits Menopausal Dry Skin
Skin in menopause is running short on the lipids it is built from. Most modern moisturisers — humectant-heavy, water-based, fragrance-loaded — don't supply those lipids. They sit on the surface, draw water in (which often evaporates again), and leave skin feeling much the same by mid-afternoon.
Tallow works differently. Its fatty acid profile — oleic, palmitic, stearic — is close to the lipids the skin is producing less of. Applied to damp skin, an anhydrous tallow balm nourishes, softens and supports the skin's moisture barrier rather than simply forming a film on top.
For the full fatty acid detail, see Why Tallow Is Good for Skin.
The Menopausal Tallow Routine
Step 1: Replace stripping cleansers
Menopausal skin is already short on lipids. Foaming cleansers take away what little is there. Replace yours with the Honey Oil Cleanser — a sucragel-based formulation that leaves skin feeling soft rather than tight.
Step 2: Add lipid-rich nourishment
Press two or three drops of Dew Drops Barrier Oil into damp skin morning and night. The emu oil and jojoba base is close in character to the skin's own sebum, and the frankincense and goji berry double-infusion gives it a soft, comforting finish.
Step 3: Seal with a tallow balm
For most women in this stage, the Earth Tallow Balm is the right format — botanically rich, deeply nourishing, well suited to persistently dry skin. If your skin feels reactive or you would rather no scent at all, use the Scent-Free version.
Step 4: Choose a lighter daytime option (optional)
If a balm feels heavy under makeup or SPF, the Australian Botanical Cream is the lighter water-in-oil daytime alternative. The native Australian superfruits — Kakadu plum, quandong, Davidson plum — bring vitamin C and antioxidants.
Step 5: Don't forget the body
Menopausal dryness is a full-body affair, not just a facial one. The Glow Tallow Body Butter on damp skin straight after the shower is the body equivalent of the face balm. The Herbal Tallow Soap replaces stripping body washes.
What Tends Not to Suit Menopausal Skin
- Aggressive retinoids — the same retinol that suited you at 35 can leave thinner skin feeling raw at 55. Lower concentrations, less often, and only when skin feels settled.
- Daily acid exfoliation — menopausal skin rarely wants more thinning. Once or twice a week is usually plenty.
- Foaming cleansers — they take away lipids menopausal skin can't spare.
- Layered actives — more is not better when skin already feels fragile.
What to Expect
Softness is usually the first thing people notice — skin that feels less tight after cleansing and less papery by evening.
Beyond that, this is a slow approach. Menopausal skin changes at its own pace, and consistency does far more than intensity. Patience is the most valuable ingredient in the routine.
FAQs
Will a balm help with the dryness that comes with night sweats?
A balm applied before bed helps skin hold onto moisture through the night, which many women appreciate if they wake up hot and dry.
Can I use tallow alongside HRT?
Tallow balm is a cosmetic moisturiser applied to the skin's surface. If you are taking anything prescribed, check with your health practitioner about what to use alongside it.
What about pigmentation in perimenopause?
Tallow is a moisturiser, not a pigment product. Daily SPF, gentle vitamin C and carefully managed niacinamide are the usual approaches. A well-nourished, comfortable barrier makes those actives easier for the skin to tolerate.
Is there a tallow product for the décolletage?
The Glow Tallow Body Butter is the right format. Apply to damp skin straight after the shower.
Where to Start
For menopausal dry skin, our most-suggested starting points:
- Earth Tallow Balm — the botanically rich bestseller
- The full Tallow Skincare Set — cleanser, oil and balm together
For more reading: Natural Skincare for Menopause, What Works for Menopausal Skin.
This article is general information only and is not advice about any health matter. If you have concerns about your skin or your health, please speak with your health practitioner.