Nobody warns you properly. You hear about the hot flushes and the broken sleep, but very few people mention that the face looking back at you in the mirror might start to feel like it belongs to somebody else. Skin that was once dependable turns dry and papery, foundation settles into lines that weren't there last spring, and the moisturiser you've used for a decade suddenly seems to evaporate by lunchtime. If that's where you are, you are in very large company, and there are good reasons for every bit of it.
What oestrogen was quietly doing all along
Oestrogen has a hand in a surprising amount of skin's housekeeping. It encourages the production of collagen, helps the skin hold water, supports the oils and lipids that keep the outer layer supple, and keeps blood flowing to the surface. When oestrogen falls through perimenopause and menopause, all of those jobs are done with less enthusiasm.
The collagen numbers are sobering. In a study now cited in almost every paper on the subject, Maltese and British researchers found that women lose around thirty per cent of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, followed by a slower decline of about two per cent a year. Skin grows thinner and less elastic, it repairs more slowly, and the barrier that holds moisture in becomes easier to disrupt. That is why the dryness feels so sudden. Your skin has lost some of its ability to look after itself.
Feeding the skin from within
Collagen is built from protein, so the first thing worth checking is whether you are eating enough of it. Many women eat noticeably less protein as they get older, just when the body could use more. Meat, fish, eggs and a good broth give your skin the amino acids it builds with, and vitamin C, found in citrus, capsicum and leafy greens, is essential for the enzymes that assemble collagen in the first place.
Healthy fats matter too. Oily fish, eggs and grass-fed meat supply the fatty acids your skin uses to make its own protective oils. And because your gut bacteria help regulate how oestrogen is recycled in the body, looking after your digestion is time well spent at this stage of life. I've written more about that in the gut-skin connection.
A routine for skin that has changed
- Cleanse more gently than you used to. Skin with less oil of its own has less to spare. An oil cleanser such as the Honey Oil Cleanser lifts makeup without stripping.
- Moisturise twice a day, onto damp skin. A rich balm at night, pressed onto damp skin, helps hold water in while you sleep. The Earth Tallow Balm is grass-fed tallow infused with quandong, rosehip and sea buckthorn.
- Don't forget your body. Shins, forearms and décolletage often dry out first. The Glow Tallow Face and Body Butter is made for exactly that.
- Wear sunscreen every day. Sun damage breaks down collagen faster than anything else, and a Queensland trial showed daily sunscreen measurably slowed visible skin ageing.
- Be patient. Skin renews more slowly with age, so give any change at least six to eight weeks.
This stage of life asks a lot of us. Looking after your skin through it can be one small, steady way of looking after yourself. If you'd like help working out what your skin needs right now, email me at contact@daear.com.au.
Ayla, holistic health coach and founder of DAEAR
This article is general information only and is not nutritional or medical advice. Menopause affects every woman differently, so please talk to your GP about your symptoms and any treatment options, including before changing your diet or starting supplements.
Research referred to
- Brincat M et al. Skin collagen changes in postmenopausal women receiving different regimens of estrogen therapy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1987;70(1):123-127.
- Thornton MJ. Estrogens and aging skin. Dermato-Endocrinology. 2013;5(2):264-270.
- Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866.
- Baker JM, Al-Nakkash L, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Estrogen-gut microbiome axis. Maturitas. 2017;103:45-53.
- Hughes MCB et al. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2013;158(11):781-790.