The Menopause Can Affect Skin Health – The menopause, which typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55 marks a huge hormonal shift in the body. This shift doesn’t just impact mood, energy, sleep (to name a few), but it also impacts skin health.
However, even though every female will experience menopause and perimenopause (the stages leading up to menopause) many are not aware that this change in our bodies can affect the condition of our skin.
GP and skin specialist for Hada Labo Tokyo, Dr Nisa Aslam says: “During the perimenopause, a woman’s ovaries produce less of the hormone oestrogen, causing an imbalance with the hormone progesterone. But oestrogen helps to maintain skin’s plumpness and moisture. When we lose oestrogen, our skin can dry out, making it look thinner.”
Dr Nisa Aslam adds: “To care for menopausal skin correctly, it’s important to know exactly what’s going on, and the skin care ingredients which can have a positive effect on skin”.
Key changes to menopausal skin
Alongside the decline of oestrogen during perimenopause, levels of collagen and elastin in the skin also take a nosedive.
Dr Nisa Aslam explains: “Collagen gives our skin structure and elasticity, however, our skin’s ability to produce collagen falls by between 1% and 1.5% a year. Women’s skin also loses more collagen during the first five years of menopause. On top of this, collagen levels can be depleted by pollution, smoking, UV radiation and other environmental assaults on the skin.”
Dr Nisa Aslam adds: “When the levels of collagen and elastin plummet, processes which support skin healing and the skin barrier slow down. This can cause skin to become thinner, more prone to dryness, wrinkles and facial discolouration, and it can lead to acne breakouts.”
Staying hydrated
Hydration is a key word when caring for menopausal skin, according to Dr Nisa Aslam.
“Oestrogen helps maintain skin hydration which in turn helps to prevent lines, wrinkles and sagging. So naturally, keeping skin hydrated in other ways can help to fight back against dry skin,” explains Dr Nisa Aslam.
Hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring clear gel that’s made within the body, helps maintain moisture in the skin. A third of our body’s hyaluronic acid is found in the skin but as we age, levels of hyaluronic acid begin to fall.
Luckily hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient in Hada Labo Tokyo skin care products, so women can continue to show their skin plenty of love.
There’s even science to prove that when applied to the skin, hyaluronic acid can help to reduce wrinkles enhance hydration, improve firmness and elasticity and it can even help to manage the common skin condition, eczema.
Women Talking tries the Hada labo’s Gold Line: The Ultimate in skin hydration.
To give menopausal skin the hydration it needs The Gold Line provides super hydration, deep moisturisation and science-led skin support. All the products in this collection now contain SEVEN types of HA.
- Sodium Hyaluronate a water-binding ingredient used for moisturising and hydrating, and it can replace some of the water lost in the epidermis, the top layer of skin.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate (Super)has a much greater capacity to retain moisture in the epidermis, keeping skin moist for longer periods of time.
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid (Nano) is hyaluronic acid essentially broken into smaller bits which can easily penetrate and help replace some of the water lost in the epidermis.
As well as these, Hada Labo’s Gold Line contains:
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer (3D), a modified form of hyaluronic acid attached to a polymer structure that keeps it within skin’s uppermost layers longer, creating a “sponge” effect for a fuller, more youthful appearance.
- Fermented HA: Lactococcus/ Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, which works by enhancing the skin barrier function, suppressing water evaporating from the inner skin while strengthening the barrier function of the skin.
- Advanced Hyaluronic Acid: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, known to moisturise the skin and minimise moisture loss thanks to the power of ions.
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, a conditioning ingredient for the skin and it helps bond active ingredients into the skin.
The 3 Must-Try Hada Labo Products – each targeted at boosting skin’s hydration status to help swerve dryness, lines and wrinkles.
Ultra Firming Booster 7XHA Day Cream-in-Milk is a powerful firming and moisturising cream of milk consistency containing seven types of hyaluronic acid. It’s perfect under make-up and is recommended for dehydrated and dull skin which is losing its firmness.
Extreme Skin Regenerator 7XHA Night Super-Cream
is a powerful regenerating and moisturising cream which helps fill lines and wrinkles thanks to seven types of hyaluronic acid including a cutting-edge low molecular weight form. It’s ideal for very dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin.
For exceptionally powerful hydration and moisturisation, Lotion Intense 7XHA Super Deep Hydrator contains the seven types of hyaluronic acid which penetrate deeper into the skin to give a complete, balanced and hydrating solution for radiant, smooth skin.
Although the menopause marks significant changes to skin’s health, it’s important to keep skin hydrated throughout life.
Poppy Watt