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Before, during, and after menopause, your skin goes through changes and your skincare routine may struggle to keep up with its new demands. With hormonal shifts comes a decrease in collagen and elastin, which is what leads to thinner skin, fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, and sagging. All of this is normal and expected, but you may not be used to experiencing more dryness in your complexion or an imbalance of oils that leaves you with the kind of pimples you haven’t had since adolescence.
Now is a great time to make changes to your skincare routine and make it more current and in line with your skin’s needs.
Plastic Surgeon Dr. Youn explains on his YouTube channel the ideal menopause skincare routine — and the great news is that it isn’t as complicated as you might think.
Cleanse with a Milky, Hydrating Cleanser
It’s tempting to grab the harshest cleanser you can find in the hopes of clearing up adult acne. But, not only is that not the solution for pimples which, believe it or not, benefit more from moisture than from drying agents, but it can irritate your skin and cause excessive dryness and peeling. Dr. Youn suggests cleansing in the morning with a milky, hydrating cleanser that is gentle to your skin and doesn’t strip it of all natural moisture.
A great one to try is Paula’s Choice CALM Ultra-Gentle Cleanser, which contains hydrating glycerin and triglycerides.
Apply a Vitamin C Serum
After cleansing your skin in the morning, applying a vitamin C serum can help fight free radicals from environmental stressors such as UV light. It can even work in conjunction with your sunscreen to block more of this damaging light, while brightening your complexion and helping you achieve a more even skin tone.
One to try: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic® with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid — it’s expensive, but those devoted to it say it’s worth every penny.
Apply Sunscreen
This one is must: apply an SPF 30 or higher every day, rain or shine, before leaving your house. And then re-apply your sunscreen every two hours if you plan on being outside. If you are taking great care of your skin, but neglecting this crucial step, you could be undoing all of your hard work. It’s THAT important.
Remove Makeup With an Oil Cleanser
Your nighttime routine is where you’ll want to ramp up any actives that you use on your skin so that your skin gets its benefits while it sleeps and renews itself. Start by removing makeup with a gentle oil-based cleanser. This oil cleanser is actually better at removing stubborn makeup like eyeliner and mascara than a cream cleanser. You can then follow up with your cream cleanser to make sure you’ve removed every last trace of makeup and sebum from your skin.
An oil cleanser we love: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.
Use Cleansers and Products with Kojic Acid
As our skin ages, hyperpigmentation (or dark spots) can rise to the surface and make themselves visible. Protecting your skin with sunscreen can help prevent more from appearing, and using products with kojic acid, which has a brightening effect on this spots, can help. If you want a faster solution, speak to your dermatologist about possible laser treatments that can zap away brown and red spots.
Add Retinol to Your Nightly Routine
There aren’t many skincare ingredients that have numerous studies backing up their efficacy, but retinol is one of those star players. It can help boost your skin’s collagen production so that it naturally tightens and smoothens over time. The key words here are “over time.” Retinol doesn’t deliver speedy results, but with consistent usage, it can strengthen and thicken the skin barrier for more luminous-looking skin.
Hydrate With Hyaluronic Acid or Ceramide Serum
Hydration is always important, but you may find your skin needs it more than ever during menopause, and especially if you are using retinol, which can be drying. Following up your retinol serum with a serum that contains hyaluronic acid or ceramides is a smart idea. These serum capsules by Elizabeth Arden are great because they contain both ingredients and come in a less messy, travel-friendly capsule formulation.
Use an Eye Cream With Peptides
Lastly, eye cream — it’s not just a marketing tactic, according to dermatologists and skincare experts. Choosing an eye cream that contains peptides, like this one from Olay Regenerist, can help reduce pigmentation, smoothen and tone the skin, and boost collagen production.
Remember: our skin is constantly changing, and keeping up with its needs may require little more than an additional boost here or a swap from something harsh to something much gentler.
