Everything you need to know about skincare routines for menopausal dry skin
Menopause dry skin is the bane of many women’s lives. The onset of menopause causes falling oestrogen levels that can cause the skin barrier to become dehydrated, making it dryer and itchier, resulting in menopause dry skin.
During the menopause the skin cells slows down, this causes the skin's fibres to become weaker, this increases moisture loss and makes the skin less elastic.
Fine lines can start to appear around the eyes, and the skin feels and looks dryer.
A regular skincare routine is the key to banishing menopause dry skin
A regular day and night daily skincare routine can improve menopausal dry skin, and help to keep the skin hydrated and nourished, all year round.
9 Must have skincare products for menopause dry skin.
You will not go wrong if you have these skincare products are in your bathroom and use them each day for your menopause skincare routine. You’ll soon notice the difference to your skin in no time, and it will look healthier, look and feel less dry, and you’ll be more confident about how your skin looks.
You may not be able to afford all these skincare products to start with, if you’re on a budget, so start with a good dry skin face cleaner, toner and hydrating face cream or moisturiser, and build on this, as you develop your skincare routine.
The starting point in any good skincare routine is to find the right products for your skin. Take some time to research your products, and avoid using any products with parabens, sulphates, products with artificial fragrances and alkaline laden products, as they play may havoc with your skin, and will make your skin even dryer and more sensitive.
Start with the essentials and build on it
Start with a good face cleanser, toner, and face cream or moisturiser
Start with the 3 essentials skincare products and as you develop your daily skincare routine you can add on other products. You can always ask family and friends to buy the more expensive products, as gifts for birthdays or as Christmas presents.
Skincare routine for menopause dry skin care
1. Use a Dry Skin Face Cleanser – many dry skin face cleansers on the market are created to remove all the oil and dirt from your skin. But in this process, they can strip off your skin’s natural oils, making it extremely dry, tight, and flaky. So, it’s important to understand what kind of cleanser you need to look for.
Use face cleansers that are specially formulated for dry skin. Look for natural ingredients that have a dual function, to give a deep cleanse, but also hydrate and nourish the skin at the same time.
Ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamins C, B and E do just that, they work to deeply to cleanse the skin to remove dead dry skin cells but also hydrate and nourish the skin.
2. Always Tone After Cleansing - this is one of the stages in the skincare routine that is often overlooked or missed out completely. Toning the skin is an essential part of any good skincare routine as it removes residual impurities that can be left after cleansing, and lifts and tones the skin by tightening the pores.
This is important, especially for menopausal dry skin. Tightening the pores can help to prevent moisture loss and reduce skin dryness.
Avoid alcohol laden toners, as they strip the skin of its natural moisture. Look for hydrating toners with ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Cucumber, Rose Water or Glycerin.
3. Exfoliation is one of the secrets to clearer skin
Using an exfoliator, is one of the secrets to having good looking, hydrated and clean skin. Natural exfoliators with organic jojoba beads, rather than chemical plastic beads are better for menopause dry and sensitive skin, as they are gentle on the skin and kinder on the environment too.
Facial exfoliation helps to get rid of dry flaky patches that menopausal dry skin sufferer often face.
One of the best times to use an exfoliator is a night, so include skin exfoliation as part of your night-time skincare routine. It allows your pores to be fully open and helps to promote skin cell rejuvenation.
4. Use a dry skin day cream or moisturiser daily to protect the skin against the elements – day creams are designed for the morning skincare routine. They are designed to provide the skin with the nutrition, hydration, and skin protection, and often contains both natural and added SPF's to protect the skin against harmful UV rays and pollutants that we encounter each day.
A good dry skin day cream or moisturiser is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, UV filters, active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, seaweed, MSM for toning, and a cocktail of different active ingredients and antioxidants such as tea and fruit enzyme extract.
In colder months, use a thicker non greasy day cream for dry skin to provide extra nourishment and to provide a protective barrier on the skin to prevent moisture loss throughout the day.
Look for day creams with moisture boosting ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, natural collagen boosters and natural skin protectors, like vitamin E, which also has anti-aging properties. Most day creams have a lighter consistency than night creams and are more quickly absorbed into the skin, so they are also ideal as a base for make-up.
5. Invest in a good night cream - at night it is important that we open the skin pores so it can repair itself naturally during sleep. Our skin circulation increases at night and oxygen penetrates the cells better, so that the skin is more receptive to receiving the necessary nutrients that it needs for skin rejuvenation.
The main task of the night cream is to promote regeneration and provide the skin with a necessary dose of nutrition and hydration.
During regeneration, the night cream helps to repair damage to skin cells caused by external factors such as pollution, during the day and reduce signs of aging and skin pigmentation. Compared to the day cream, night creams usually has a heavier, richer, and a thicker consistency that is absorbed slowly into the skin, whilst you sleep.
Our skin naturally loses water overnight, so a thicker cream can help seal in moisture, along with active ingredients that are released gradually throughout sleep, so that your skin looks rested and refreshed in the morning.
6. Pack a punch with a face serum - If you’re looking to boost your skin care routine with a product that offers a power boost of active ingredients than a cleanser or moisturiser, then a face serum is the answer. We know that they’re expensive, but they make wonderful birthday or Christmas gifts, so add this to your present list each time and you’ll soon realise that you can’t do without one in your skincare routine.
Face serums are powerhouses for the skin. They’re designed to nourish, protect, and hydrate the skin. Apply the serum after cleansing, and before you apply your moisturiser or night cream for maximum benefits.
They do the job during the night and will help dry skin to disappear if used regularly. For menopause dry skin, it’s best to use a hydrating face serum.
Hydrating serums contain the super moisture booster ingredient, Hyaluronic Acid, along with other skin hydrating ingredients, that retain water in the skin to hydrate it and make it look fresh, plump, and younger.
Hyaluronic Acid, also has the ability to minimise the appearance of fine lines. Hydrating serums often also contain hydrating vitamins, such as Vitamin B, which helps to hydrate the skin, making it appear smoother and more hydrated.
7. Look after your eyes - using an eye cream is an essential part of a good skincare routine. Yes, they can be expensive, but you only need to use a tiny amount each day, and you’ll soon see the benefits. Wrinkles, fine lines, and dark circles are one of the first signs of aging around the eyes.
Treat your eye cream as your ‘sacred’ skincare products and, it’s never too early to start using an eye cream, everyone over 30 should use one if they can. Eye creams are formulated with smaller molecules, so that the product that can penetrate the smaller pores, and delicate skin around the eyes, without causing damage to the skin.
Dry skin around the eyes, can cause skin sensitivity, so use natural gentle, moisture rich ingredients such as aloe vera, calendula, hyaluronic acid, primrose oil and seaweed, which help to fight free radicals which cause premature skin aging and dry skin around the eyes.
8. Mask it up – a weekly face mask treatment will do wonders for menopause dry skin. A face mask is a wonderful pampering skin treat, and should be a regular part of a good skincare routine. For menopause dry skin its best to use a face mask with a cream base to provide a soothing and nourishing experience for the skin.
Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, coconut, jojoba or olive oils, help to calm sensitive and dry skin. So take a seat one evening, put on your face mask and just chill with a glass of wine, and let the mask do the walking on your face.
9. Drink a glass of water before bed to help to cleanse inside your body and rehydrate your skin before sleep.
If you adopt this skincare routine you're dry menopausal skin will change, and become hydrated, nourished and you'll grown in confidence with your new found wonderful skin glow.
Day-time Skincare Routine Night-time Skincare Routine
1. Face Cleanse 1. Face Cleanse
2. Tone 2. Tone
3. Serum 3. Serum
4. Moisturiser/SPF 4. Eye Cream
5. Eye Cream 5. Night Cream
6. Exfoliate (weekly) 6. Exfoliate (2/3 times a week)
7. Face Mask (weekly)