36 PRO-AGEING


Reproductive system concept The impact of menopause on the skin


manifests as a decrease in skin hydration, increased fragility, impaired barrier function, an increase in fine lines and wrinkling, a reduction in elasticity and firmness, and an overall feeling of skin discomfort. Considering the proliferation of products


and the proportion of consumer conversation, it is not surprising that the amount of scientific research has also increased in recent years. With regards to menopause and its impact on the skin, there has been a 201.5% increase in the number of papers published between 2000 to 2023 on PubMed (Figure 1).


Perimenopause and product launches Perimenopause is the first menopausal change, where oestrogen levels begin to decrease. During this stage, oestrogen production is in a general decline, but levels can be inconsistent. As well as on skin, there is also a profound impact on hair which can start during the perimenopause or years later. Surprisingly, up to 40% of women experience hair loss after the menopause. For a third of


80 60 40 20 0 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022


Figure 1: The number of papers published on the menopause and its impact on the skin on Pubmed, by year. Source: PubMed


PERSONAL CARE July 2023


women, the hair loss occurs on the front or temples only, but for two out of three women this will occur over the whole scalp.8 Recently, there have been many interesting


product launches targeting this stage of the menopause, as consumers start to focus on well-ageing and maintaining their natural look. Naomi Watts co-founded a menopausal wellness brand called Stripes, which is dedicated to providing skincare products specifically for women going through menopause. She created the brand because she felt frustrated and alone during her own experience with menopause and wanted to break the secrecy and shame surrounding the topic. In another vein, skincare brand Vichy


conducted research to understand the effects of menopause on the skin and how it accelerates the ageing process. They found that hormonal ageing affects not only the visible outer layers of the skin but also the deeper dermis and its regulatory processes.9


Vichy launched a menopausal


range with products that specifically target perimenopausal and post-menopausal skin.


There are other established skincare brands with product ranges that cater to the needs of women in menopause, from the affordable No.7 to the luxury Dr. Barbara Sturm. It is not only skincare brands that are


venturing into this space, but also fragrance brands like Abel Odor, which launched a fragrance on World Menopause Day in 2022. This new functional fragrance, called Pause, was created by the founder and CEO of Abel, Frances Shoemack, to provide confidence and elegance to middle-aged women who are going through perimenopause.


Menopause and skin effects Menopause is the second stage, which is reached when there has been 12 consecutive months since the last period (amenorrhea). This can be confirmed through measuring FSH levels, which is consistently elevated to 30 mlU/ml or higher when menopause has been reached.


The decline of oestrogen during the menopause can have a profound impact on other diverse tissues, which can lead to chronic changes in the skin and an increase in the signs of skin ageing. In particular, oestrogens play a key role in regulating some key aspects of skin physiology and target keratinocytes, melanocytes, sebaceous glands, hair follicles and fibroblasts. This results in a decrease in angiogenesis,


immune response, anti-oxidant capacity and wound healing, alongside an increase in hair loss. All of these would have an impact on menopausal skin, as consumers see healthy skin as the main goal, which is radiant and eudermic. The most dramatic figure is on the levels of collagen within the skin, which can decrease by up to 30% in the first five years post-menopause. The goal of menopause research in the UK


is to better understand what causes it, as well as how to manage its symptoms. Researchers have studied the role of hormones in menopause and investigated the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a treatment option. Recent research from the University of Manchester is investigating how menopause


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