TESTING
Substantiating performance of menopausal skin care
Anne Charpentier - Skinobs
The skin is a hormone sensitive organ whose ageing follows a non-linear course, governed by endocrine and epigenetic mechanisms in which both the levels and the rhythmicity of hormonal signals are determinant. The menopausal transition, perimenopause included, calls for refined in vivo characterization, attention to specific targets such as pigmentation, and an evaluation strategy combining biometrology, expert scoring, self-assessment and emotional endpoints across multi-ethnic panels. The convergence of these requirements with
‘omics’ technologies underpins the shift from generic cosmetics towards a precision-driven, life- stage adapted approach, which is oriented towards scientifically substantiated, positive ageing.
Why menopausal skin has become a strategic priority in cosmetics Demographic ageing, pronounced within the female population, is accompanied by an extension of healthy life expectancy and is reshaping expectations regarding cosmetic care. This shift is now a defining feature of the global population landscape. In the European Union, 22% of the population
was aged 65 or over as of January 2025, up from 21.6% the previous year, with Italy (24.7%) and Portugal (24.3%) among the most affected countries. The trend is even more pronounced in Asia:
Japan, the world’s most aged nation, reported that 29.3% of its population was 65 or older in 2024, while South Korea officially crossed the 20% threshold in 2025, entering the ranks of ‘super- ageing’ societies. In the United States, the share reached 18%
of the population, or 61.2 million people, in 2024, continuing a steady rise from 12.4% two decades earlier. For all female populations, the associated hormonal transitions affect the skin, the integumentary appendages and emotional balance concurrently. Perimenopause and menopause constitute
pivotal periods, characterised by increased dryness and reactivity, loss of firmness and density, redness, hot flushes, hormonal acne and hair loss, together with a notable psychological impact such as sleep disturbances, mood lability and declining self-confidence. This dual dimension, both biological and
emotional, underlies the demand for targeted solutions and the corresponding adaptation of evaluation protocols.
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Market trends and women’s expectations The global menopause skincare market was valued at approximately $1.34 billion in 2025 (Grand View Research) and is projected to reach $1.47 billion in 2026. Over the longer term, it could attain $2.92 billion by 2033, at a mean annual growth rate of 10.3%. For 2025 and 2026, the segment ranges broadly between $1.3 billion and $3.4 billion depending on its definition, growing at roughly 9 to 10% per year. Europe accounted for 28.0% of market revenue in 2025, driven by its ageing female population and the rising demand for age adapted solutions. Women lived experience confirms the scale
of this need. An international survey of more than 4,300 peri and post-menopausal women across nine countries, presented by Galderma at IMCAS (International Master Course on Aging Science) 2026 in Paris, reveals that menopause triggers multiple cutaneous changes while awareness of the subject remains limited. On average, women report three distinct
changes, most frequently lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and elasticity, dryness and a duller
complexion, rated six out of ten in severity. These alterations weigh on emotional well-being: 60% of respondents feel less attractive, 57% anxious, 55% less confident and 46% less sociable.1 The survey also exposes a substantial
knowledge gap: more than half of women discover these changes only upon experiencing them, typically in their forties, while 30% would have wished to be informed as early as their thirties. This lack of anticipation favours corrective aesthetic treatments over genuinely preventive approaches.
Specificity of the menopausal skin Recent approaches shared at the Cosmetotest Symposium in March 2026 converge towards a redefinition of the skin as a hormone responsive organ, reflecting systemic physiological transitions. The endocrine epigenome provides a unifying interpretative framework: hormones durably modulate gene expression, thereby explaining how an identical genome can give rise to distinct phenotypes, ageing kinetics and adaptive capacities. Circadian hormones such as melatonin, cortisol
October 2026 PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE
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