Menopause: What the heck happened to my skin!?!?

Menopause has to be one of the least favorite words in the English language, we all know what it means but many don't realize how it will effect our skin and what we can do about it.

A woman's skin and hair growth are so incredibly tied to our estrogen production, any woman that's watched a teenage boy's skin texture change during puberty knows that estrogen keeps women beardless with soft skin, and our pores much smaller than our male counterparts. Estrogen keeps structural strength and fluid balance to the skin by increasing GAGs (glycosaminoglycans: carbohydrates in the skin that give support to collagen and elastin by helping fibers retain moisture). Estrogens also act as an anti-inflammatory on the skin making perimenopausal/menopausal skin more prone to a red and blotchy appearance.  In Menopause, the loss of some adipose tissue (fat), reduced collagen and elastin production along with less blood flow to the skin give skin a sallow, pale and more wrinkled appearance.

Well, all of that sounds just awful, so what can we do to combat it?

• Hydrate! Ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid are natural GAGs, and there is a whole host of A.G.E. (anti-glycosaminoglycans) products out there to help keep you hydrated.  A.G.E Total Defense is a great moisturizer if you're looking for a one stop hydration and anti-oxidant, or you can look at Vivier's HydraGel Advanced B5+ Complex as a serum with added panthenol that aids in getting hydraters to the right place so it can work.
• Vitamin C helps even skin tone and improve the signs of environmental damage that has been done to the skin throughout the years. Long-term topical use of Vitamin C has been clinically shown to regenerate collagen and improve the appearance of wrinkles. A professional, high quality, stabilized Vitamin C between 5-10% is an absolute skincare must. (Try Grafin's Rewind + Protect CE + Peptides).
• Retinol, the holy grail of anti-aging skincare. Retinol will help with skin cell turnover, stimulate collagen, soften fine lines and wrinkles and keep acne at bay.  I love the award winning Derm-A-Renew for the treatment of acne and for more sensitive skin types.  Just remember, slight dryness and flaking is an expected side effect of retinol's when they are working to refine skin, if your skin doesn't flake when you start using it, the formula is only helping with product penetration.
• Tyrosinase or melanin inhibitors like Arbutin (bearberry extract), Glabradin (licorice extract), Azelaic Acid (from wheat, rye and barley), or Kojic Acid (a by-product from rice fermentation (sake)).   These lighteners are a must in our years of slow to no estrogen production to help slow down the expression of age spots.  These ingredients are also enhanced when used with Vitamin C.
• Broad Spectrum Sunscreen.  The sun makes us rust, tanning will undo all of your hard work faster than you can repair it.  Protect your investment with at least a SPF 15 every day.

As many of you know, I am always early to the party and at the start of perimenopause. To combat the skin changes this summer I am using:

In the morning, use:

• An antioxidant: Vivier C E Peptides
• Hydrating Serum: Vivier HydraGel Advanced B5+ Complex
• Eye cream: GM Collin Bota Peptide Eye Contour
• Moisturizer: Vivier Daily Moisturizing Cream with SPF 15
• Sunscreen every day (even in the winter): Colorscience SPF Powder

In the evening, use:

• Hydrating Serum: Vivier HydraGel Advanced B5+ Complex
• Exfoliating cream: Vivier AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cream
• Eye cream: GM Collin Bota Peptide Eye Contour
• Moisturizer if needed: Vivier Lexxel

Additional:

• Vivier Peel every 28 days to speed cell turnover and lighten dark spots
• Hydrating Mask Nuveese No. 7 every Sunday.

xo ~Kattf