Best Supplements for Skin Health During Perimenopause

Why Your Skin Changes During Perimenopause

If your skin feels different than it did a few years ago, you are not imagining it. Estrogen plays a central role in skin structure, hydration, and repair. It stimulates collagen production, promotes moisture retention in the dermis, supports wound healing, and helps regulate oil production.

As estrogen levels begin to fluctuate and decline during perimenopause, skin changes often follow. Collagen density decreases, which affects firmness and elasticity. The skin barrier becomes less efficient, which can lead to greater moisture loss, increased sensitivity, and slower recovery from irritation. Many women also notice changes in skin texture, pigmentation, and the pace at which fine lines develop.

These changes are physiological, not cosmetic in the dismissive sense of that word. Understanding the biology behind them helps you evaluate which interventions, including supplements, have a rational basis and which are primarily marketing.

What to Look For in Skin-Supporting Supplements

The supplement market for skin health is enormous and often overclaims. When evaluating any product, look for evidence that the specific form and dose has been studied in humans, not just in cell culture or animal models. A supplement that cites in vitro data as proof it works in your skin is using evidence in a misleading way.

Third-party testing is important across all supplements, but particularly for those targeting skin health, where the market is crowded and quality varies widely. Look for NSF International, USP, or Informed Sport certification to confirm that the product contains what it claims.

Single-ingredient or clearly formulated products are generally preferable to large multi-ingredient proprietary blends. When a product contains 20 ingredients at undisclosed individual doses, there is no way to evaluate whether any of them is present at a meaningful amount.

Collagen Peptides: The Most Studied Option

Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are the most researched supplement for skin in this category. Multiple randomized controlled trials have found that supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen, typically at doses of 2.5 to 10 grams per day over eight to twelve weeks, produced measurable improvements in skin elasticity, hydration, and visible reduction in fine lines compared to placebo.

Marine collagen (from fish) is predominantly Type I collagen and has a smaller molecular weight, which is associated with better absorption. Bovine collagen contains both Type I and Type III and is generally more affordable while still showing benefit in research. Both forms are hydrolyzed in quality products, which is what allows absorption through the gut.

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis. Without it, your body cannot properly form the stable collagen structure. Taking collagen with a vitamin C-rich food or a small vitamin C supplement is a practical way to support the process. Studies have examined doses of 2.5 to 10 grams of collagen peptides daily. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right dose for your situation.

Astaxanthin: A Promising Antioxidant

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment found in algae and seafood that has attracted significant research interest for skin health. Unlike many antioxidants, astaxanthin appears to work both inside and outside the cell membrane, giving it broader antioxidant coverage than compounds like vitamin C or vitamin E alone.

Several human trials have found that oral astaxanthin supplementation improved skin elasticity, moisture content, and reduced pigmentation changes over 8 to 12 weeks of use. The proposed mechanism involves reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in skin cells, which accelerate the structural changes associated with skin aging.

Astaxanthin from microalgae sources is the form used in most research. Studies have most commonly examined doses of 4 to 12mg daily. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right dose for your situation. Astaxanthin is generally well-tolerated but can slightly alter skin tone at high doses, which is a benign effect that reverses when the supplement is stopped.

Other Supplements With Emerging Evidence

Ceramides are lipid molecules that form a key part of the skin barrier. Oral ceramide supplementation has been studied in several small trials and found to improve skin hydration and barrier function, with effects becoming measurable after four to eight weeks. They are found in wheat and rice, and most oral ceramide supplements are derived from these sources.

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA from fish oil or algal oil, support the skin's lipid barrier and have anti-inflammatory effects. Research suggests adequate omega-3 intake is associated with better skin hydration and reduced sensitivity. This is a case where dietary adequacy, from oily fish or algal oil supplements, may matter more than megadosing.

Vitamin E, particularly the mixed tocopherol form, has antioxidant properties relevant to skin. Research on supplementation alone for skin outcomes is less consistent than for collagen or astaxanthin, but vitamin E works synergistically with vitamin C and omega-3s. Whole food sources including nuts, seeds, and olive oil are the most reliable way to support vitamin E status.

What to Avoid in Skin Supplement Marketing

Be skeptical of any product that claims to target skin aging through hormone-like effects without disclosing those mechanisms clearly. Some botanical skin supplements contain phytoestrogens, compounds that have estrogenic activity in some tissues. If you have or have had a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids, discuss any supplement with estrogenic activity with your healthcare provider before using it.

Do not fall for the narrative that a single supplement reverses skin changes from perimenopause. Collagen decline is driven by falling estrogen. While supplements can support your body's remaining collagen-building capacity, they are working alongside a significant hormonal shift. Sun protection, adequate protein intake, hydration, and sleep have substantial effects on skin that no supplement independently matches.

Also avoid products that blend many ingredients in proprietary blends without transparency about individual doses. If you cannot see how much of each ingredient you are getting, you cannot evaluate whether any of it is present at the amounts shown to be effective in research.

Track Skin Changes Alongside Supplement Use

Skin changes are gradual and easy to miss over short periods. They are also difficult to evaluate subjectively, because perception of your own appearance shifts constantly.

Logging your overall physical wellbeing and symptom patterns in PeriPlan over the same period you are using a supplement gives you a structured way to notice gradual shifts. Before-and-after photographs taken in consistent lighting, combined with a log of what you have been taking and when you started, create a more reliable record than memory alone.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor and the Bottom Line