Perimenopause Beauty Routines and Skincare: What Actually Changes and What to Do About It
Perimenopause changes your skin in specific, hormonal ways. Here is what is happening and how to adjust your skincare and beauty routine to work with your skin now.
Why Your Skin Changes During Perimenopause
Oestrogen plays a significant role in skin health. It supports collagen production, moisture retention, and the skin's overall thickness and elasticity. As oestrogen declines during perimenopause, many women notice skin becoming drier, thinner, and more prone to fine lines. Some develop new sensitivity or find that products they have used for years suddenly irritate. Breakouts can also appear or worsen, driven by the relative rise of androgens as oestrogen falls. These are hormonal changes, not signs that your skincare routine has failed.
Adjusting Moisturisation for Drier Skin
If your skin has become noticeably drier, shifting from lighter gel moisturisers to richer cream formulas is often the first useful adjustment. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin, which attract and retain water in the skin. Applying moisturiser to damp skin, immediately after cleansing, helps lock in more hydration. Around the eye area, where skin is thinner and loses moisture faster, a dedicated eye cream can make a visible difference. Fragrance-free products are worth trying if new sensitivity has emerged.
Collagen, Retinoids, and What the Evidence Supports
Retinoids (including over-the-counter retinol) are one of the most well-supported skincare ingredients for addressing the collagen loss that happens with ageing and oestrogen decline. Starting low and slow, a few nights a week, helps skin adjust without irritation. SPF is equally important. UV exposure accelerates collagen breakdown, making daily sunscreen one of the most evidence-backed things you can do for skin health over time. Collagen supplements have growing evidence, though the research is still developing. They are unlikely to cause harm and may help some people.
Managing Perimenopausal Breakouts
Adult acne during perimenopause is driven by hormonal shifts rather than the same mechanisms as teenage acne. Products designed for oily, teenage skin can over-strip already-dry perimenopausal skin, making the situation worse. A gentle cleanser and targeted spot treatments with salicylic acid or niacinamide tend to work better than harsh acne washes. If breakouts are persistent or cystic, a dermatologist is worth seeing. Hormonal approaches, including HRT or combined contraceptives, can also address the underlying cause.
Simplifying Your Routine Can Actually Help
More products do not always mean better results. During perimenopause, when skin is more reactive, reducing the number of actives in your routine and focusing on a solid cleanse, moisture, and SPF foundation often works better than a complex multi-step approach. Patch testing new products before full use is good practice when skin sensitivity has increased. Routines that feel good to do consistently are always better than elaborate ones you abandon.
A Note on Beauty Beyond Skincare
Changes to your hair, nails, and overall energy can also affect how you feel about your appearance during perimenopause. These are connected to the same hormonal picture. Looking after your sleep, protein intake, and hydration supports your skin and hair from the inside in ways that topical products alone cannot replicate. Tracking symptoms, including skin changes, with PeriPlan can also help you notice whether particular changes correlate with other hormonal patterns worth raising with a doctor.
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