If you are around 50, you will no doubt have noticed that a small revolution is going on in your body: menopause!

This hormonal upheaval is responsible for many changes: absence of periods, hot flashes, sweating, irritability, sleep disorders, dryness of the mucous membranes, sagging skin tissue …

You experience some of these changes intimately, while others are perceived directly from the outside: this is the case with your skin, which also undergoes this hormonal anarchy.

But fortunately, there are natural solutions to support this change in order to regain supple and soft skin!

Through this article, you will understand the specific needs of your skin during this period. And how you can take care of it naturally.

Menopause or retirement time for your hormones:

Menopause is defined as the transition between a period of hormonal activity and the final cessation of it.

It occurs at a different age for each woman, but more generally around the age of fifty.

During this period, the ovaries will gradually stop functioning.

First of all, it is during pre-menopause that progesterone becomes scarce. The decrease in this hormone causes irregular periods.

After that, it is the estrogen that will in turn dry up and cause your periods to stop altogether.

Your body thus undergoes sudden variations in the level of these 2 hormones with the consequence of hot flashes, sleep disturbances and irritability …

Once menopause has set in, the absence of these female hormones leads to the appearance of dryness of the skin and mucous membranes (vagina), loss of bone density….

Menopause and its impact on the skin:

Know that female hormones act on different target tissues: the genital sphere of course but also bones and skin.

Estrogens, for example, help maintain firmness, elasticity, hydration, and skin vascularity.

It is therefore understood that when the production of this hormone drops considerably, the skin undergoes internal changes.

Along with the disappearance of female hormones, androgens (male hormones also secreted by the female body) are then found in excess. This imbalance gives way to acne or blemishes, increased hair growth or hair loss.

Your skin weakened by menopause:

These different hormonal changes at the time of menopause accentuate the signs of aging.

You will notice that the amount of sebum decreases and your skin becomes dry. The lipid cement then becomes less effective and allows water to escape, which can lead to a state of dehydration of the epidermis.

Your skin also becomes thinner, as cells regenerate less quickly.

Within the dermis, collagen and elastin fibers are both less effective and scarcer. The wrinkles are then more marked.

Your skin loses its tone, the oval of your face sags, the features begin to relax.

To this can be added the appearance of blemishes, or the aggravation of rosacea with more marked redness, and pigment spots (brown spots) more present.

The specific needs of your skin during menopause:

During menopause, your skin particularly needs:

• Nourishing, regenerating, even firming molecules to help the dermis to redensify and restructure.
• Fight against water loss and the risk of dehydration.
• Slow down the aging of skin tissue.
• UV protection (to limit the appearance of dark spots and deep wrinkles).
• Taking care of your skin means taking a holistic approach! This means both applying the right products to it but also nourishing it from the inside out.

Now is the time, if you haven’t already, to opt for gentle treatments that are rich in fatty acids to meet the skin’s needs.

Vegetable oils, thanks to their many virtues, are perfect for this.

Which vegetable oils to choose?

You can opt for rich oils:

– Linoleic acid (Omega 6) which is an essential fatty acid, not synthesized by the body. It participates in the cohesion of the cells and promotes the tone of the skin. It is also a fatty acid that is part of the composition of ceramides, which are part of the lipid cement, that is to say the active and protective barrier of our skin.

These are the oils of pumpkin seeds, grape seeds, evening primrose, prickly pear, …

– in Gamma Linolenic acid which is found in Borage and Evening Primrose oils. This fatty acid becomes scarce with age and it should be supplied to the skin to fill this lack.

– Palmitoleic acid present in Avocado, Macadamia, Hemp and Sea Buckthorn Oils. This fatty acid helps maintain good hydration of the skin.

– in provitamin A: retinoids help the skin to regenerate and restore its elasticity.

They boost cell renewal and help prevent the formation of wrinkles.

It is found in particular in Oils which have a beautiful orange color like those of Sea Buckthorn or Rosehip Berries.

– in antioxidants: to limit the oxidative stress of cells and thus slow down premature aging and deep wrinkles.

These are the oils of Argan, pomegranate seeds, raspberry seeds …

A mixture of 3 to 4 oils containing these active ingredients, which are valuable for your skin, will be ideal for meeting the specific needs of your skin.

8 steps to take care of your skin naturally during menopause:

1- Cleanse your face gently! Dry skin hates water, which weakens it: avoid micellar water, foaming gel and cleaning with soap which weakens the hydrolipidic film. Prefer make-up removing oils (Apricot Oil, Avocado Oil, etc.) or an oleo-limestone liniment with Sesame Oil to cleanse your skin.

2- Exfoliate your skin once or twice a month, with a gentle exfoliant to help remove dead cells

3- Apply, morning and evening, a few drops of a suitable oily serum. Observe your skin: it will absorb what it needs and gradually will no longer tighten.

4- Massage your face. This helps stimulate the activity of fibroblasts in the dermis, which will make collagen fibers (responsible for firmness) and elastin fibers (responsible for the suppleness of the skin).

5- Protect your face effectively from UV rays with a sunscreen product, as well as a wide-brimmed hat.

6- Drink plain water regularly throughout the day (an average of 1 glass every 2 hours is a good benchmark).

7- Provide protein (the skin is made up of protein and collagen), Omega 3 and fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables (rich in vitamins, minerals and water) through your diet.

 8- Practice facial gym: to tighten sagging skin, which will also stimulate blood circulation in these areas.

Next week we’ll talk  about facial gym.

Source: https://www.oleassence.fr/comment-prendre-soin-naturellement-de-votre-peau-a-la-menopause?