The Best Menopause Beauty Products And Treatments
“Suck it up” has long been the mantra when it comes to the Change. But a new generation of women, armed with tools from emerging beauty and wellness brands, is reforming the way we treat and talk about this major life stage.
Most women associate menopause with the end of menstruation and the beginning of hot flashes. What they may not anticipate, however, are all of the other related side effects, including brain fog, depression, acne, joint pain, mood swings, night sweats, insomnia, dry skin, reduced sex drive, hair loss, and more. For many of the 55 million menopausal women in the u.s. (or the estimated 1.3 million who will join them this year), these symptoms catch them by surprise.
“Only about 20 percent of physicians get training in menopausal treatments,” says Kourtney Sims, an ob-gyn in Houston, who adds that most medical schools—and ob-gyn residencies—spend minimal time focusing on this part of a woman’s life.
And if doctors aren’t adequately educated on menopause symptoms and management, how can they help patients navigate them? Another reason women have, historically, been ill prepared: no one talks about it. What happens at the start of menstruation is covered in middle-school health class, but women don’t get a primer on what to expect at the end. And then embarrassment, fear, and confusion keep many from broaching the topic with their doctors or sharing concerns with friends or family.
Related article: This Month In Beauty: Augustinus Bader Debuts In Singapore, A Sephora Store Of The Future & More
Thankfully, though, things seem to be changing. As Gen Xers and older Millennials grapple with their fluctuating hormones, they are taking a more open, active approach to their treatment. “My [menopausal] patients are incredibly thirsty for knowledge,” says Alyssa Dweck, an ob-gyn in Mount Kisco, New York.
She will often suggest small tweaks to her patients’ daily habits to help them cope, like adopting a low-glycemic mediterranean diet to temper weight gain or upping cardio exercise to moderate mood swings. “Many patients are confused because they still have periods but experience unfamiliar symptoms like mood swings. They don’t recognize themselves,” she says. “Explaining what’s happening helps.”
So, what is happening? “Your body is breaking up with levels of hormones it has had for 30 years or longer,” says Sims. “It’s no surprise it’s upset.” The hormonal roller coaster typically starts between a woman’s late 30s and her mid-40s (though it can begin earlier), and it may last as long as 15 years.
When women say they are going through menopause, that usually means they’re experiencing perimenopause. During this stage, estrogen and progesterone begin to decline, ovulation can become erratic, and periods may stop arriving like clockwork. It’s also when the cascade of symptoms outlined earlier may begin. “I had no idea brain fog had anything to do with menopause,” recalls Rochelle Weitzner, founder of menopause skincare brand Pause Well-Aging. “I wondered if I had early-onset Alzheimer’s.”
To help monitor the symptoms of perimenopause, some women have begun experimenting with at-home tests to check their levels of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones associated with the transition. These kits typically require saliva or a blood sample via a finger prick, then are analyzed at home or mailed to a lab. One to try: Everlywell Perimenopause Test ($99 for a one-time purchase).
Related article: The 45 Best Fitness Gifts For The Most Active Person You Know
“Menopause itself is really just one day: The day you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period,” explains Weitzner. After that, you’re postmenopausal, though not, alas, symptom-free.
While hormones won’t seesaw like they did in perimenopause, your body now has to function with sustained lower levels of estrogen and progesterone. This means some symptoms, like dry skin or thinning hair, become chronic issues. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help mitigate symptoms by upping estrogen levels via a pill, patch, or topical cream—but HRT isn’t without risks, including increasing the chance of certain kinds of cancer.
Thus, it’s encouraging that it’s not the only option. A growing number of beauty and wellness brands have developed products and tools to help manage a menopausal journey. “Women are looking for some power and ownership in this conversation,” says sims. Here are what some new over-the-counter options offer.
Declining estrogen impacts the body’s ability to hydrate the skin and hold on to moisture, causing many menopausal women to bemoan their chronically parched complexions. Bonafide Silvessa Hydrating Daily Skin Serum ($55) is laced with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, both of which attract and retain moisture, and vitamin B3 (a.k.a. niacinamide), which strengthens the skin barrier.
As levels of both estrogen and progesterone decrease, testosterone (often thought of as the “male” hormone) gains influence on hair growth, causing strands to come in sparser and shrink in diameter. The result: Hair looks and feels fragile and falls flat faster. To help, Better Not Younger Lift Me Up Hair Thickener ($35) wraps around each hair to make it look instantly fuller. The spray-on styler also nourishes the scalp and supports healthier future growth—plus it adds volume at the roots to make thin spots less apparent.
Declining levels of estrogen can accelerate collagen degradation in women’s skin, resulting in a loss of elasticity. Massaging the face with the Pause Well-Aging Fascia Stimulating Tool ($115), an FDA-cleared device designed to stimulate collagen-producing fibroblasts, can help keep skin firmer longer.
Estrogen is a natural anti-inflammatory, and when we begin to produce less of it, joints may become stiff and sore. State of Menopause Arnica Hand & Joint Cream ($28) does double duty by relieving dry skin with shea, coconut, and cocoa-seed butters and alleviating joint pain and stiffness with anti-inflammatory arnica extract.
Related article: 13 Liquid Eyeliners For Monolids That Makeup Artists Love
Hot flashes and nighttime sweats are thought to be triggered by fluctuating hormones that cause a sudden expansion of blood vessels, upping blood flow and sending a wave of heat through the body. One instant remedy is Mojo Wellbeing Hot Flash Quick Cooling Spray ($25), a liquid spritz formulated with niacinamide, glycerin, and witch hazel to soothe and reduce heat in flushed skin. Spraying it on pulse points can accelerate cooling.
Estrogen is often linked to reproductive health—but did you know it also plays a role in regulating brain function? As estrogen declines, the body plugs less of it into its hormone receptors, causing temporary cognitive disruption (or brain fog). Supplements like Phenology Great Morning gummies (part of the Daily Duet set, $65) may provide some relief by boosting the body’s levels of nutrients like vitamins B6 and B12, which support brain health, and saffron extract, which can help improve your mood and sleep.
Your face isn’t the only place that grows dryer with estrogen loss. Vaginal walls can also lose lubrication and become thinner, leaving this area vulnerable to chafing and discomfort during sex. Stripes Vag of Honor Ectoine Hydrating & Revitalizing Gel ($50) uses two humectants, hyaluronic acid and glycogen, to help maintain the vagina’s natural lubrication, as well as ectoine, an emollient that boosts the skin’s moisture level and locks it in. For best results, the gel should be applied daily—much as you would any hydrating face-care product.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.