Let’s talk… sensitive skin in menopause

A few months ago I noticed I could no longer tolerate ANY chilli or hot spice in food at all. I went from enjoying medium hot curries (who doesn’t love a Butter Chicken?) to, literally overnight, they were setting my mouth on fire. I’m not a happy woman - one of my favourite things to do is an end-of-the-week takeaway with my gorgeous husband, and Indian food was always my go-to option. Somehow pizza doesn't have the same sense of naughty pleasure.

It got me thinking - could this be a symptom of menopause? I asked around and it seems I am not alone in this symptom, though most of my of-an-age friends looked at me with pity and said happily they were still chilli-safe. I’ve also done some slightly more extensive research, and can’t find anything specific, apart from warnings for menopausal women to avoid spicy foods as they can trigger hot flushes and heartburn, both very common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Maybe my sudden reaction to chilli is a cunning plan by my body to overrule my brain and stop those Friday night curries…

Weird menopause symptoms aside, women’s skin can become very sensitive during the peri- and menopause years, and that’s down to a change in our skin’s pH. The average pH of healthy skin is, according to a U.S clinical study, around 4.7, which puts it on the slightly acidic end of the pH scale. This slight acidity helps our skin fight off free radicals and harmful microbes. As we head past 50, our skin pH rises, heading more towards the alkaline end of the scale. This varies from person to person, of course, but the effect this has is to reduce the effectiveness of your skin barrier, which manages not only our response to external aggressors (UVA, UVB, pollutants) but keeps moisture in, maintaining the hydration levels our skin needs to function effectively.

So, how can we re-balance our skin’s pH?

Wash with a gentle cleanser

More alkaline cleansers will impact your skin’s pH, making you more sensitive. Soap is highly alkaline, so if you’re using soap, stop immediately! My Prep Cleanse face wash is perfect for super-sensitive skin, with no powerful active ingredients, but gentle acids to help lift away makeup and dead skin cells, with sorbic acid to support the skin barrier. If your skin remains fine with active ingredients, then my Prep Wash is brilliant - it contains gentle AHAs that cleanse the skin without raising the pH, and work to brighten skin and give you back your glow. I love this one, myself, and use it twice a day.

Use a toner

There are many toners to choose from that have a slightly acidic pH that can neutralise any alkalinity your skin is experiencing. I’d recommend a water-based toner, rather than an alcohol-based toner, as these can be a little astringent. I recently introduced a very gentle toner which is ideal for sensitive skin, which you leave on for maximum benefit, while it helps the skin’s natural process of casting off dead skin cells (a process that helps strengthen skin) while boosting hydration, which is vital to the health of our skin barrier. Learn more about it here.

Use the right serum

Serums with active ingredients tend to be designed to address specific issues - Vitamin C to brighten skin, Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate, AHAs or BHAs for acne-prone or breakout-prone skin, etc. If you have sensitive skin, it’s best to start with a serum that works to hydrate skin to boost collagen production and support the skin barrier. My Power HA serum delivers a hit of Hyaluronic Acid to really boost skin’s hydration levels, and is great for those with skin that’s occasionally sensitive and shows this as a feeling of dry or taut skin. My Serum Serene take a more holistic approach, packed with natural, gentle ingredients that support a healthy skin barrier, hydrate the skin and soothes sensitive skin. 

Use a good moisturiser

If your skin soon feels tight again after using your moisturiser, it’s the wrong one for you. It may have been perfect in years past, but as we age our skin’s needs change, so it’s time to investigate other options. Equally, if your skin feels more sensitive now, you are seeing flare-ups of acne or spots, or even rosacea, you should look at changing your moisturiser. Moisturiser is designed to keep moisture in the skin - it’s an additional barrier to dehydration. 

Exfoliate regularly

It might seem counter-intuitive, but exfoliating your skin will help with sensitivity. I don’t mean a facial scrub - that would be both painful and excessive - I mean using a gentle active to do what your skin is actually designed to do, but does less of as we age. We need to maintain a healthy production of new skin cells to maintain a healthy and effective skin barrier. New skin cell production can be encouraged by the regular exfoliation of those that are past their sell-by date, that have died but are just sitting on the skin’s surface and getting in the way. Use a gentle exfoliator, such as my Prep Power, which contains powerful yet still gentle Glycolic, Salicylic and Lactic acids, which remove leftover makeup, the day’s grime and those unhelpful dead skin cells. Start with applying it and washing it straight off once per week. If you don’t feel any tingling, apply, wait a minute, then wash off. Increase usage as your skin gets comfortable with it. For most, that’s pretty much immediately - this isn’t a scary product, I promise you!

Use a daily SPF

I am a passionate exponent of wearing a minimum of SPF20 every day, and preferably higher. Protecting skin from UVA (ageing) rays and UVB (burning) rays is a no-brainer, for all skin types and colours.

Sensitive skin requires little more consideration of product choice than non-sensitive skin, but the more you do, the better it gets, as your hydration levels rise, your skin cell turnover increases and your skin barrier gains strength.

If you want to learn more, do book an appointment for a consultation, I am here for you, and your skin.

Penny x