What is menopausal skin care? Experts explain and share the 21 best products

The global anti-aging industry was valued at $55.8 billion in 2023 (and projected to grow to $108.5 billion by 2033), but among the wrinkle-erasing injectables and youth-preserving creams, there are a number of beauty brands changing the narrative around getting older and offering menopausal skin care with a focus on inner and outer wellness.

Traditionally, people going through menopause have been served a double-edged sword when it comes to the beauty industry. They’re simultaneously exploited by anti-aging marketing and made to feel invisible by it. Now, however, beauty brands are trying to destigmatize menopause by featuring midlife women in marketing campaigns, speaking about the uncomfortable parts of menopause and fighting back against online censorship.

The period of transition happens to anyone who menstruates, and it comes with a number of side effects, such as hot flashes and insomnia. These changes start as the body gradually stops ovulating, in what’s known as perimenopause. Once it’s been 12 months since your last period, it’s officially menopause. Throughout perimenopause and menopause, the changes can also affect the skin.

“Menopause is characterized by a decrease in estrogen production and many women recognize skin changes that come along with this,” says Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, a Miami-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Loretta Skin Care. “Skin can become drier and have a loss of elasticity that leads to sagging and more pronounced lines and wrinkles.”

Instead of fighting the signs of aging, a skin care routine tailored to menopausal skin can help support its health and function. But before we get into the details of the best menopausal skin care routine, it’s significant to note that menopausal beauty goes beyond products and trends. The experts we spoke to echoed the desire to erase the belief that menopause correlates to a decreased quality of life.

Sandra Chiu, founder of Lanshin, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and master of science in traditional Chinese medicine, thinks that “it’s important to reframe the idea that women should expect certain changes as we near menopause, as if it’s any different a moment than what occurs in the normal course of aging that happens to everyone.”

Ahead, we speak to the experts about what exactly menopausal skin care is and what the best menopausal skin care routine looks like.

Benefits of menopausal skin care

While there are plenty of anti-aging ingredients and products out there, menopausal skin care is formulated specifically to treat the skin transitions that come with decreasing estrogen levels.

“Some find their skin changing with hormonal changes, and products that they have used for years may not be as compatible anymore, and may find themselves battling dry skin or acne breakouts,” says Dr. Donna Hart of Westlake Dermatology. Furthermore, “Studies show that women’s skin loses about 30% of its collagen during the first five years of menopause and elasticity decreases by 1.5% per year after menopause,” says Dr. Shari Auth, licensed acupuncturist and herbalist and co-founder and chief healing officer of Wthn.

Ciraldo recommends that “all women use products that have high levels of actives that are proven to improve the unwanted skin changes and that they start these as early as possible.” Main areas of focus can include skin firmness, dehydration and dullness — as you age, decreased collagen, elastin and sebum, as well as slower cell turnover, are causes of sagging skin and dryness. Having a consistent skin care routine will help you delay the visible effects of menopause on the skin, and the dermatologist says to start using active skin care as early as your twenties.

Moreover, the experience of menopause is not standardized for all. When it comes to the effects of menopause on the skin, Chiu says “for women of color, our skin and health changes can look quite different” from the standardized view we see in marketing and the media.

For example, Chiu says, common changes for those with lighter skin tones include excess dryness and changes in elasticity and skin strength. Those with darker, melanated skin are more prone to issues with hyperpigmentation and melasma.

What ingredients are good for menopausal skin?

Vitamin C, retinol, ceramides, linoleic acid (vitamin F) and peptides are common skin care ingredients that Ciraldo recommends for menopausal skin. Hart adds that antioxidants can help diminish free radical damage to collagen and can also improve the look of hyperpigmentation. Just remember not to overdo it and alternate the days or time of day you use certain actives if needed. “Active anti-aging ingredients are best when matched to skin type, concern and tolerance,” Chiu explains.

With this in mind, here are the experts’ tips and product recommendations for a complete menopausal skin care routine.

Steps for a menopausal skin care routine

Because dryness, lack of elasticity and hyperpigmentation are common effects of menopause on the skin, your skin care routine should focus on retaining hydration, boosting collagen and fighting dullness. But that doesn’t mean you need a 10-step routine. By keeping it simple and strategically choosing what active ingredients to apply, you can achieve glowing, healthy skin without a laundry list of products.

Step 1: Cleanser

Those going through menopause will want to look for cleansers with gentle, hydrating formulas that won’t exacerbate dryness.

Step 2: Serum

Serums are a great way to target specific skin concerns that come with menopause. You can even pick one that features ingredients that address several issues (a vitamin C serum to treat hyperpigmentation that also contains hydrating ingredients like glycerin, for example).

Step 3: Moisturizer

A great moisturizer locks in the benefits of any serums applied and adds yet another layer of all-important hydration. In the daytime, just remember to layer sunscreen on top, too, as UVA rays are linked to signs of aging like wrinkles and sunspots.

Step 4: Eye cream

The eye area is the first part of the face to show signs of aging due to its thinner skin, therefore, dark circles, eye bags and puffiness require some extra attention (and skin care) to look their best. Like with serums, you can choose an eye cream tailored to your specific concerns. Fight crepey skin with hydrators like squalane and glycerin, de-puff with caffeine, fight crow’s feet with retinol or brighten with vitamin C.

Step 5: Facial massage

Chiu stresses the importance of facial massage for its beauty and wellness benefits. Chiu is an expert at gua sha, a TCM practice in which a tool is used to strategically stroke the face. The technique has become popular on social media for its sculpting effects that can visibly depuff, contour and lift the face. There is also growing belief that gua sha is correlated to boosting collagen. While you can certainly do variations of facial massage with your hands alone, having a chic tool can make it feel more like a self care ritual.

It’s also worth mentioning that gua sha is one of many TCM modalities that can ease the side effects of menopause and boost the skin’s health and function. Auth and Chiu highlight the power of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, too. “Scientific studies have shown that acupuncture increases collagen and elastin to improve facial elasticity and skin moisture, and reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging,” Auth says.