How You Should Change Your Beauty Routine When You Hit Perimenopause

Approaching perimenopause can be a confusing time. Your body starts to change, even if you're not feeling it. Certain hormones start fluctuating and you can see the little side effects of that.

Maybe you're daily moisturizing routine just isn't enough anymore. Or that color makeup just doesn't quite sit right.

If you're still a couple of years away from menopause or even getting into the start of it, you'll find a lot of things need to change, including your beauty routine.

What Happens To Your Body During Peri-menopause?

When a woman approaches her midlife, she hits a time that can be fantastic or detrimental, depending on your point of view.

As a woman, your ovaries start to cut back on the production of estrogen and progesterone. You might start seeing your menstrual cycles shorten or lengthen. You might find some months you skip altogether.

As the sex hormones change, the rest of your hormones start to change as well. Some people feel a little bit more tired and run down as thyroid hormones begin to depress. Or you might find yourself a little bit more stressed out as cortisol starts trying to take over some of the functions estrogen once did.

Fortunately, it's not a fast change, but that can be a confusing point, as well. The subtle difference doesn't let you recognize it, just one day you notice it.

Washing To Keep Your Natural Oils

Most women notice their skin dries out when they start approaching menopause. It's pretty common because estrogen helps control the flow of oils in the sebaceous glands. If you lack estrogen, chances are you're not producing enough oils to keep your skin soft.

So, when you wash your skin, using harsh cleansers or soaps that dry out your skin is compounding the problem.

Using more natural and gentle soaps can reduce the amount of oils stripped from your skin and help retain a natural glow.

You might find yourself washing your skin a little more often, which if you're using a gentle soap is okay. Washing frequently and helping remove dead skin cells helps to remove build up that contributes to wrinkles and acne.

We have some great tips for choosing a good soap in this article

The Right Moisturizers Can Make All The Difference

Your skin is hydrated from the inside out, and you can help put moisture from the outside in.

Primarily, you want to drink enough water to truly hydrate your skin and the rest of your body. Although the recommended consumption is approximately 64 oz a day, many people feel much better hitting a more optimal range of 100 to 120 oz a day. This is close to a gallon of water.

Many different health issues worsen when a person is dehydrated, including joint pain, depression, lethargy, digestive issues, moodiness, and thyroid issues. Just by consuming enough water, you can help give your body what it needs to overcome some of the problems.

In your skin, having enough moisture means you can sweat properly to eliminate toxins. These toxins build up in your skin and can cause premature aging and other irritations like eczema and rosacea. A good detox can help you reduce those issues.

Well-hydrated skin helps maintain collagen and reduces the appearance of cellulite. This can keep your skin strong, supple, and smooth looking.

From the outside, you can add moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. Choose a natural oil-based hydrating cream that's free of chemicals. Most cheap moisturizers are petroleum-based, and even though they soak into your skin quickly, they are only adding temporary surface moisture to already dead skin cells. That can keep the dead skin cells and toxins on your skin longer.

If you wear makeup, wash your makeup off as often as possible. The buildup of makeup can clog your pores and rob your skin of necessary moisture.

Finally, eat lots of fruits and vegetables with lots of antioxidants. The oxidative damage from the sun, air, and pollutants ages your skin. Having the antioxidants to combat the oxidating factors can help keep your skin looking great.

As you move through perimenopause into menopause, you may find relief seeking out hormone replacement therapy. Be sure to choose a doctor who will test your hormone levels and match what you need.