World Menopause Day: Navigating Menopausal Skin

At Tropic, we're proud of the incredible diversity of those we nurture on their skincare journeys. Half of our community are women aged 45–55, a time that often coincides with perimenopause and menopause. That makes it our duty and privilege to recognise this period of physical and mental change and to support you through it.

Menopause marks the end of a person's reproductive years. It's a natural transition that affects many parts of the body, including the skin. Everyone's journey is unique, but understanding what's changing can help you move through it with confidence.

This World Menopause Day, we're shining a light on an often-overlooked aspect of menopause: its impact on our skin. From dryness and reactivity to hot flushes and a loss of firmness, here's our guide to the natural skincare that can support you through this chapter in your skin story. 

How Does Menopause Impact Our Skin?

Hormonal fluctuations, particularly a decline in oestrogen, can have a big influence on your skin's condition, structure and function. As levels shift, you might notice: 

• Dryness and dehydration: less oil and more water loss can leave skin feeling tight, dry and itchy.
• Loss of firmness and elasticity: oestrogen helps stimulate collagen production. As levels drop, skin can become drier, thinner and less elastic (Centre for Skin Sciences, 2013).
• Reactivity, redness and hot flushes: hormonal changes can make skin more sensitive, and hot flushes can leave it flushed and uncomfortable.
• A weakened skin barrier: with less oil and moisture protecting it, the barrier can weaken and skin becomes more prone to irritation.
• Dullness: slower cell renewal and dehydration can take the glow out of your complexion.

The good news? Hydration, nourishment and simple, natural ingredients can help it thrive.

Your Menopause Skincare Routine

Everyone's skin is different, but some products are especially good at caring for the changes menopause can bring. Here's a feel-good routine built around them.

1. Cleanse With Renewing Cleanser

Morning and evening

This enriching cleanser was inspired by the women in our community going through perimenopause and menopause.

As you massage it in, the balm melts from a rich butter into a silky oil, gently lifting away makeup and SPF without stripping your skin.

Replenishing ceramides and collagen-boosting actives get to work as you cleanse, and it's clinically shown to improve skin strength and barrier performance by 14%¹.  

With uplifting Rose Otto essential oil woven through the formula, it's the perfect moment to pause, breathe and turn your cleanse into a little ritual.

2. Hydrate With Rainforest Dew

Morning and evening

As oestrogen falls, your skin can struggle to hold on to water, which is why hydration sits at the heart of this routine.

Rainforest Dew is a lightweight botanical serum overflowing with hyaluronic acid, a hydration hero that holds 1,000 times its weight in water. It sinks in beautifully to leave skin plump, cushiony-soft and dewy, and it's clinically shown to increase hydration by 111% in just two hours².

3. Target Signs of Ageing With Youth Potion 

Evening

When collagen levels dip, skin can start to lose some of its bounce. Youth Potion helps bring it back.  

Powered by the world's first natural retinal, it  works up to 11 times faster than retinol, while staying kind to your skin.  

The dual-phase formula pairs a potent treatment serum with a nourishing oil layer, so drier menopausal skin gets comfort as well as results.

In clinical testing, 100% of users aged 45–65 saw increased skin elasticity³.  

4. Moisturise With Skin Re-Leaf 

Morning and evening

Many women first notice redness or rosacea around perimenopause and menopause, and hot flushes can leave skin feeling warm, tight and reactive. Skin Re-Leaf is like a cool, calming breath for your complexion.  

Tamanu oil, tiger grass, chamomile and oats work together to soothe inflammation and help restore your barrier.  

It's clinically shown to reduce redness by 28%⁴, and its silky, lightweight texture feels lovely morning and night. 

5. Repair Overnight With Skin Dream Advanced 

Evening

Your skin doesn't switch off at night. It repairs and rebuilds, and Skin Dream Advanced is designed to make the most of every hour.  

At its heart is our BioRenewyl™ Complex, an overnight renewal system of regenerative plant actives, including plant-derived PDRN and biomimetic peptides, to spur on collagen production and leave skin firmer and smoother by morning. In fact, 95% of users saw visibly reduced wrinkles⁵.

6. Nourish With Elixir 

Morning and evening 

As we get older, our skin's natural supply of essential fatty acids starts to dip, which can leave it looking dull and feeling dry. Elixir, one of our very first Tropic products, is here to top it back up.  

This golden blend of cold-pressed plant oils and vitamin E gives skin the same level of fatty acids it had aged 22, leaving it soft, supple and glowing.

Press a few drops in as your final skincare step, or mix it into your moisturiser for an extra dose of comfort. It's clinically shown to improve elasticity and firmness by 31%⁶. 

7. Protect With Sun Day UV Facial Defence or Calm & Correct 

Morning 

Thinner, drier skin is more vulnerable to sun damage and age spots, so daily SPF is a non-negotiable. Finish your morning routine with Sun Day Dewy Facial SPF 50. Apply it 15 minutes before heading outside, and before makeup if you wear it.

If redness is a concern, Calm & Correct 4-in-1 Colour Correcting Treatment is a great alternative. It instantly neutralises the look of redness, protects with broad-spectrum SPF 50 and helps improve your complexion over time.

Lifestyle Wins

A consistent skincare routine is only part of the picture. Simple lifestyle changes can make the transition more comfortable and have a positive impact on your skin too. 

Nutrition

Menopause is linked to changes in metabolism, reduced bone density and an increased risk of heart disease (Healthline, 2018). A balanced diet rich in whole foods nourishes your skin from within and can help ease menopause symptoms.

Menopause has also been linked to a drop in the body's ability to stay hydrated, so drinking plenty of water makes a real difference.

Sleep

Night sweats, hot flushes and a busy mind can make a good night's sleep hard to come by during menopause. Yet sleep is when your skin does its most important repair work. Create a wind-down ritual you look forward to: keep your bedroom cool, put screens away and let your evening skincare signal that it's time to rest.

Our Evening Unwind Pillow Mist blends lavender to relax and uplift, chamomile to calm and soothe, and frankincense to revitalise and restore. It's clinically shown to improve sleep quality by 33%⁸. Mist it over your pillow as the final step of your wind-down. 

Stress Management

Major life transitions like perimenopause and menopause can be very stressful. The stress hormone cortisol affects skin directly: it ramps up inflammation, increases oil production, inhibits collagen and disturbs the skin's good bacteria (M. Taylor, 2022).

Low-impact exercise like yoga, walking or Pilates, and mindful practices like meditation or deep breathing, can help lower stress and support your mental and physical wellbeing. 

You're Not Alone

If you're struggling, there's lots of help available. Medical professionals are more alert than ever to the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and they can support you through what can be a turbulent time. Whether it's talking to friends and family or speaking to your GP, seek help when you need it. 

Not Sure Where to Start? 

Chat to your Tropic Ambassador for personalised advice on what your skin needs right now. Or head to our Skincare Routine Finder to build a routine tailored to your skin type, age and lifestyle. 

Recommended Articles:  

Handling Hormones: Is it the Perimenopause?  

Handling Hormones: HRT and Our Skin 

Clinical claims 

¹ Renewing Cleanser: Independent clinical trial of 20 participants aged 45+.

² Rainforest Dew: Independent clinical study. Average results after 2 hours.

³ Youth Potion: Independent clinical study using participants aged 45–65. Average results after 56 days.

⁴ Skin Re-Leaf: Independent clinical study. Average results after 28 days.

⁵ Skin Dream Advanced: Independent clinical study. Average results after 28 days.

⁶ Elixir: Independent clinical study. Average results after 28 days.

⁷ Evening Unwind Pillow Mist: Independent clinical study by the London Sleep Centre using testers with insomnia and other sleep disorders. Average results after 4 weeks.