Menopause skincare: supporting your skin through perimenopause and beyond

Hormonal shifts during midlife can bring many changes to the body, and the skin is often one of the first places these changes appear. Indeed, familiar skincare routines that felt comfortable during your 20s and 30s can suddenly sting, or leave your skin feeling dry or dull. This is often caused by fluctuations in hormones such as oestrogen, which can affect the skin’s structure, hydration, and resilience.

Skin that once felt balanced may suddenly feel dry, sensitive, reactive, or dull. Fine lines may appear more noticeable, and the complexion may lose some of its natural radiance. Understanding these changes is the first step toward creating a skincare routine for perimenopause and menopause that supports your skin gently and effectively.

At Thirns, we recognise that midlife brings a new chapter for the skin, and it is this understanding that inspired us to create our botanical skincare collection. Each of our natural skincare products is thoughtfully formulated with plant-based ingredients to gently support skin through midlife and beyond, helping to restore comfort, nourishment, and natural radiance without overwhelming the skin.

How hormones affect the skin during perimenopause and menopause

Oestrogen plays an important role in maintaining the skin’s strength, hydration, and elasticity. As hormone levels begin to fluctuate during perimenopause and decline further in menopause, several changes can occur.

Many women notice:

• Increased dryness or dehydration

• Thinner or more fragile skin

• Greater sensitivity and reactivity

• A loss of firmness and elasticity

• More visible fine lines and wrinkles

The skin’s natural oil production often decreases, which can weaken the protective barrier that helps keep moisture in and environmental stressors out. As a result, skin may feel more delicate and prone to irritation. Because of these changes, skincare for menopause often benefits from a gentler, more nourishing approach.

At Thirns, our botanical formulations are thoughtfully created to care for midlife skin, using only plant-based ingredients of the highest quality that help nourish, comfort, and support the skin as it evolves.

How natural skincare can support collagen loss in perimenopause and menopause

Collagen is one of the skin’s most abundant proteins. It provides structure, strength, and elasticity, helping skin feel firm and resilient. However, collagen production naturally declines with age, and this process accelerates during perimenopause and menopause.

Studies show that women can lose up to 30% of their skin’s collagen in the first five years after menopause, with continued gradual declines thereafter. This decrease contributes to a loss of firmness, deeper lines, and a thinner, less resilient skin texture. While this shift is a normal part of ageing and hormonal change, it can feel very real in the mirror and to the touch.

Using gentle skincare products, specifically designed for midlife and mature skin, can help support moisture levels, elasticity, and leave skin feeling and looking more radiant.

Why midlife skin often needs a gentler skincare routine

Often, in earlier years, the skin can tolerate strong active ingredients or intensive treatments. However, during perimenopause and menopause, the skin barrier can become more fragile, which often means switching to a gentler skincare routine that has been specifically formulated with midlife and mature skin in mind. 

Harsh cleansers, aggressive exfoliants, and highly synthetic formulations can strip away natural oils or disrupt the skin’s balance further. This can lead to increased dryness, redness, and sensitivity. While not all synthetic ingredients are problematic, formulas that rely heavily on strong chemical actives may be too intense for skin that is already more vulnerable due to hormonal change.

A skincare routine designed for midlife skin often focuses on:

• Supporting the skin barrier

• Restoring hydration

• Nourishing the skin with plant-based ingredients

• Protecting against environmental stress

Choosing skincare that works with the skin’s natural processes, rather than overwhelming it, can help restore comfort and resilience.

With more than two decades of skincare expertise, Thirns’s founder, Olga Brennand, set out to create a premium skincare brand specifically for midlife and mature skin powered by the healing botanicals found in thorn-bearing plants and bushes that grow abundantly across the UK’s rolling hills and ancient woodlands. 

Our formulations are made with natural and organic ingredients, and use only a very small percentage of carefully chosen synthetic ingredients to support shelf-life. The result is an intentional line of natural skincare products that are gentle and easy to use, with no unnecessary or harsh ingredients that could irritate midlife and mature skin.

The role of botanical ingredients in menopause skincare

Plant-based skincare can offer gentle yet effective support for skin experiencing hormonal change. Many botanical oils, hydrolats, and plant extracts contain naturally occurring vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids that help nourish and protect the skin during midlife and beyond.

Botanical oils such as rosehip, sea buckthorn, raspberry seed, and juniper are often valued for their ability to support hydration and help strengthen the skin barrier - and you’ll find each of these powerful, natural ingredients in our natural skincare products. Essential oils and hydrolats can also help soothe and rebalance the skin when used in carefully formulated concentrations.

These botanical ingredients work in harmony with the skin, helping to restore moisture and support a healthy, radiant complexion. For many women navigating hormonal changes, natural menopause skincare can provide a calming and supportive approach to daily skin care.

Creating a simple skincare routine during perimenopause and menopause

A supportive skincare routine for midlife does not need to be complicated. In fact, many women find that simplifying their routine leads to better results.

A gentle menopause skincare routine may include:

• A mild, non-stripping cleanser to remove impurities without disrupting the skin barrier, such as the Thirns Cleansing Balm, which gently melts away makeup and daily impurities while helping maintain the skin’s natural moisture. 

• A hydrating botanical toner or mist to soothe and refresh the skin, such as the Thirns Energising Mist, which combines botanical hydrolats and plant extracts to hydrate and revitalise skin that may feel dull or depleted during hormonal change.

• A nourishing facial oil or moisturiser rich in plant oils and antioxidants to replenish moisture and support elasticity, such as the Thirns Firming Emulsion, specifically formulated with botanical ingredients chosen to support skin firmness and hydration as the skin evolves through midlife.

• A gentle eye-cream packed with natural botanicals to care for the delicate skin around the eye, such as the Thirns Eye Cream, which uses carefully selected botanical ingredients to help nourish, smooth, and comfort this sensitive area.

Consistency, gentle ingredients, and barrier-supportive formulations are often far more beneficial than complex routines filled with harsh actives.

Embracing skin changes with supportive skincare

Midlife skin tells the story of experience, resilience, and change. While hormonal shifts can bring new challenges, they also offer an opportunity to approach skincare with greater intention.

By choosing skincare for perimenopause and menopause that focuses on nourishment, balance, and gentle botanical ingredients, it is possible to support the skin through these changes and maintain a healthy, radiant complexion.

Skincare during this stage of life is not about reversing time. It is about supporting the skin with care, patience, and ingredients that work in harmony with nature, resulting in skin that feels comfortable, nourished, and radiates vitality. 

Thirns: Gentle botanical skincare purposefully designed for perimenopause and menopause skin 

At Thirns, our skincare is handcrafted in small batches in the UK using plant-based ingredients chosen for their ability to nourish and support skin as it evolves through midlife and beyond.

If your skin is experiencing the changes that often accompany perimenopause and menopause, gentle botanical formulations can help restore comfort, hydration, and radiance.

Explore our collection of natural skincare designed to support skin through every stage of life.