Our Midlife Beauty Survey results are in and the results make for fascinating reading. From menopause skin breakouts (yes, spots are still a thing for us grownups), to sagging jawlines to limp and thinning hair, it’s clear that menopausal hormone fluctuations are often not good news when it comes to beauty.
How do I stop menopausal acne?
Many women in our survey are reliving a part of their teens they thought they’d seen the back of. You might be a grown up with a mortgage and responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean that menopause skin breakouts won’t strike. 20% of survey respondents suffered breakouts, while rosacea was experienced by 18% of women.
READ MORE Dermatologist Dr Dennis Gross on caring for midlife skin.
What helps with dry skin during menopause?
Alongside those menopause skin breakouts, dryness, sun damage and dullness are all common complaints. 69% of women feel that the face staring back at them in the mirror looks more tired and lined than they feel. (We can certainly relate to that one.) 72% of women agree with the statement, “My face appears to be sliding south”.
READ MORE How to help dry skin in menopause.
Does menopause dry your hair out?
It came through loud and clear in our survey that hair is central to feelings of wellbeing and self-esteem. 85% of women told us that a good hair day makes them feel more confident than a new outfit does.
Yet hair is the part of our looks most affected by the hormonal changes of menopause. Overall, 87% noticed major changes to their hair, with almost half reporting all of the following: Changes to texture, increased dryness and brittleness, hair loss, finer and slower growth and thinning eyebrows.
Perhaps unsurprisingly the celebrities most admired for their hair overwhelmingly boast long, glossy locks, with Jennifer Aniston the favourite, followed by Claudia Winkleman and Jennifer Lopez.
READ MORE Trichologist Anabel Kingsley on how to tame frizzy menopausal hair.
How can I look younger during menopause?
This is the million dollar question – and the beauty industry isn’t always providing the answer. Our survey respondents told us loud and clear that they feel let down by the beauty industry.
With women spending over a third of our lives peri to post menopause and midlife women enjoying a disproportionate share of income, you might expect us to be well served by the beauty industry. But that’s not the case.
Our survey respondents find shopping for beauty products frustrating, with three-quarters overwhelmed by the choice and two-thirds confused by the jargon. Around four-fifths are put off by not understanding which products are best for you and not believing the claims made for products.
READ MORE The best menopause skincare for midlife skin
Given midlife women feel this way shopping for beauty products, it’s little wonder that over a third of you have items in your make-up bag that are more than six years old – that’s more than twice the length of an average relationship! What’s more, 12% own up to items that are over 11 years old. The most common culprit? Eye shadow.
To help you refresh your make-up bag (with products that definitely won’t languish there unused for years) we’ve pulled together five products to target midlife beauty woes.
FOR SUN PROTECTION: LA ROCHE POSAY ANTHELIOS AGE CORRECT SPF50, £16.75
La Roche Posay’s SPF has been created specifically for mature, dry and sensitive skin. It’s designed to target wrinkles, dark spots and skin elasticity and includes moisturising hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump, with niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and stimulate collagen production.
FOR THINNING BROWS: CHARLOTTE TILBURY BROW CHEAT, £22
Ageing hair follicles can lead to hair looking thinner and more sparse. This is true of the hair that makes up your eyebrows as well as that on your head. Charlotte Tilbury’s new Brow Cheat pencil gives the appearance of full, defined brows, mimicking natural brow hairs in sparse areas.
FOR PIGMENTATION/DULL SKIN: PAULA’S CHOICE C-25 SUPER BOOSTER, £41.60
A serum based on 15% L-ascorbic acid (plus ferulic acid and vitamin E) to brighten dull skin, fade dark spots and boost collagen production. This serum contains a high concentration of 25% ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to brighten dull skin, improve uneven skin tone, red marks and skin texture.
FOR DRY SKIN: VICHY NEOVADIOL PHYTOSCULPT FACE AND NECK CREAM, £20.
Vichy’s Neovadiol anti-ageing skincare range is specifically targeted at menopausal skin. Hydrating and designed to firm and tone while plumping out fine lines.
FOR HAIR VOLUMISING: KERATASE RESISTANCE BAIN VOLUMIFIQUE SHAMPOO, £16.85.
For fine and flat hair looking for volume and revitalisation, this shampoo is soft and light. It gives a visible thickening effect to the fibre by restoring it, while boosting hair volume. Team with the conditioner.
