Now The Big Beauty Brands Are Targeting Menopausal Women
Many women are becoming more vocal about the menopause, including high-profile campaigners such as Davina McCall, Mariella Frostrup, and Lisa Snowdon.
After Davina’s TV documentaries on HRT, the demand for HRT spiked. Menopausal women make up 13 million of the UK population, so brands are scrambling to serve them.
There are very few skincare products that mention the Menopause word, such as Prai’s MenoGlow
The battle has now been joined by Boots No7. A year after launching its ‘miracle’ Matrixyl 3000 peptide blend in 2007, it advanced its Protect & Perfect Serum formulation.
No7 Menopause Skincare is now available from the brand. Four face products are included in the collection – a Matrixyl 3000+ serum, a night cream, and a day cream with SPF (all £32.95) – and a cooling face mist (£14.95).
Are menopause-specific skincare products nothing more than a marketing ploy?
It is important for us to avoid flooding the market with supposed menopause-specific products, such as Rebalance (£85, zenii.co.uk), that contain only a few clinically-evidenced ingredients and are simply used to sell ineffective skincare, according to GP Dr Johanna Ward, founder of Zenii skincare and Rebalance (£85, zenii.co.uk).
The effects of oestrogen loss during menopause have certainly been studied extensively by No7.
As collagen, oils, and hyaluronic acid are less able to make collagen, plumpness, vitality, and glow, skin is left in a constant state of low-level inflammation.
All of these effects were lessened by taking HRT, which restores oestrogen.
With feedback from their ‘co-creators’, they identified ingredients to balance out these effects. Consequently, the range focuses on calming, rebalancing, and strengthening the skin barrier, and avoids potentially irritating agents like retinol and acids.
As part of its promise to make skin behave as if oestrogen were still present, it aims to address the six major menopausal concerns: lines and wrinkles, lack of firmness, dullness, dryness, unevenness, and redness.
In January, Menopause Skin eye cream will address dark circles and undereye puffiness.
Ninety-three percent of women said it soothed their skin. Fiona Brackenbury is an independent skin expert and facialist. What does she think?
This is a well-thought-out plan,’ she says. They identified the most important elements: ceramides and lipids to replenish and strengthen the skin barrier, and peptides and soy isoflavones to counteract loss of firmness.
