Skin During Menopause: What Changes – and Which Skincare Can Support the Skin Barrier

Note: image partly or fully created with AI.

The short answer

As oestrogen levels fall, skin becomes thinner and drier during menopause and loses collagen – estimates cite up to 30 percent in the first five years after menopause. Skincare can support moisture and the skin barrier, but it cannot fix the hormonal causes. Hormone-containing products are medicines and belong in a doctor's hands.

Skin during menopause at a glance

• Timing: Menopause occurs at around 51 on average; the perimenopause before it lasts several years
• Typical changes: thinner, drier and more sensitive skin, higher moisture loss, decreasing firmness
• Collagen: up to 30% loss in the first five years after menopause, then around 1–2% per year – an average from small studies
• What skincare can do: provide moisture, strengthen the skin barrier, protect against UV damage
• What skincare can't do: make up for the oestrogen deficiency or restore lost collagen
• Most important measure: daily sun protection, combined with moisture and ceramides

What happens to the skin during menopause?

Oestrogen influences how much moisture the skin stores and how actively fibroblasts produce collagen and elastin. Oestrogen levels already begin to drop during the perimenopause, which according to experts often starts five to ten years before the last period. The effects appear gradually: the skin becomes thinner, loses firmness, looks drier and reacts more sensitively. Sebum production also declines, which further weakens the barrier. Why a damaged barrier shows itself through tightness and stinging is explained in our article Damaged skin barrier.

How reliable is the 30 percent figure?

The claim that skin loses up to 30 percent of its collagen in the first five years after menopause goes back to biopsy studies by the research group around Brincat and is still cited in specialist reviews today. Important context: measurements were taken in small groups, mostly on the forearm, not the face. The figure applies to the years after menopause – not generally “from 40”. How much you personally lose also depends on genetics, UV exposure, smoking and lifestyle. A dermatological review notes that compensating for the hormonal deficit can counteract skin ageing, but also points to open questions about active ingredient, dosage and possible systemic side effects.

What cosmetics can do – and what they can't

Cosmetics can provide the skin with moisture, support the barrier and protect against UV damage. They cannot make up for an oestrogen deficiency. Oestrogen-containing creams exist, but they are medicines prescribed by a doctor; whether and where they make sense is best discussed with your gynaecologist or dermatologist. “Collagen boosters” also deserve scepticism: plant peptides and extracts in creams can care for the skin, but there is no solid evidence that they reverse hormone-related collagen loss. We have assessed this in detail in our article Collagen boosters in natural skincare.

In practice: care for skin that is becoming drier and more mature

Moisture and lipids for the barrier

A serum with hyaluronic acid and plant lipids such as The Hydrating Serum provides the skin with moisture and supports its natural protective function. The Day Cream is designed for dry, normal, sensitive and mature skin and contains plant lipids, plant-based hyaluronic acid and sea buckthorn.

Richer night care

In the evening the texture can be richer: The Beauty Sleep Cream & Mask with shea butter forms a protective film and supplies dry skin with moisture overnight.

The sensitive eye area

The already thin skin around the eyes often shows dryness first. A light eye care product such as The Eye Care with hyaluronic acid and horse chestnut cares for dryness lines with moisture.

UV protection as the most important anti-ageing measure

The most effective cosmetic protection against premature skin ageing is daily sun protection. A mineral formula such as The Sun Kiss SPF 30 leaves no white cast and also moisturises. You'll find all products for this stage of life in our mature skin care collection.

Frequently asked questions about skin and menopause

Why does skin become drier during menopause?

Because oestrogen supports moisture storage and the production of skin lipids. When levels fall, the skin loses water more quickly and the barrier becomes more permeable.

How much collagen does skin lose during menopause?

Studies cite up to 30 percent in the first five years after menopause and around 1 to 2 percent per year afterwards. These are averages from small studies; individual loss depends heavily on UV exposure, smoking and genetics.

Can natural skincare compensate for menopausal skin changes?

No. It can relieve dryness and care for the skin, but it cannot reverse hormonal changes. For severe symptoms or questions about hormone therapy, medical advice is the right way.

Which ingredients are useful for skin during menopause?

Above all moisture binders such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin, barrier-strengthening lipids such as ceramides and shea butter, and daily UV protection. Harsh peels and many actives at once tend to burden thinning skin instead.

When should I adjust my skincare?

There is no fixed age. When your skin feels tight, looks drier or reacts more sensitively, it is worth adjusting – often already during the perimenopause.

Conclusion

Menopause noticeably changes the skin, but good care can clearly support comfort and the barrier. Combining moisture, barrier lipids and consistent UV protection does your skin a lot of good – for example with Cosmenia's The Day Cream. Hormonal questions, however, belong in a doctor's hands.

Sources

• Brincat M et al.: Sex hormones and skin collagen content in postmenopausal women. British Medical Journal, 1983
• Raine-Fenning NJ, Brincat MP, Muscat-Baron Y: Skin aging and menopause: implications for treatment. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003
• Calleja-Agius J, Muscat-Baron Y, Brincat MP: Skin ageing. Menopause International, 2007; 13: 60–64
• Skin and hair changes in menopause. Medicine Today, 2024; 25(11): 21–27

As of: October 2026