Skin Health Magazine Issue #9 / Autumn-Winter 2018 | Page 19

Challenge: Menopause The hormonal shift can lead to drier skin, as well as a significant drop in collagen and elastin. “As women experience lower levels of oestrogen, the skin’s fat deposits — which are what gives skin its plump, youthful appearance — are affected, leading to sagging, fine lines and wrinkles.” Skin Solution: All those products you started toying with in your 30s and 40s? Time to get serious about using them daily. Challenge: You Don't Even Know! What else? Glands become less effective at flush- ing toxins, resulting in puffiness, particularly around the eyes, according to Kate. Also, “tendons lengthen, muscles drop, and fat pads shrink, all leading to skin sagging and lines. Skin cell turnover slows, causing the skin to absorb light, rather than reflect it, making the skin look dull.” Skin Solution: Bring on the products. “The good news is we can increase the production of col- lagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid,” says Kate. “Adding a Retinol or Vitamin A product to your regime will stimulate skin to produce more of these structural components, as will treat- ments like micro-needling.” And clean your face. “It’s more important than ever to exfoliate dead skin cells. Use an exfoli- ating cleanser two-to-three times a week to encourage a glowing complexion. Melanocytes can also become more erratic and pigmentation can be obvious, so use a Vitamin C serum and SPF50 everyday.” Skin Solution: Check your formulas and read your instructions closely. Did you buy the sen- sitive-skin formula when you actually have combination skin? Are you accidentally using a weekly exfoliant every night? If your skin stops responding to good products the way you wish it would, just remember: there is a reason and — even better — there’s often a relatively simple solution. stretchiness and hyaluronic acid its hydration and plumpness,” says Kate. “If we don’t use products to kickstart production, we’ll see the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, increased dehydration, loss of volume and sagging.” After some research, you’ve started using new high-quality, credible products. And yet, your skin feels drier than ever. Or it’s so oily it shines. Or you’re getting red patches that sting plus a band of zits across your forehead. ISSUE #09 | 2018 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 19