Written by Vanessa Gray Lyndon, Founder of Vanessa Megan Naturaceutical Skincare
I remember the moment I first noticed it. I’d gone through my usual morning routine, cleanser, serum, moisturiser, the same products I’d been using for years, the ones I knew inside and out. But when I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror, something looked different. My skin felt tight before I’d even left the house. There was a dullness I couldn’t quite pin down, a flatness that no amount of good intentions seemed to shift. And then, a few months later, the breakouts started. In my forties. Breakouts. I genuinely thought I was doing something wrong.
I wasn’t. What I was doing was entering perimenopause, and my skin was among the first things to tell me.
As a formulator and founder of a skincare brand, I’ve spent decades studying skin. I understand hormones, actives, barrier function, collagen pathways. But there’s something different about experiencing these changes in your own face, in real time, in the middle of a busy life. Nobody had really talked to me about what to expect, and that’s something I want to change.
What’s actually happening beneath the surface
Perimenopause, the transitional phase that can begin as early as your mid-thirties and typically spans several years before menopause, is driven by fluctuating oestrogen levels. And oestrogen, it turns out, is one of skin’s greatest allies.
It plays a key role in collagen production, moisture retention, and skin thickness. As oestrogen levels rise and fall irregularly during perimenopause, the skin starts to lose some of its structural scaffolding. Collagen production slows. The skin barrier becomes more permeable, meaning moisture escapes more easily and irritants sneak in. Oil glands become less active, so that natural cushion of sebum that kept skin supple starts to thin out.
What this looks and feels like: increased dryness, a loss of that bounce and firmness you used to take for granted, deeper lines, and sometimes, paradoxically, breakouts, because the hormonal swings are unpredictable, and oily, congested skin can flare even when everything else is parched. You might also notice age spots appearing more readily, because decreasing oestrogen triggers increased melanin production. And sagging, particularly around the jawline and cheeks, as the fat pads beneath the skin shift and thin.
This is a lot. I know. But here’s what I want you to hold onto: it’s completely normal, it’s understandable once you know the biology behind it, and there is so much you can do.
What I changed about my approach to skincare
The biggest shift for me wasn’t adding more products, it was understanding what my skin actually needed in this season of life. The answer wasn’t more actives, or more exfoliation, or a stronger retinol. It was more nourishment, more support, and more intention.
The first priority is moisture, and not just surface moisture, but deep, structural hydration. I lean heavily on ceramides, because they are the lipids that literally build the skin barrier.
They make up over half of the skin’s outer layer composition, and when they decline, skin becomes vulnerable. Hyaluronic acid is the other cornerstone, a humectant that holds many times its weight in water, drawing moisture into the deeper layers of skin. These two ingredients together are your perimenopausal skin’s best friends.
Collagen support becomes non-negotiable. I look for peptides, those short chains of amino acids that signal the skin to produce more of its own collagen and elastin, and bakuchiol, nature’s gentler answer to retinol. Bakuchiol delivers the cell-renewal and firming benefits without the irritation, which matters a great deal when skin is already feeling sensitised and reactive.
For brightening (because the pigmentation changes are real!) I trust Kakadu Plum, one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C on the planet, alongside ingredients like bearberry extract, which helps temper overactive melanin production without aggression. Gentle fruit enzymes to encourage cell turnover round this out, leaving skin clearer and more luminous without causing stress.
And I pay much more attention to my cleanser than I ever used to. Perimenopausal skin doesn’t need stripping. A cream cleanser with nourishing ingredients like shea butter keeps the pH balanced and the barrier intact, so everything that comes after can actually do its job.
When I am asked about a skincare routine for peri and menopausal skin, I always start with my Vanessa Megan N.E.O Oil, it’s one of our very best sellers, packed with vitamins A, E, P, K, zinc and omega-3-6-9 works like an organic multi-vitamin shot to the skin to deeply nourish, protect and help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
I would then suggest the Metamorphosis range, products especially formulated to support hormone affected skin. Hydrating moisturisers, revitalising serums including the natural alternative to botox Bakuchiol, masks , gentle cleaners and a product I am so proud of – The Other Lips Balm for vaginal dryness and intimate discomfort.Â
The thing I wish someone had told me
Perimenopause is not a crisis. It is a transition. Your skin isn’t broken, it’s changing, and it’s asking for a different kind of care than it needed in your twenties or thirties.
What helped me most, honestly, was understanding why my skin was changing. Once I knew what was happening hormonally, I stopped chasing solutions that weren’t designed for this stage. I started treating my skin the way I would treat something I genuinely love. With patience, with the right ingredients, and with the recognition that nourishment, not punishment, is what it takes to get through this well.
Skin after forty, in perimenopause, or menopause, can be beautiful, radiant and healthy. It just needs a different conversation. I hope this is the beginning of one.
Vanessa Gray Lyndon is the founder and formulator of Vanessa Megan Skincare. She has spent over twenty years creating results-driven, certified organic skincare rooted in the power of natural actives.
