How to Brighten Your Skin Naturally in Menopause

As your biological clock ticks towards your middle age, one of the visible signs you may notice on your skin is hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation manifests majorly as melasma, but you may also observe other telltale signs such as age spots, sun damage, uneven skin tone, and dark patches. Melasma occurs majorly as a result of hormonal imbalance and sun exposure.  In this post, I’ll share all my tips on how to brighten your skin naturally as you hit menopause. In essence, you’ll be able to make the right choices for natural ingredients that aid in brightening the skin when shopping for skincare products.

1) Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil, which is extracted from the white resin of the Boswellia plant, has been used for its numerous health benefits for thousands of years. The oil is easily absorbed by the skin and it is powered by skin-friendly components such as pinene, limonene, and farnesol. It is a great addition to every radiance-enhancing ritual.

Benefits of frankincense oil:

• helps to heal sun damaged skin
• helps to diminish wrinkles
• fades dark marks
• calms skin irritation
• smooths fine lines
• promotes the growth of new skin cells
• supports skin elasticity

You may choose to introduce frankincense oil into your personal care regimen in the form of a toner, moisturizer, or serum. A few noteworthy frankincense infused products (and some of my favourites) to try are

• The Helena Lane Frankincense and Argan oil facial oil. This facial oil is a liquid treasure in a bottle. Neroli in this product takes the smell to another level. I also saw great success fading melasma from my forehead after my second pregnancy by being consistent with this facial oil.  If you prefer something lighter and not an oil, I love the Living Libations Rose Renewal Frankincense Firming Fluid.
• The Helena Lane Frankincense moisturizer is such a crowd-pleaser – little wonder I always sell out and have to restock it. This rich moisturizer is a fusion of botanical ingredients such as rose, frankincense, and rosehip oils. It scores high points for its grounding, heavenly scent and creamy texture.

Secret Tips:

• If you’re not an everyday oil person, you should add a few drops of  Frankincense essential oil to your moisturizer- take my word for it-  your skin would thank you and the results will be visible when you look in the mirror!
• If you want to incorporate other types of essential oils such as lavender and ylang ylang into your routine, it’s best to mix the essential(oil) with a carrier oil such as the Cocoon Apothecary Rosehip oil. If you love customizing essential oils into your skincare routine, check out this past post about the best anti-aging essential oils for your skin!

2) Vitamin C

Vitamin C wears different hats in the skincare world. It serves as an antioxidant; it boosts collagen formation; it brightens the skin; it helps to minimize visible signs of aging, and more.

Exposure to sunlight and environmental pollution can wreak havoc on your skin. One of the common skin concerns when you expose your skin to the harmful rays of the sun is free radical damage. When free radicals emitted by the sun hit your skin, they trigger skin issues such as collagen breakdown, fine lines, sagginess, dark spots, and discoloration. To reduce free radical damage and support your skin health, you need to add a vitamin C based product to your beauty regimen.

Reasons I love vitamin C:

• Supports the formation of collagen, leaving the skin youthful, vibrant, and supple
• Promotes wound healing
• Minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin
• Evens out skin tone and brightens dull skin
• Repairs damaged skin
• Slow down premature aging of the skin
• Fades dark spots

Vitamin C is always a great idea for mature skin because it helps to minimize visible signs of aging. Topical vitamin C is available in 2 major forms – water soluble and oil soluble derivatives. In my shop, I carry two that have shown to be great for even sensitive skin types.

One of my  favourite topical oil-based vitamin C formulas is the  Etymologie Probiotic Vitamin C concentrate facial oil, which contains Ascorbyl palmitate and 15% Vitamin C ester (THD Ascorbate).  If a lighter serum is a better choice for you, I love the combination of the Vitamin C derivatives (Aminopropyl Ascorbyl phosphate and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate) and licorice in the water-based Consonant Vitamin C and licorice serum.

To improve your overall skin health, take vitamin C supplements (1000mg and opt for time release that’s easier on the tummy) and consume food sources that are rich in Vitamin C such as oranges, pears, apples, and vegetables regularly.

How to use Vitamin C serums:

• Apply 2 -3 drops of vitamin C to your face after cleansing, ensuring the dropper does not come in contact with your skin
• Gently pat or press the product into your skin until absorbed. Avoid rubbing your face aggressively.
• Use vitamin C every morning under your SPF

3) Glycolic Acid

Glycolic Acid is a gold standard ingredient in skincare. It is obtained from natural sources such as beets and sugar cane and it belongs to the class of acids known as Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA). When applied to the skin, glycolic acid breaks down the bond that holds skin cells together brightening the skin naturally, revealing new skin, exfoliating gently and boosting collagen production.

Glycolic acid is superb for mature, aging skin (and hormonal acne too) because it has tiny molecules which are easily absorbed by the skin. After absorption, this AHA penetrates the deeper layers of the skin to speed up collagen and elastin formation.

Noteworthy benefits of glycolic acid:

• Fades acne scars
• Flushes congested pores to prevent acne breakouts
• Lightens sunspots/age spots
• Exfoliates the skin and boosts the renewal of skin cells
• Evens out the skin tone and brightens the skin
• Minimizes ingrown hair
• Reduces signs of damage caused by environmental elements
• Improves keratosis pilaris also known as chicken skin

I love the La Spa Glycolic acid Peel Treatment, an at-home glycolic peel that contains 10% pure glycolic acid that’s 100% naturally derived.

How to Use Glycolic Acid:

• Glycolic acid should be used only at night
• Apply 1-2 drops of product to your cleansed skin using your fingertips or cotton pads
• Allow to dry (follow product directions on whether to follow with your moisturizer)
• Wear SPF daily when using glycolic acid

4) SPF

Sunscreen application is one of the most crucial steps in every skin-brightening regimen. Without sun protection, all the steps to brighten your skin naturally would be in vain. Also, failure to apply sunscreen will only worsen sun damage.

When choosing a sunscreen, the rule of thumb I follow, is to opt for a Broad Spectrum sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor 30 or more.  A sunblock product with SPF 30 signifies that it would take your skin 30 times longer to burn or get attacked by free radicals from the sun, than if you were not using sun protection.

Applying sunscreen should be the final step of your skincare regimen and it should come before makeup. Sunscreen is readily available in many forms – cream/lotions, sticks, gels, and sprays but I can’t get enough of the Just Sun Daily Defense Tinted SPF 30 and Consonant Skincare the perfect sunscreen. When you travel especially with little ones, the sun stick SPF50 by LASPA is simply the best. Check out this post on choosing the best mineral sunscreen!

Pro Tips:

Cleansing

If you’re over 35 years of age, it is advisable to cleanse your skin just once daily. Choose a milk cleanser or oil-based cleanser to eliminate dirt, oil, makeup, and grime after a busy day without drying out your skin.

Eye Cream

Additionally, for an overall luminous look, choose an eye cream to brighten your eyes, melt away eye bags, and fade fine lines. Avoid eye creams with ingredients such as essential oils that can irritate the skin around your eye area. An unscented eye cream I absolutely love is the Consonant Skin Firming eye cream, which brightens with zinc oxide and firms the skin around my eyes.

No Makeup Illuminated look

For a no makeup illuminated look, ditch your heavy foundation and try out a tinted moisturizer. Apply a few drops of the Graydon Skincare Face Glow which contains ethically sourced Mica into your tinted moisturizer or wear it alone. Adding a glow-enhancing product like this into your makeup routine can help enhance the radiance of your skin and help it feel good too.

Final Thoughts

Lastly, hormonal fluctuations during your menopausal years can upset the radiance of your complexion.  Damaged skin from years of sun exposure, poor lifestyle habits or bad skincare will be dull and lacklustre.  The good news is that with the above recommendations, you can improve your skin and maintain a glowing complexion without invasive procedures. I hope you enjoyed reading! Drop any questions or comments below. I’d love to hear from you.