Hormones changed. Your routine should too.

Oestrogen supports the skin's moisture, oil production, barrier and collagen. As it falls around menopause, many people notice dryness, dullness, sensitivity, thinning and slower healing — sometimes quite quickly. Studies suggest collagen declines notably in the first years after menopause. Products that suited you before can suddenly feel too strong.

Comfort and hydration usually improve within weeks once the barrier is repaired, and skin often looks brighter as a result. Retinoids can improve texture over two to three months or more, but changes in firmness are modest. Skincare can't reverse hormonal change — it can make your skin healthier and more comfortable.

Weeks one and two: a gentle cream cleanser, lukewarm water, a ceramide moisturiser and a pause on strong actives. Weeks three and four: a hydrating serum on damp skin, sealed with a richer night cream, and daily SPF. From month two, once skin is comfortable, a low-strength retinoid two nights a week using the moisturiser sandwich method.

That's a medical decision for you and your doctor, based on your overall health and symptoms — not something to start for skin alone. It's absolutely worth raising menopause symptoms, including skin changes, with a doctor, who can explain the options that suit you.

See a doctor for sudden severe dryness with tiredness, weight change or feeling cold, which can have other causes such as thyroid problems; itching all over the body; a mole or spot that's new, changing or bleeding; or persistent redness with visible vessels or bumps. Vaginal dryness and discomfort are also common and treatable — worth mentioning too.