Why we need to worry about the hormonal-ageing effect on our skin

Dominique Temple

Updated Tue, July 17, 2018 at 12:40 PM UTC

Hormonal Ageing - Copyright (c) 2013 Rex Features. No use without permission.

Regardless of your age, pretty much every woman will experience a hormonal skin imbalance in their lifetime. Whether you have pubescent acne as a teenager, melasma ( the brown pigmentation caused by excess consumption of hormonal pills), rosacea (a common side affect of the menopause) or just general loss of volume as you get older; these are all examples of hormonal ageing. Many of us just accept these as "it's part of being a women" or "it's that time of the month" but actually hormonal ageing is a huge factor in the ageing process that can be controlled.

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What is hormonal ageing?

"For women, one of the least discussed, but most compelling ways we age are the shifts and changes in hormones throughout the month and as we age," says co-founder of VENeffect Skincare and Gynecologist Dr Rebecca Booth. In particular, the decline of the hormone oestrogen leads to a number of challenges, including disruption and ageing of our skin. "As oestrogen declines over a woman’s lifetime there is a corresponding loss of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production, the building blocks of vibrant young-looking skin," advises Dr Booth.

What age does hormonal ageing start?

Hormone related skin ageing starts much younger than women realise, as skin collagen peaks around the same time as peak oestrogen levels, aged twenty-five to twenty-seven. As the influence of oestrogen declines gradually in our thirties and more dramatically in our forties and fifties, our skin loses elasticity resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and loss of skin tone.

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Loss of elasticity – one of the biggest benefits oestrogen has on our skin and all organs is elasticity, promoting the bounce back in the skin and ability to recover from pregnancy. Likewise, lowering oestrogen leads to less elasticity in your skin and more fine lines and wrinkles
Uneven skin tone, melasma or hyper-pigmentation
Increased spots/acne as oestrogen has a moderating effect on blemishes
Less lubricity in skin and hair which may leave you with dry and flaky skin
Pores become enlarged and more noticeable
Unwanted hair (oestrogen has a positive effect on hair where you want it and suppresses hair where you don’t, thus lower levels of oestrogen can lead to unwanted hair)
Slow-down in metabolism which may result in weight gain (oestrogen has a positive effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates)
Thinning hair
Thinning of the skin; collagen production decreases and the skin becomes drier and thinner
Changes in bone density can lead to changes in the skin’s appearance especially in the ocular area and around the jawline

How can you treat hormonal ageing?

"The best way to combat hormonal ageing is to incorporate phyto-oestrogens into your diet, exercise and use targeted skincare," says Dr Booth. "VENeffect, my sister and my skincare line, is specifically formulated to address the effects of hormonal variation throughout a woman’s lifetime with powerful, plant-based phyto-oestrogens that will help enhance the quality of your skin and improve its elasticity," advises Dr Booth. Plant oestrogens, known as phyto-oestrogens in skincare, offer a safe, natural solution to the challenge of declining oestrogen for women, the phenomenon now referred to as 'hormonal ageing'.

What are phyto-oestrogens?

Phyto-oestrogens are small molecules similar to oestrogen but derived from the reproductive parts of many plants, such as the seeds of grapes, soybeans, red clover, flaxseed and several nuts and berries. While it has long been known that these nutraceutical foods are good for overall health, there is scientific evidence that many types of phyto-oestrogens, applied topically, offer multiple amazing benefits in the fight against ageing skin.