In women, estrogen’s most important functions are for normal sexual development and for healthy functioning of their reproductive system. The hormone is produced naturally, with the ovaries producing 90% of it, while the rest is produced in smaller quantities by the liver, kidneys and adrenal glands.

At menopause, the ovaries become atrophied and therefore, they are unable to produce large amounts of estrogen as they used to.

Receptors of estrogen are mostly located around the genital areas, the face and the lower limbs. Thus, in peri- and postmenopausal women, these are the body parts where skin dryness commonly develops.

There are other menopausal symptoms apart from skin dryness and wrinkling that women experience, including:

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Palpitations
• Migraines
• Sexual dysfunction
• Vaginal atrophy
• Loss of concentration
• Depression
• Sleep disturbance
• Decreased breast size
• Elevated blood pressure due to constriction of blood vessels

In contrast to the young and healthy skin, the mature skin is characterized by:

• Atrophy – the thinning of dermis and epidermis or decrease in muscle volume
• Pigmentation Changes – white patches develop on the skin
• Telangiectasias or Deep Wrinkles – caused by loss of flexibility and firmness
• Dryness – due to impaired epidermal water-binding function

According to a report that explored the use of non-contraceptive estrogen can prevent drying of the skin and wrinkling.

In a study involving rats as subjects, it was found that those treated with estrogen had well-developed elastic fibers, collagen and vascularity. This tells us that skin aging can be reduced with estrogen treatment in cases where there is deprivation of the hormone.

Currently, many manufacturers of beauty products are using estrogen as the main component in their products, and women using these products have been experiencing the benefits for their skin, and as a result, they recommend these products to other women.

There are a lot of therapies for skin dryness during menopause, and some of them have been discussed by studies, including a study that reported on non-invasive procedures.

Here are some of them for your consideration:

Physiologic studies suggest that HRT may play a beneficial role in cutaneous injury repair. However, the results from studies tackling the effect of the therapy on skin’s elastin content, sebaceous secretions, blood flow and wrinkling are conflicting.

If you want to try this method, it will take a few weeks before you can feel the benefits of HRT, and it will take at least three months before you will have the full effect.

Your body will need to adjust to the treatment and get used to it. At the initial stage, you will experience side effects like leg cramps, nausea and tenderness in your breasts.

You have different estrogen-replacement options. One is the pill form where you will take a pill once a day without food.

Another is the patch form where a patch is placed on the skin of your abdomen.

Vaginal tablets are another way, but this method is only recommended for women having vaginal itchiness.

Your doctor might also recommend using topical products such as estrogen gels and creams, whichever is the most comfortable and effective method for you.

Topical estriol is primarily used for relieving vaginal itching and dryness.

The main ingredient of such cream is estriol, which is one of the four estrogens that women produce in their body. Estriol has the mildest effect of all the four estrogens produced by women, so aside from its applicability on the vagina, it may also be considered for treating skins areas of the neck, the face and the lower limbs.

Massage is a good way to stimulate tissues mechanically. Known benefits from this method are:

• Improved lymph and blood circulation
• Exfoliation of epidermis
• Skin pore cleaning
• Preparation of the skin for receiving active substances

Cosmetic massage consists of 5 techniques for skin stimulation:

• Vibrating
• Patting
• Pressing
• Stroking
• Rubbing

When massaging mature skin, the best techniques to use are patting and stroking, as these techniques strongly affect the nervous system and collagen synthesis.

If the rubbing technique is used, make sure to do it with low intensity. Skin of old people is flabby and their connective tissues prone to stretching, so using too much force on their skin may lead to injury.

Together with the therapy you will be using, you can use oils to rejuvenate your skin. One of the best types of oil we recommend is coconut oil.

Coconut oil can be used as a facial moisturizer. It has antioxidants, which is why it used to treat skin diseases like psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema, and for its ability to restore the skin’s natural pH balance, the oil is used as the base oil of many body care products such as creams, lotions and body butters.

Other benefits from coconut oil include:

• Improved skin elasticity
• Boost for collagen production
• Increased skin hydration that lasts for 24 hours
• Slow down of the skin-aging process due to anti-oxidants vitamins A and E
• Reduced damage due to free radicals and sun exposure