Menopause and itchy skin? These are the best creams

Menopause is not only noticeable because of hot flushes or other hormonal changes. Our skin often shows it too. Many women tell us, "my skin feels very itchy and I do not know why", and itching is in fact one of the most common, and least discussed, symptoms during menopause. In this article, we explain what to do if you are dealing with menopause and itchy skin and which creams may help.

Menopause and the skin: how does it affect it?

Menopause brings hormonal changes. In particular, there is a marked shift in the levels of sex hormones, and oestrogen drops sharply and steadily. This translates into:

• Skin becoming drier and duller.
• A loss of skin thickness.
• The appearance of dark spots.
• Changes in nerve sensitivity.

As these changes take place, the most common "invisible" skin symptom during menopause appears: itching.

Menopause and itchy skin

During menopause, the skin changes and becomes altered overall.

The drop in oestrogen means that fewer skin lipids are produced, so the oily component of the skin's natural hydrolipidic film is reduced and the skin becomes drier. When this is combined with the fact that oestrogen reduces collagen production (making the skin thinner and less structured), reduces regenerative capacity and increases sensitivity, the barrier function becomes impaired.

When our skin barrier is compromised, it asks for help through signs such as:

• Itching, stinging or burning
• Redness
• Flaking and tightness

This can often be improved with the right menopause skincare creams, which we will look at below.

What should menopause creams contain?

An impaired barrier function needs specific active ingredients that can address the skin's needs during this stage of life. That means not every cream will do the job.

Repairing actives

We should look for ingredients that help fill the spaces between skin cells, acting like a form of "cement". Some of these repairing actives include:

• Ceramides
• Sphingolipids
• Essential fatty acids
• Cholesterol

Hydrating actives

When the skin barrier is unbalanced, menopausal skin loses transepidermal water, so it also becomes dehydrated and we need to bring water back into the skin. Good ingredients to look for include:

• Urea
• Hyaluronic acid
• Glycerin

Soothing and anti-inflammatory actives

These are ingredients that act on itch receptors and help reduce inflammation.

• Oat
• Niacinamide
• Ectoin
• Allantoin
• Panthenol
• Bisabolol

The best creams for menopause

Best facial creams for menopause

These are nourishing, hydrating and repairing creams that help firm and smooth the skin while also addressing signs of ageing. Our top 3 face creams for menopause are:

• Avène Dermabsolu night cream: it nourishes and fortifies the skin and is also a powerful anti-ageing product for loss of firmness, even helping redefine facial contours thanks to bakuchiol and niacinamide.
• Vichy Neovadiol Longevity: Vichy's latest release adds volume in 5 key areas (forehead, eye contour, cheeks, corners of the mouth and jawline), helping redefine the face.
• Endocare Tensage Cream: thanks to its peptides and growth factors, it helps achieve firmer, plumper and more comfortable-looking skin.

Best body cream for menopause

It is not only the skin on our face that ages. The skin on the body changes too. In fact, it is often more neglected because body care is easy to forget and we do not usually pay much attention to it beyond the cleanser we use in the shower.

But body skin also wrinkles, loses firmness and elasticity, and may start to sag. Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Elasticity Body Cream is an excellent cream for this concern because it helps activate collagen and elastin synthesis, supports firmer skin and also hydrates and nourishes the area.