Why Is My Skin So Dry and Itchy All the Time?
Winter brings cozy sweaters, hats, and mittens to keep us warm during the chilly months. Unfortunately, winter can also bring itchy, dry skin, especially for women in menopause. Not only does dryness make our skin look dull, but it’s also downright uncomfortable. Lotions and oils sometimes work, but often they leave us with sticky skin that clings to my clothes (and who wants that?). If this sounds familiar, it’s because of the biological changes we go through in menopause that even impacts our skin.
The itch is not in your imagination; it’s in your body.
When we enter menopause, our ovaries stop producing eggs, and so our hormone powerhouse--estrogen--begins to decline. Estrogen is responsible for so many functions in our body, including the formation of collagen and vital oils that keep our skin smooth and soft. Collagen production starts to diminish at an average rate of 1% per year when we are in our 20s; so, by mid-life, most women have lost up to 20% of their collagen layer (although this varies depending on each individual). As estrogen declines, oil glands decrease their secretions, and our skin also gets drier and loses the capacity to repair itself.
So it’s not just your imagination: your skin is drier and probably itchy, too, especially at night. Add in some heat flashes and night sweats, and it’s yet another reason our sleep is far from restful these days.
3 Easy Ways to Boost Collagen and Soothe Dry Skin
But here’s the good news: there are simple ways to increase collagen and address dry skin. Here are three steps to get started:
Eat healthy fats: Many nuts are high in Vitamin E (almonds), helping restore the skin cells, and retain moisture. Avocados are loaded with inflammation-fighting fatty-acids and help skin glow and prevent dryness.
Moisturize: Apply right after bathing when your skin can most easily absorb it and throughout the day when your skin feels dry. A moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or glycerin can be beneficial.
Use Protein Powder: Many protein powders contain collagen peptides, which is a good supplement to increase the amount of collagen in your body.
Here’s my current night skincare routine that aides against dry skin:
1. Cleanser
I like to use an oil cleanser first to remove my makeup. The ingredients are super clean on this Claudalie one. I then use a hydrating cleanser, similar to this affordable Cerave one, to follow-up
2. Serums and Balms
Hyaluronic Acid is a must for dry and aging skin. I also really like to use this hydrating balm on any extreme dry patches on my body.
3. Eye Cream
Eye cream is great, especially in the winter months. My favorite is the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment. It makes my concealer apply so much smoother in the morning!
4. Moisturizer
Here are two of my favorites for dry skin: Weleda Skin Food and Cerave Night Cream. Both are at a really nice price point and work better than any other moisturizer I’ve ever tried before.
5. Oils
Blue Tansy Oil is known to be great for anti-aging, and I love the brand Acure. I also really like this Marula Oil for dry skin.
If you want to hear more tips for women going through menopause, be sure to contact me here.
