I recently turned 50 years old - a significant milestone which has made me reflect a little!
I've talked before about the relentless pressure that women in particular have faced to "age in reverse" and the beauty industry directly feeds into this with their marketing. Skincare has long felt like a fight against time, against lines and wrinkles, against any kind of change that moves away from the idea of "perfect" or "flawless" skin. And this has left many people feeling that our skin is something to correct or constantly perfect. The term "anti ageing" suggests there's something wrong with the natural process of getting older and I certainly don't believe this. This is why I've intentionally chosen to fight against this through the way my products are marketed and my overall brand ethos. My products are not meant to be "miracles", they aren't meant to make you look 10 years younger - that's not my focus!
Healthy skin, my preferred goal, isn't about looking younger. It's about functioning well, feeling comfortable and being supported. We want to understand your skin and work with it, not against it!
What does this look like in practise? I've already got loads of content on my blog about skincare routines for skin health, but I'm also looking more holistically - especially since I've been in the throes of perimenopause for what seems like forever! This means lifestyle considerations which I've been prioritising even more so in the last few years. These include:
- Sleep - I aim for 7-8 hours a night (though doesn't always happen!). This has been a work in progress as perimenopause has impacted my sleep considerably. HRT has helped to an extent but I've had to increase my dose gradually over the last 3 years to help manage my sleep. I'm about to trial a couple of supplements to see if they can also help (magnesium and ashwagandha) - let me know if you want to hear how I get on with these!
- Nutrition - this has been a really important one for me. Despite a pretty reasonable diet, I've noticed perimenopausal weight gain appear over the last 5+ years, especially in my tummy area and the usual strategies (i.e. ONLY focusing on calories in vs out) haven't helped much. Prior to starting HRT, I'd also noticed my cholesterol and blood sugar creeping up - a result of declining oestrogen. After working with a registered dietitian a few years ago, my focus has been on a predominantly wholefood-based diet high in lean protein, fibre and healthy fats, which is helping, and more recently I've been experimenting with the timing of my carb intake, especially in the evening. I front load my fibre intake in the morning to set me up for the day and I stick to a few quick-to-make options to ensure I'm consistent with my intake. Meal planning is my friend here :)
- Movement / fitness - when I worked in London (nearly 10 years ago), I power-walked pretty much everywhere and felt pretty fit and healthy as a result. For the last 10 years I've worked from home and my movement has drastically reduced along with my motivation to exercise (unfortunately this has coincided with perimenopause so it's felt like a double whammy!). I have to be really intentional with getting my steps up these days! I walk my dog everyday and dance once a week, but as most of you know, strength / resistance training is also really important, especially for those of us in peri-menopause / menopause. Not only is it great for building muscle (which we lose more quickly at this age), it helps to strengthen our bones and maintain our functional movement (you know all those things we take for granted when we're younger like getting up off the floor and bending over to pick something up!). Also, did you know it was also great for skin health?! I used to go to the gym twice a week but never really felt comfortable there, so I have been doing workouts at home for the last couple of years with kettlebells (admittedly, not very consistently). I have started trying to do these twice a week (again!) - and I really notice the difference when I do make the effort. I hate long workouts so I try to focus on efficient compound exercises that work multiple muscles at once. This keeps my workouts short and I'm more likely to be consistent with them in this way!
- Emotional connections - this one is so underestimated, but spending quality time with loved ones / friends is SO important for our overall health and wellbeing. It's well known that declining hormones in perimenopause play real havoc with your mental health, sense of self and your usual resilience - this is something I've experienced over the last few years in particular, despite being on HRT (which has taken the edge off but not eliminated my symptoms altogether). When you feel like this, it's very easy to withdraw and want to hide from the world. But I've noticed, just spending quality time with friends - going for long walks or out for lunch is like medicine for the soul. It's also quite handy to be able to compare notes and share advice on what's worked / hasn't worked!
