What’s the best way of handling menopause?

Menopause simply means the end of a woman’s reproductive years.

It generally occurs around the age of 50, but every woman is different: it can happen any time between the age of 40 and 55. The biggest sign that menopause has arrived is when your periods stop for good: after 12 months of no periods, a woman is officially considered menopausal.

From around the age of 40, the hormones your ovaries have been producing since puberty begin to gradually drop off, until they stop altogether: estrogen and progesterone are no longer secreted, meaning ovulation stops and your periods disappear. Although some may struggle with no longer having periods and what it means, this is a weight off many women’s shoulders, especially those who once had intense PMS symptoms and painful periods.

Menopause is a time when your femininity is at its peak. Now that you don’t have your periods and contraception to worry about, a new chapter can begin!

Menopause isn’t an overnight phenomenon! It’s a natural transition that can take a bit of time to set in. This interim period generally happens in your forties and spans several years. This menopausal transition phase is often referred to as “perimenopause”.

The first effects disrupt your menstrual cycle: as estrogen and progesterone levels plummet, your periods become irregular and may even stop for several months. On the other hand, you might even find that your periods become more frequent. These hormonal changes can wreak havoc on your habits: suddenly, your flow might seem ultra-heavy, or even barely-there. Your cramping might intensify, and your PMS might worsen: bloating, mood swings, headaches, weight gain and more.

Three out of every four women are likely to experience other symptoms as well: the dreaded hot flashes, as well as night sweats, fatigue, disrupted sleep patterns, and irritability. The culprit behind all this? Hormones, of course! Your body is undergoing major changes, and over the next few years, your estrogen levels and progesterone rates will gradually dwindle until they vanish completely. Every woman’s experience is different and menopausal symptoms can vary from one person to the next.

Some have absolutely no symptoms, while others have a hard time with the transition – especially when it comes to menopausal hot flashes. If that sounds familiar, feel free to talk to your doctor or gynecologist about it: menopause isn’t off limits and shouldn’t be taboo, and there are hormonal treatments that can help relieve your symptoms. And don’t forget that this too shall pass: you’ll soon be back to normal and feeling better than ever.

Menopause is about so much more than periods and fertility. These hormonal shifts have repercussions on a woman’s body, causing it to progressively change.

Some of the disruptions triggered by menopause (severe hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings) fade with time: after a few months or years, depending on each woman, you’ll find these issues resolve themselves, leaving you with peace of mind once again. Other changes are linked to cell ageing: your metabolism slows down, weight gain is fairly frequent, skin dryness sets in and wrinkles deepen, your hair becomes brittle, your libido may go into hibernation, and you may have to deal with vaginal dryness, too. The best way of handling the various symptoms linked to menopause is to listen to your body and to be patient. Clarins tackles the effects of time on the skin and helps you achieve beautiful skin at any age.

You might have changed, but you’re not an entirely different person either: you’ll need to learn the new rules of the game and make peace with your new body. Yes, your body is ageing, but it still has so much potential for you to tap into!

A new beginning: free from periods and the hassle that goes with them.

As your fertility years wind down, your periods disappear and your body changes. The upheavals and stress that go hand in hand with menopause can drain your self-confidence and zest for life. Change is in the air, and you can feel age set in, sometimes bringing aches and pains with it. But you don’t have to see menopause as a loss or the end of something: rather, it marks the beginning of a new stage in accepting your body and feeling a sense of self-fulfillment.

Your kids are grown and have moved out, and you now have time to yourself again. You’re brimming with life experience and the wisdom of your years. Whether you’re menopausal or not, you’ve grown into a woman to be proud of! Now more than ever, you have everything you need to create, to start something new, to explore your desires, to blossom and to look after yourself without remorse or regret. Now’s the time to make the absolute most of each moment. And what if this maturity could unlock new possibilities?

Women’s skin unfortunately isn’t spared during menopause either.

As hormones plummet, skin health and structure changes, too: cell turnover slows down and skin’s ability to regenerate itself is reduced. Skin cells start producing less collagen and elastin, the two key proteins that ensure firmness and elasticity. Essential to maintaining hydration, the hyaluronic acid naturally present in the skin also diminishes.

The result? The skin becomes thinner, drier, and more sensitive, While wrinkles deepen and become more pronounced, especially around the eyes and mouth. Other menopausal skin symptoms you might notice include sagging and a loss of firmness and plumpness around the face. Women often dread this stage in the ageing process, but there’s no need to panic! Clarins takes care of menopausal women with its range of tailored anti ageing face creams.

Just think: all those signs of time hold memories of all the wonderful experiences you’ve had. And don’t forget that only 30% of skin ageing is actually age-related. The remaining 70% is down to external factors like the sun, tobacco, alcohol, pollution, lack of sleep, poor diet, and stress. To keep your skin looking its best, it’s now more vital than ever that you start practicing self-care with a healthy lifestyle. And thanks to Clarins’ skin care range specifically formulated to meet these needs, your skin still has so much
to look forward to!

A new winning day-and-night duo for youthful skin.

Clarins has been researching mature skin’s specific needs for many years now, revealing what lies at the heart of the skin-slackening that occurs during menopause: hormonal changes that trigger a loss of collagen and elastin, lack of tone in fibroblasts (all-important cells for youthful-looking skin), and a slowing down of cell turnover rates.

The third-generation of our Super Restorative skincare range harnesses these 18 years of expertise and incorporates Clarins’ latest breakthrough innovations to fight menopausal skin changes. Skincare specifically designed for women over 50, on hand to see them through the day and deep into the night. The new Super Restorative Day and Night duo is a powerful anti-ageing skincare treatment specifically formulated for mature skin left compromised by the drop in hormone levels caused by menopause. These deliciously rich creams work day and night to tackle fine lines, wrinkles and loss of density, protecting and regenerating your epidermis. The skin is left taut, toned and immediately smoothed. Wrinkles are visibly blurred. The lines of the face appear lifted. Your skin is replenished, revitalised, regenerated. You’re glowing!

A powerful anti-ageing active ingredient discovered in the heart of nature.

The story of how our Super Restorative skincare came to be is a fascinating one. In 2014, Clarins ethnobotanist Jean-Pierre Nicolas traveled to Africa, where he discovered a tree with powerful regenerating properties: harungana. In 2020, after six years of research, Clarins Laboratories succeeded in tapping into this natural treasure trove to extract an organic active ingredient with powerful anti-ageing effectiveness, capable of regenerating skin to reveal its youth. Harungana emerged as being just as powerful as retinol, a super-star molecule.

In 2022, Clarins experts discovered that by pairing harungana with gorse – another organic extract with anti-sagging properties for the skin – its powers were multiplied. The third-generation of our Super Restorative Day and Night Creams was then born. Deep in the heart of their formulas, these two new plant-based active ingredients target the signs of ageing. And because skin needs different care throughout the day, the Super Restorative line provides round-the-clock benefits: • The Super Restorative Day Cream, enriched with plant-based squalane to shield and protect. • The Super Restorative Night Cream, enriched with organic rowan bud extract to restore radiance and glow.

Day after day, night after night, your skin is regenerated.

The years are mapped on your hands.

Hands are on the front-line when it comes to ageing, yet women generally tend to focus more on their faces. But the sun, wind, cold and water all take their toll, bit by bit and day after day. At 50, the skin on your hands becomes thinner and looser, with brown spots appearing and brittle nails occurring. It’s time to get a handle on it!

Enriched with replenishing, evening and fortifying plant-based extracts, the Super Restorative Anti-Age Spot Replenishing Hand Cream keeps your hands and nails looking youthful and beautiful: day after day, the skin is replenished, age spots fade, and nails are strengthened!

Your hands tell a story — and it’s a beautiful one!

People often skip their neck and décolleté in their beauty routines.

Yet the skin in these areas is very delicate and highly exposed. The signs of time invite themselves in and never leave: wrinkles, creasing, age spots, and sagging.

Why resign yourself to keeping your body under wraps, tucked away behind scarves and high necklines? The Super Restorative Décolleté and Neck Concentrate has been specifically formulated to keep the skin of this area looking beautiful and youthful: from the chin down to the tops of your chest, this comfortable, non-greasy concentrate gets to work on improving skin texture and quality thanks to the replenishing, evening and beautifying properties of its plant extracts. The skin is left replenished, firmed, smoothed, and brimming with all the radiance of youth.

Time marches steadily on... But so what? Wear what feels right and show off your beautiful neckline!

Unlock your skin’s natural youthfulness in three easy steps, morning and night:

1 Start with the Super Restorative Remodeling Serum: an incredible anti-ageing concentrate that lifts the contours of the face and helps replenish the skin while blurring age spots and blemishes. A few drops applied to your face and neck with your fingertips are all you need!

2 Next, it’s time to focus on the eye contour area. This part of the face is particularly delicate and needs extra tender loving care: treat eyes to the intense effectiveness of Total Eye Lift: specifically designed to enhance the skin around your eyes, it fills in wrinkles, replenishes the skin, and blurs dark circles. Your eyes look rested and sparkling, as if younger than ever.

3 Finish off with the brand-new Super Restorative Cream, depending on the time of day: reach for the Day cream in the morning and the Night cream before bed. Thanks to the organic harungana and gorse extracts, your skin is revitalised and visible signs of ageing are erased.

Get glowing with youthful radiance!

Once menopause hits, women tend to start losing muscle mass. Your metabolism slows down, your body shape changes, your waistline thickens and your tummy softens. Staying in shape feels harder than ever... But it doesn't have to be! Weight gain after the age of 50 isn’t just about hormonal changes, it’s about a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet, too.

The best way of tackling this is to adapt to your body’s emerging needs by keeping an eye on your health and embracing (or maintaining) good habits, a healthy lifestyle, and regular exercise. Don’t be put off by hot flashes or the fact that you’re out of practice. Listen to your body. Pay attention to your inner voice. Whip yourself back in shape with Clarins. Exfoliate your body once or twice a week. Massage our iconic Tonic Body Treatment Oil into your legs, thighs, buttocks, stomach and arms. Turn your bathroom into your very own spa@home! Focus on healthy foods and well-balanced meals. Get moving and walking every day, swap the bus for your bike, meet up with friends at the pool: not only is all this good for the body, it’s good for the soul, too. Slim down and tone up!

But hold onto everything you love most about yourself!

Menopause doesn’t mean a numbed libido—far from it.

So that’s one less thing to worry about! However, it’s true that this time in a woman’s life can trigger changes that might throw your sex drive off balance. Once again, it all comes down to your hormones: unexpected hot flashes, a libido that’s missing in action, and vaginal dryness paired with urinary troubles can often crop up. You might find it takes longer and more effort to feel aroused, but don’t give up! Connection with your partner will play an even bigger role within your relationship. Take your time and work up to the big moment. You can rest assured that the same old pleasure is still within reach: menopause doesn’t impact on the quality of women's orgasms or sex life. Better yet, it can sometimes pave the way for a whole new honeymoon period with your partner. Now that the kids have flown the nest and you don’t have to worry about contraception, menopause is the perfect time to focus on your own needs and desires!