It’s predicted that by 2025 there will be one billion menopausal women. Despite this, perimenopause and menopause remain somewhat taboo topics, whilst skincare conversations focus on anti-ageing and ‘turning back the clock’.
On a mission to positively change conversations around midlife, UK-founded skincare brand Living M believe it’s essential for women to be better informed about the impact of hormones on the skin to make smart changes for a happier and healthier future self.
Co-founders Siobhan McCarthy and Caroline Breen are on a mission as they have experienced perimenopause confusion.
A lack of education and open dialogue is one of the main reasons why over half of all women in a recent survey couldn’t identify the early symptoms of menopause. This is why many are left blindsided when they unexpectedly enter it. But menopause is a significant event in a woman’s life, and it can be a big deal for the skin, too, so without any context, sudden changes to the complexion can feel somewhat baffling.
We also noticed that the skincare products we had used for years were no longer as effective in catering to the hormonal side effects on our skin, yet everything on the market felt out of touch with midlife women like us. Instead, the focus was on anti-ageing. We don’t want to turn back time; we want to look and feel the best version of ourselves regardless of age. So we created Living M for the millions of women, just like us and are positively changing the conversation around ageing.”
Suffering from perimenopausal symptoms whilst completely unaware of the cause was a confusing time, and we put the many changes we were experiencing down to having busy, demanding lives. But the more we confided in each other, the more we understood what was happening, and the realisation was shocking. Why didn’t anyone tell us?”
Hormones play a massive role in changing skin conditions
Hormonal shifts in menopause have been found to significantly impact skin more than chronological ageing. Fluctuating hormones cause skin cell turnover to decline rapidly. They can lead to various concerns, such as dryness, loss of radiance, irritation, increased sensitivity, breakouts, and a weakened skin barrier.
Hormone-sensitive solutions are lacking
The global skincare market currently falls short of meeting the needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women, with complicated and multi-step single-ingredient product regimes often overwhelming sensitised skin and creating more problems that they promise to solve. But designed with hormones in mind, Living M was explicitly developed by a community of real women to target these skin changes caused by perimenopause and menopause and to give skin back what menopause takes away.
This is what Siobhan and Caroline say about their range:
Living M features a capsule collection of expertly created products, including actives at the exact levels the skin requires and nothing that it doesn’t (aka – fragrance, essential oils, and alcohol), proven to deliver results targeting the specific skin concerns caused by hormonal changes. With 78% of women saying they would be happy to purchase a product labelled as menopause-friendly, the three-step daily regime simplifies skincare with a completely solution-led approach. Meet the line up.
Living M Quench & Soothe Serum (£35 for 30ml)
An intelligently-formulated super-hydrator, designed to soothe sensitised (peri)menopausal skin and help control hormonal breakouts. For daily use, morning and night.
Why it works:
- Multi-molecular hyaluronic acid – a powerful moisture-binding ingredient working beneath the skin’s surface to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water
- Niacinamide – strengthens the skin’s natural barrier and calms redness and breakouts whilst restoring radiance
- Vitamin B5 – stabilises and locks in moisture to maintain skin softness and elasticity
Living M Collagen Boost Moisturiser (£45 for 50ml)
A multi-tasking velvety cream featuring proven actives to boost collagen production and relieve skin dryness caused by hormonal skin changes in menopause. For daily use, morning and night.
Why it works:
- Signal peptides – cell-communicating ingredients to stimulate collagen production
- Resveratrol – found in the skin of red grapes, this naturally occurring antioxidant is a potent phytoestrogen and improves skin elasticity and protects from environmental stresses
- Avocado and Cupuacu butter – essential fatty acids that work to moisturise and heal skin deeply
- Multi-molecular hyaluronic acid
- Niacinamide
Living M Super A Retinol Sleep Cream (£45 for 30ml)
Featuring 0.5% encapsulated time-released retinol and nourishing ceramides, this powerful night treatment accelerates cell turnover and encourages smoother and more radiant skin.
Why it works:
- Encapsulated 0.5% retinol – increases cell turnover to stimulate collagen production, reducing fine lines and targeting uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. The innovative time-release technology has been specifically designed for menopausal skin to enjoy the benefits of retinol without the risk of irritation.
- Ceramides – lipids naturally found in the skin and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, maintain moisture levels and calm redness
- Multi-molecular hyaluronic acid – Low, mid and high molecular weights of this super-hydrator penetrate deep into skin’s layers to deliver intense hydration and lock in vital moisture.
