“Beauty to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” — Gwyneth Paltrow

WOMEN are hormonal creatures. We are. At any time of the month women will have a predominance of oestrogen, progesterone, or testosterone present. Sometimes this results in a harmonious symphony of harps, violins, and flutes, and other days, it’s a Metallica concert — heavy metal rock at it’s finest. And the skin behaves the same way.

Oestrogen is our beauty hormone. And our mood is actually better when we have more oestrogen. It is actually the progesterone that wreaks havoc on our skin. During the actual menses, oestrogen is at its peak. By day seven, after menses, testosterone is beginning to increase. This can make the skin oilier and if prone to breakouts, this is when it surely will happen.

Days 15-28, progesterone rises and this is when chaos will ensue if there is dysfunction. Acne-causing bacteria love high-progesterone environments. If you are stressed and your cortisol level is too high, and this is the week before that “time of the month” is due, you can now appreciate why you got that really bad breakout. Saliva testing can give a look into where you are on the spectrum. Oilier skin during our formative years, however, has a good caveat; it does help to slow down ageing.

At age 35, fertility begins to decline and the fluctuation is real — some women are horrified. Melasma can present itself, or if already there, can worsen. Acne breakouts can worsen (unlike our parents insistence that you will “grow it out”). There is also no pattern to the shifts that are occurring and therefore it can make things difficult to treat.

When menopause comes, oestrogens tank — and this is when many women are just devastated. Especially since hormone replacement is something that most women try not to do unless they absolutely have to. The skin is dry, the cell turnover drops significantly and the skin looks sullen. Yikes! If that wasn’t bad enough, for those who are acne prone, breakouts still happen as the sebum gets trapped around the hair follicles. Double yikes!

To this end, a skin regimen is essential at all stages of a woman’s life, but particularly when the cell turnover decreases. Oilier skin types should have either a peel or a facial every two weeks. The facials should concentrate on proper extractions and decongesting the follicles. When the skin turnover gets stimulated with peels, purging will happen, and facials will be a great complement.

Home care should have a facial wash and toner with alpha hydroxyl acids, and if skin is acne prone, benzoyl peroxide and gluconolactone. Toners should be alcohol-free. Moisturizers for acne-prone skin should have an anti-inflammatory component/ingredient.

For the perimenopausal skin type, vitamins A, C, peptides, and retinoids are crucial ingredients to look for. Peels can be done monthly, or every three weeks, and many of the beneficial ingredients can be added as boosters to a good peel regimen.

After menopause, hydrating the skin is crucial — silicone, shea butter, niacinamide are additional things to look for in addition to the vitamins A, C, peptides, and retinol.

And, of course, always have sun block.

So remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and that beholder is you.

Dr Simone Van-Horne is a consultant in internal medicine. Currently, she is a hospitalist, where she does inpatient-hospital medicine in Florida and sees patients in a medical spa setting at Metamorphosis Medispa Wellness Center Inc in Hollywood, Florida, The Face Place Ja at 3 Carvalho Rd, Kingston, and The Skin Bar, #16 Freeport Shopping Centre, Montego Bay. Contact info@spamorph.com and www.spamorph.com for questions.