Skin So Deep: Follow-up from podcast Ep: 08- The 4 cycle phases and how it effects our skin every week... plus peri skin changes
After a really great podcast conversation with Susan Campbell of Phosis, I am getting deeper into the phases and what our skin may be up to during each phase of the menstrual cycle. If you haven’t checked out the podcast episode, we talk more than skin.
I looked down at my feet. My cuffed jeans were showing off my ankles on this warm day. I rubbed at my skin, wondering at the sun capturing the scaly dragon-like skin that was apparently my own body. What in the world? How did that happen? Since when did my skin decide to dry up and look like a cracked desert floor?
Neglect. That’s all I can tell you. I had no idea that if I just didn’t, it would, you know, give up the ghost. If I just didn’t slather every single day, lotion after lotion, what could happen? Do I really need all that moisture? It would and it did. Dry up, that’s what!
Thankfully, last fall I was at least tending to my face everyday, because it too went the way of my legs, the texture became… rough, splotchy, small dry patches at my temples. I felt I needed to do something. I’m not planning to stop father-time, but surely, I could bring back enough dewy face that my make-up wouldn’t turn to chalk!
Okay, I think you get the point.
As you probably know by now, I’m curious about all things cycle related and sometimes my curiosity brings up seemingly unrelated topics that just so happen to be very related to the phases of the cycle. This is case in point with my research on our voices and if you want to go down that rabbit trail, you can! (The Sound of My Voice)
As Susan Campbell and I geared up to have a chat about her skincare line, Phosis, I couldn’t help but bring back a shelved research doc full of copied citations on the effects of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens on the skin. I’m thinking now is a good time to delve into the largest organ- the skin.
If you are here to get anti-aging skin care advice, I am not your gal. As I admitted to Susan, I only recently started taking care of my face by cleaning it at night before I went to bed. I have never wanted to be high maintenance, but here I am. Loads of oils and what looks like a hippie apothecary in my bathroom now.
So, if our voices are affected by hormone shifts throughout the cycle, we know our largest organ- the skin- has gotta have some part in this too, right?
I think back to the puberty years. Skin suppleness? Hormones.
Bad case of acne? Hormones.
Pregnancy brought the acne back? Hormones.
Perimenopause-acne and wallpaper dry skin? Hormones.
But are there other changes that are more subtle? Whatever they are, it’s all down to… you guessed it- Hormones.
The skin. Something we look at, poke, prod, pinch, examine, cover-up and slather with sunscreen. Some people get all crazy about their skin, I’m not in that camp. But, I gotta tell you, the skin is much, much more complicated than it shows us on the surface.
Our hormone receptors are in the epidermis and dermis layer playing a part in elastin, collagen, sebum production and acts on hyaluronic acid as well and probably a lot more, like melanin (pigmentation). If you are an expert in this area, please weigh in. I don’t have all the answers, I just did a little digging to satisfy my nerdy curiosity.
Menstrual cycle phases and skin changes:
Menstrual Phase Days 1-6ish Inner Winter
Why so dry?
Hormone levels are at their lowest.
These low levels can lead to drier skin. This is because estrogen impacts surface lipid production that protects the skin barrier.
Hydration may also be low due to low lipid production.
Estrogen enhances the water binding capacity of skin and during low levels, skin will be less hydrated.
Skin thickness is at its lowest point due to low levels of estrogen impact on collagen and elastin.
Follicular Phase Days 7-13ish Inner Spring
A little more glow
Estrogen rises triggering estrogen receptor cells throughout the skin layers to stimulate sebaceous glands (glands that secrete oil called sebum). Surface lipid production picks up and protects the skin barrier reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Hydration improves as estrogen increases water binding capacity. Estrogen acts on hyaluronic acid levels in the skin which has a high affinity for holding water and improves hydration levels.
Collagen production is stimulated and increases skin thickness.
Ovulatory Phase Days 14-16 ish Inner Summer
Radiance!
Estrogen is at its peak and brings suppleness to the skin. Barrier function is at its highest due to optimal lipid secretion.
Hydration levels at their highest.
Skin is at its thickest due to high fibroblast cell function creating optimal collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels.
The radiant appearance during ovulation is influenced by estrogen’s role in increasing blood flow to the face, melanin production which can lead to pigmentation and of course the hydration all add to the glow and suppleness of the ovulation phase.
Luteal Phase Days 17ish- 28ish Inner Fall
What goes up, must come down
Estrogen goes up, up, up, and then comes down quite a bit and begins to rise again, not quite at the rate or level as before. Progesterone also begins to rise around Day 12 making its peak around Day 21 and then descends.
Sebum production(oil secretion) may vary in the luteal phase. Androgens and progesterone may play a role in increasing sebaceous gland production, increasing sebum, leading to acne breakouts.
At the same time, hydration and skin thickness may decrease as estrogen decreases.
Out of control acne
The most common reason for acne is the role of androgens. Main androgens are testosterone, DHT(dihydrotestosterone) and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). An overproduction of androgens causes the sebaceous glands to overproduce sebum, causing acne. More than that, hyperandrogenic activity is the main cause of PCOS, an understudied reproductive issue affecting 5 to 6 million women in the U.S. and upwards of 70% of affected women remain undiagnosed.
High glycemic diets, high LDL levels, high consumption of dairy are now being considered as being linked to PCOS. Also hormones released by the pituitary GnRH and LH:FSH ratio levels may contribute and also genetic factors. Adrenals also release androgens.
If you are experiencing out of control acne along with other PCOS symptoms (anovulatory cycles and excessive hair growth), please see your physician to test your androgen levels.
Back to my dragon skin. Is my dry skin any better?
It’s not lost on me that our skin gets a little scaly, dragon-like in our Wild Woman/Fall phase of life. We do indeed face our dragons head on during perimenopause. And it just may be showing up in our skin.
Here’s where it gets fun. Perimenopause.
Progesterone and estrogen get a little wonky before menopause. As Progesterone and estrogen declines, so does sebum production and surface lipid production.
As we get closer to menopause, estrogen also declines further and this changes our skin elastin fibers, collagen production sites, and water binding capacity among other skin changes. I don’t want to get too far into this.
But…there’s more
Not only that, but as we age our skin cell turnover rate slows down. This means that the cell that is formed in the deep layer of the skin does not move up the ladder keeping our skin cells all healthy and plump. So we hold on to aged cells longer. Teens have a cell turnover rate in under a month. 30s and 40s? Something around 28-40 days. 50 years and older- 45-90 days for cell turnover.
There are other functional changes as well in other types of skin cells like thinning epidermis and flattening of the dermal-epidermal junction which reduces skin structure.
**This section is purely my opinion
Outward beauty turns inward
We know skin changes are inevitable, right?! And everyone says, there’s that one day when you look in the mirror and go, ‘Huh, when did that happen?’
There is now a school of thought out there that estrogen hormone treatment is going to reverse time, give us our young faces back etc etc.
Society has played such a big role in how women face the next phase of life after the Summer/Mother/Ovulatory phase has ended. We still have two beautiful life phases to explore in our 40’s and beyond.
I am in no way saying that we shouldn’t explore menopause hormone therapy and certainly we could use some research in all things women’s health and hormones. There are limited studies suggesting estriol face cream may increase collagen and elastin creating structural support. The science direct study that I found from 2019 seems to support this theory. But a red flag goes up when they refer to menopause as estrogen deficiency. At a certain age our estrogen goes down. This does not mean that we have a deficiency. As long as time, this has happened. Unfortunately, we have a lot of mixed messages out there with menopause getting the spotlight and celebs scrambling to make bucks by making huge claims. We won’t reverse time. We may however be able to support ourselves on the turbulent descent, that is the menopause runway. More research, real research, is needed- yesterday!
Does this mean we just stop taking care of ourselves because this is just us aging and why bother?
It actually means taking more time and care for ourselves.
We are in constant flux, shifting from one phase to the next phase and what we do may support the next phase of life.
So, I ask myself, what can I do to support my skin?
I am starting by protecting my skin barrier function and adding sterols (oils). Some sterols have phyto-estrogenic properties such as flaxseed and sesame seed oil.
I made a body butter with shea butter, sesame oil, and coconut oil as the base and added a few drops of essential oil to give it a pleasant scent. I noticed a big difference in the softness and smoothness of my skin within days.
Dragon Years
It’s not lost on me that our skin gets a little scaly, dragon-like in our Wild Woman/Fall phase of life. We do indeed face our dragons head on during perimenopause. And it just may be showing up in our skin.
Sometimes it takes a village to help us moisturize!
Thanks to Chitra for recommending sesame oil. You can see her post here, called- Cars Aren’t Your Only Possession That Needs Oil.
Thanks to Sarah Hess for recommending I start using shea butter as this became the base of my new body butter.
Thanks to Susan Campbell for educating me about how much we need to use oils instead of soaps in midlife and about the importance of barrier function. Here is a great article on exfoliating. Exfoliation- Perimenopause Edition.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this article, or just to let me know you were here, please touch the heart button. Thanks!
Go With The Flow,
Share Go With The Flow: Women's Cycle Awareness
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3840548/
https://gremjournal.com/journal/03-2021/cutaneous-manifestations-of-estrogen-excess-and-deficiency/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1281071/full
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233785498_Copy_of_Physiological_changes_during_menstruation
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10663053/#sec12
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352647519300012
I've noticed (besides the dragon skin on my legs) that I burn so easily now. I've always done a good job protecting my face but my body not so much. I have to be careful. It took me awhile to realize what was happening and my skin suffered for it especially on my arms and chest.. I'm not even a beach babe - this was from all normal activity like driving. Great article packed with a lot of info!
Dragon skin - that perfectly describes it for me!!