By naturopath Margaret Jasinska

A woman’s skin loves oestrogen. It helps to keep skin looking soft and supple because it assists with production of collagen and elastin. The loss of oestrogen at menopause can speed up the signs of ageing. Using an oestrogen cream on your face can help delay this process.

A study was published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology called Estrogen-Deficient Skin: The Role Of Topical Therapy. It was a review article. The paper looked at studies that used topical oestrogen or topical isoflavone (plant oestrogen) and measured skin changes. All of the studies that used the real human hormone oestrogen showed skin benefits. Many women use bio-identical oestrogen cream vaginally and notice a reduction in vaginal atrophy and better lubrication, so it makes sense that oestrogen would also benefit your face.

Here is an interesting paragraph from the research paper:

“Menopause is a major turning point in a woman’s life that is characterized by declining ovarian function and decreased serum estrogen levels. The resulting hormonal changes particularly affect the skin, with postmenopausal symptoms such as loss of structural architecture and increased propensity to damage becoming rapidly noticeable. Interestingly, studies have shown that estrogen deprivation in postmenopausal conditions accelerates many skin changes, including dryness, atrophy, fine wrinkling, and poor wound healing. Thus, the effects of low estrogen on the skin are an important endogenous cause of aging skin in women, yet topical treatment strategies that target cutaneous symptoms are limited.”

The following benefits were seen in postmenopausal women who used topical oestrogen daily:

• Increased facial collagen
• Better skin texture
• Reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
• Increased thickness of the epidermis of the skin
• Improved elasticity and skin firmness

These were small, relatively short term studies, but we know low dose bio-identical oestrogen is safe when used vaginally, so it makes sense that it’s also safe when used on the face.

The type of oestrogen that Dr Cabot recommends for postmenopausal women is bio-identical oestriol or oestradiol creams. These require a doctor’s prescription and are made up by a compounding pharmacy. It’s important to see a doctor regularly who can monitor you and give you blood tests, to ensure that the dose you’re using is correct for you. Retinol can be added to the oestrogen cream for extra benefit.

If you would like a prescription, feel free to contact us via email or by calling us on 02 4655 4666.

Reference:

https://journals.lww.com/ijwd/fulltext/2019/06000/estrogen_deficient_skin__the_role_of_topical.2.aspx