Like everything else, our skin grows as we age. What used to be plump and buoyant in our 20s naturally grows more thin and prone to dryness after 40. While aging is a beautiful process, the needs of your skin are also changing. By then, your tried-and-true skincare routine may suddenly stop “working” while your serums feel like they’re just sitting on top of your skin. But, not for the reason you may think.
“After 40, the biggest shift in skin health isn’t chronological age—it’s hormonal change,” author of Hormone Harmony Over 35 and naturopathic doctor Dr. Michelle Sands tells ESSENCE. While research shows women can lose up to 30 percent of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, followed by about 2 percent per year thereafter, it’s the perimenopause “cortisol block” that may be putting you in a sudden beauty slump (even if you’re doing nothing “wrong”).
Ahead, dermatologists weigh in on the “cortisol block”, how to avoid a beauty slump, and what to do to care for your skin as it grows.
How does Black women’s skin change after 40?
“Perimenopause begins for most women between 35–45, and during this time estrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decline,” Sands says. “Estrogen is one of the body’s most powerful regulators of collagen production, skin hydration, and elasticity.”
For Black women, we generally have higher baseline melanin and often higher dermal collagen density which historically delays visible wrinkling compared to lighter skin tones. However, that doesn’t mean we’re immune to hormonal shifts. That means gradual skin thinning, loss of elasticity and firmness, changes in pigmentation, and even drier skin.
“Another overlooked factor is loss of muscle and bone density with age,” she says. The face sits on a structural framework of bone and muscle. “When women begin losing bone mass (which can accelerate after estrogen decline) and muscle tone, the skin has less support underneath it—leading to laxity, jowling, and sagging.” While melanin may delay wrinkles, hormone decline, structural changes, and lifestyle factors ultimately affect skin aging in all women.
What is cortisol?
You may have heard of cortisol before. Videos were going viral on TikTok about the health risks if you don’t “lower your cortisol” and the haunting buzzword “cortisol face” was being thrown around. However, contrary to popular belief, “cortisol is essential for survival,” Sands says. “It regulates metabolism, immune responses, blood sugar, and the body’s stress response.”
How does cortisol impact the skin?
As the body’s primary stress hormone, if your cortisol remains chronically elevated—think: perimenopausal sleep disruption, metabolic changes, and life stress—it can directly breakdown collagen and delay skin repair. According to Sands, studies show excess cortisol can inhibit the cells that produce collagen, accelerate collagen degradation, impair wound healing, and increase inflammation in the skin.
“This is why chronic stress is associated with dull skin, slower healing, and premature aging,” she says. But, it’s not just cortisol. “Hormones are a network. During perimenopause, declining estrogen can make the body more sensitive to cortisol, amplifying its effects,” she says. While collagen loss is real and a well-discussed conversation, hormonal imbalance (like elevated cortisol) is often secretly driving that loss.
What is a “cortisol block”?
“The phrase ‘cortisol block’ is more of a marketing term than a medical one,” she says. “You cannot completely block cortisol—and you wouldn’t want to.” Instead of trying to “block” cortisol, try practicing stress regulation through your lifestyle: building a bedtime routine, moving more, managing your blood sugar, eating nutrient dense foods, and consulting with your doctor about your hormonal changes.
Do retinol and vitamin C help menopausal skin?
“Retinol and vitamin C are powerful ingredients—but they are often misunderstood,” Sands says. While they work well for photoaging and pigmentation, she says if your skin barrier is compromised or thinning, it can cause irritation instead. Which, inevitably, can lead to inflammation that will further exacerbate skin fragility and dryness (which women over 40 are already more prone to).
Before stimulating collagen, like with a retinol, it’s important to support your skin barrier first. “Switch to gentler cleansers avoiding harsh cleansers that strip natural oils, and look for products with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides to support the moisture barrier,” says Dr. Tiffany Libby, board certified dermatologist and Bio-Oil Partner. And, of course, sunscreen. Only when the skin barrier is healthy, Sands says retinoids can sometimes be reintroduced at low doses.
How do you avoid a menopausal beauty slump?
You may have mastered a skincare routine that’s worked for the past 15 years. Then, once 40 hits, it may feel like it doesn’t work at all. “A beauty slump is the moment when women look in the mirror and feel like the strategies that used to work for their skin suddenly stop working,” Sands says. “It’s incredibly common in the perimenopause years.”
Seeing thinner skin, increased dryness, and more wrinkles is completely normal. The key is knowing how to take care of your new, beautifully aging skin to optimize your skin’s health. “Many women continue using the same skincare products they used in their 30s, but their skin now requires more structural and hormonal support,” she says. “It’s not a failure of effort—it’s a physiological transition.”
Why should you sync your skincare cycle to your hormonal shifts?
Since skin is a hormone-responsive organ (and the largest organ in our body), syncing your routine to your hormones can be more effective than sticking to one, singular routine. Throughout your monthly menstrual cycle, for example, your skin goes through phases.
During the follicular phase, estrogen rises and your skin may be more clear and hydrated, before peaking during ovulation. By the luteal phase, you may notice more oil and breakouts when inevitably leads to increased inflammation before menstruation.
During perimenopause, then, focus on hydration and barrier support as your estrogen dips. Use clarifying ingredients when your skin feels more oily. And, reach for calming ingredients during inflammatory phases. “This approach respects the biological rhythm of skin rather than treating it the same every day,” Sands says.
