Hormones and Your Skin: How to Care for Dry Skin During Menopause (and Every Stage of Womanhood)

by Brittany Hogan October 15, 2025 6 min read

Hormones and Your Skin: How to Care for Dry Skin During Menopause (and Every Stage of Womanhood)

 

Alright ladies — let’s talk hormones.
(Guys, you can sit this one out.)

Now I promise this won’t get awkward. But it might get real.

Because if you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Wait... when did my skin get so dry?” or “Why is everything suddenly so sensitive?”... you’re not imagining things.

You’re just riding the wave of womanhood.

From the moment we have our first cycle to the time we enter what many call our “Second Spring” (post-menopause), our hormones are working behind the scenes like a stage crew: raising the lights, lowering the curtain, changing the whole production.

And our skin? It’s the front row seat.

Today, we’re diving into how these hormonal shifts affect your skin during postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, and how to nourish it naturally, without a 10-step routine or another bottle of synthetic cream that over-promises and under-delivers.

Let’s unpack what’s happening under the surface and how grass-fed tallow skincare can help you care for your skin through all of life’s transitions.

group of diverse women faces showing radiant skin even if perimenopausal

 

What Hormone Imbalance Causes Dry Skin?

Short answer? Estrogen... or rather, the lack of it.

Estrogen plays a major role in maintaining skin’s hydration, thickness, and elasticity.

It stimulates collagen production, increases skin’s natural oils, and supports wound healing. So when estrogen levels drop, as they do during menopause and the postpartum period, skin can become noticeably drier, thinner, and more fragile.

In fact, a 2019 study published in Dermato-Endocrinology found that estrogen deficiency reduces skin collagen content by as much as 30% in the first five years of menopause. That’s why menopausal dry skin can feel so sudden and intense.

And it’s not just dryness. Lower estrogen also leads to:

  • Decreased oil production
  • Reduced skin elasticity
  • Increased sensitivity
  • Delayed skin healing

A “crepey” texture, especially on the neck, chest, and arms

It’s all perfectly normal. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it with dry, tight skin.

woman applying tallow oisturizer to dry skin elbow with menopause

 

Postpartum Skin: “I Just Made a Human... Why Am I Breaking Out?”

Post-baby skin is a rollercoaster. One minute you’re glowing, the next you’re flaky, and then suddenly you’re dealing with breakouts you haven’t seen since high school.

During pregnancy, your estrogen and progesterone levels are sky high. After birth, those hormones plummet, fast. Add to that sleep deprivation, stress, dehydration (hello nursing moms), and your body prioritizing milk production and recovery... and your skin gets bumped down the list.

Many women experience:

  • Postpartum dry skin
  • Hormonal acne
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Increased sensitivity

This is where gentle, nourishing skincare is your best friend. Your body is doing a lot. Your skincare shouldn’t add more stress.

woman with baby postpardum looking at ceiling with ultra dry skin on face

 

Perimenopause: The Not-So-Talked-About Transition

Perimenopause is the 5–10 year stretch before menopause when hormones begin their gradual decline. It can start as early as your late 30s or 40s.

One month you’re fine. The next, your skin is drier than a Midwest winter and your jawline is flaring up like you’re 17 again.

According to a 2021 article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, perimenopausal skin often shows early signs of collagen loss, uneven tone, and slower cell turnover — all thanks to fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels.

The key in this phase? Consistency & Quality.

So many doctors and dermatologists recommend petroleum-based topical creams which only suffocate the skin's barrier. They do NOTHING for feeding the skin nourishment.

Support your skin barrier with products that feed the skin instead of stripping it or suffocating it. Think: minimal, high-quality ingredients, with a track record of being effective and soothing... wait... did someone say tallow. 

bowl of cleaned grass fed tallow for using on dry menopausal skin

 

Menopause and Post-Menopause: The Second Spring

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is known as the “Second Spring” — a time of renewal, wisdom, and deeper connection with the self.

But let’s be real — it doesn’t feel that poetic when your skin suddenly feels paper-thin, your cheeks are dry, and you’re applying lotion five times a day with no relief.

Post-menopause, estrogen production continues to decline, which means:

  • Less collagen and elastin
  • More visible fine lines and sagging
  • Increased dryness and irritation
  • Higher risk of barrier damage

Aging is beautiful. Dry skin isn’t. The solution? Feed your skin with what it naturally recognizes, which brings us to our favorite topic.

group of women siting with colorful clothing talking about menopause dry skin

 

Tallow Skincare for Menopausal Dry Skin: Why It Works

Here’s the deal. Human skin produces an oil called sebum. The molecular structure of grass-fed beef tallow is nearly identical to sebum, which means it absorbs beautifully, supports the skin barrier, and delivers essential nutrients your skin already knows how to use.

It’s like nature’s moisturizer. Only better.

Grass-fed tallow is rich in:

  • Vitamins A, D, E, and K
  • Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
  • Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
  • Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds

Unlike water-based lotions (which often contain drying alcohols and preservatives), tallow actually nourishes. It doesn't just coat your skin — it works with your skin to restore balance, promote elasticity, and provide long-lasting moisture.

jar of the best tallow skincare on the market for menopausal dry skin wiith a swipe of it on a woman's shoulder

 

What Is the Best Moisturizer for Menopausal Dry Skin?

We may be biased — okay, we are biased — but nothing we’ve tried compares to a well-made, small-batch grass-fed tallow moisturizer.

When it comes to caring for your skin during menopause, you want something that:

  • Is free of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
  • Doesn’t include synthetic fragrances or dyes
  • Supports the lipid barrier
  • Is naturally rich in skin-loving nutrients
  • Absorbs without feeling greasy or sticky

That’s why so many women tell us they’ve traded their drawer of synthetic creams for one jar of our tallow moisturizer. And they never look back.

woman going through menopause applying tallow cream to her legs

 

Our Approach at Nefertem: Tradition Meets Real Results

Since 2012, long before tallow skincare was a trend, we’ve been crafting skincare that honors tradition, ingredients, and your skin’s natural rhythms.

At Nefertem, we hand-render our tallow using a Triple Filter & Cure™ process that purifies and preserves the most nourishing parts of the fat, without the impurities or heaviness.

We blend our tallow with:

  • Organic oils for added slip and absorption
  • Pure essential oils (no artificial fragrance here)
  • Soothing herbs that calm reactive or inflamed skin

And we keep our ingredient lists short, because your skin deserves real nourishment, not a chemistry experiment.

woman holding bar of tallow soap that's white in color and has Nefertem stamped in it

 

What Helps Dry Skin During Menopause and Beyond

Beyond tallow, here are some additional tips that can make a big difference when your skin’s going through a hormone-fueled identity crisis:

  1. Stay hydrated (yes, it really matters)
  2. Use a humidifier in dry months
  3. Ditch the harsh cleansers
  4. Exfoliate gently and sparingly
  5. Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp
  6. Avoid alcohols and fragrances in products
  7. Eat plenty of omega-rich foods like salmon, chia seeds, and flax

But honestly? The biggest game-changer we hear from women is simply simplifying their skincare routine with products that actually work... again... did someone say tallow skincare... hmmm. 

woman holding jar of tallow moisturizer she will be using for menopausal dry skin

 

You’re Not Alone in This

You’re not the only one standing in the skincare aisle feeling confused and frustrated. You’re not the only one googling “What is the best moisturizer for menopausal dry skin?” or “Why is my skin so dry after having a baby?”

And you’re definitely not the only one whose skin changed without warning.

Your hormones may shift, your needs may evolve, and your skin may surprise you, but there’s beauty in that too.

 

Tallow for Menopausal Dry Skin: Final Thoughts

Here’s the bottom line:

Your skin changes. But that’s not a flaw. That’s life. And it deserves to be cared for with ingredients that are as natural and resilient as you are.

Whether you’re caring for your skin postpartum, navigating perimenopause, embracing menopause, or thriving post-menopause — tallow gives you what your skin truly needs: real moisture, real nutrients, and real results.

And with every jar handcrafted in the Midwest by our family to yours, it’s more than skincare. It’s sacred self-care for every season of womanhood.

Brittany our founder scraping the paddle of the mixer while she's making tallow moisturizers

 

Experience the Difference for Yourself

Ready to give your skin the nourishment it’s asking for?

Start with our Tallow Skincare Bundle

It includes our best-selling tallow moisturizer, bar soap, tallow hand & foot balm, and lip balm. Clean, simple, effective care you can count on.

Because hormonal shifts are hard enough.

Your skincare shouldn’t be.


Also in Skincare Insights

The Life Changes That Wreck Your Skin (and the One Thing That Helps)
The Life Changes That Wreck Your Skin (and the One Thing That Helps)

by Brittany Hogan August 26, 2025 5 min read

Read More
jar of beef tallow for skin set against an orange background
The Truth About Tallow: What Science Really Says About Animal Fat in Skincare

by Brittany Hogan June 23, 2025 5 min read

Read More
woman with tallow soap in hands
Tallow as Skincare: A Powerful Secret for Skin Health

by Brittany Hogan June 20, 2025 4 min read

Read More