What Is the Cause of Acne during Menopause?

Numerous menopause symptoms plague women, from hot flashes and night sweats to headaches, nausea, mood changes, and weight gain. But one of the least known symptoms of menopause is acne. Women are often taken wholly by surprise when they look in the mirror and notice breakouts and blemishes that they thought they left behind in their younger years.

Unfortunately, acne is a very real symptom of menopause, and its blindsiding nature can leave you grasping at straws to solve the issue. Luckily, you’re not alone. We can give you a few pointers about managing menopausal acne with skincare. But first, let’s discuss its causes.

What Is the Cause of Acne during Menopause?

It's true that not every woman will experience menopausal acne. Some women will have worse acne than others while going through this stage of life.

Although menopause is inevitable, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything that can be done to help prevent menopausal acne or — at the very least — reduce its presence in your life.

Below, we’ve listed a few of the risk factors that can lead to you developing acne during menopause:

UV rays: Ultraviolet radiation can cause skin damage regardless of your age, but your skin can become more damaged when you’re going through menopause. This is because UV rays exposure can lead to skin dryness, which can cause your oil glands to work overtime. When this happens, breakouts occur, so sun protection is paramount.
Dietary influences: Studies have shown that high glycemic foods and cow’s milk can lead to a worsening of acne in many people, especially during menopause. That’s why it might be worth it to cut these foods out of your diet.
Obesity: Those with excess body weight are more likely to experience menopausal acne because obesity has been shown to trigger hormonal imbalances.
Genetics: Unfortunately, some women are genetically predisposed to adult acne. If you have close relatives with adult acne, you have a higher risk of developing it, so a solid skincare routine is a must.

What Can You Do About Acne During Menopause?

It's not all doom and gloom. There is a lot you can do to eliminate acne when going through menopause.

Arguably, one of the best ways to fight menopausal acne is to ensure you have a good skincare routine in place with the appropriate products. If you already practice some form of daily skincare, this is a good start, but as you age, you’ll need to adjust the products you use — especially during menopause.

This is because as you age, your skin evolves, and your skin in your mid-40s to 50s will not be the same as it was during your 20s or 30s. That’s why, when going through menopause, it's best to have:

a gentle facial cleanser that you can use in the morning and evening to deeply cleanse your skin of impurities.
a 50+ SPF sunscreen to protect against UV rays that can lead to excessive oil production and increased breakouts.
an intensely hydrating moisturizer with active ingredients that fight against acne, like sodium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, glycerin, dimethicone, and hyaluronic acid.

These are only three of the things you should keep in mind when creating a skincare routine to combat your menopausal acne.

Besides Skincare, What Else Can You Do?

When combatting menopausal acne, you’re going to need to attack it from all angles if it's a serious issue. This means you will need more than a decent skincare routine on your side.

For example, you might have to consider menopausal hormone treatments that boost your falling estrogen levels and prevent acne while increasing skin elasticity, hydration, and thickness.

You might also need to change your makeup to avoid using oil-based products that can clog your pores. Instead, buy only non-comedogenic and oil-free makeup products. In addition, acne thrives when there are bacteria on the surface of your skin, so never forget to remove makeup at the end of every day and throw out all expired products and tools.

The Wrap-Up on Menopause Acne

The menopausal stage in your life can be challenging, but don’t let acne be the straw that breaks the camel's back, causing you more stress than needed. Follow the tips we mentioned and get a good skincare routine in place, and you will be a step closer to managing your menopausal acne woes.

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