During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can make rosacea flare-ups and skin sensitivity more noticeable. You may notice increased redness, burning and even breakouts as your hormone levels fluctuate.
Here’s everything you need to know about menopause and rosacea, and how a rosacea-friendly, fragrance-free skin care routine can help you look after your skin.
At a glance:
- Hormonal changes can worsen rosacea during perimenopause and menopause, causing redness, burning and sensitivity.
- While menopause doesn't cause rosacea, it can make symptoms more noticeable and flare ups more likely.
- Using fragrance-free skin care products can help to keep skin calm
- Protecting your skin from the sun is important too
- Best rosacea-friendly skin care: Green People Scent Free 24-Hour Cream
- Best rosacea-friendly SPF: Green People Scent Free Sun Cream SPF30
How does menopause affect rosacea?
During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels decline. These hormones play a key role in the health of your skin, so when these levels drop, your natural collagen production and blood flow can be affected.
Because of the changes to your hormones during menopause, the skin’s natural barrier can become weaker and more susceptible to irritation, dryness and inflammation. All of these factors can make rosacea flare-ups worse.
In addition, menopausal skin tends to have thinner blood vessels, making redness and flushing more visible. The reduction in natural oils and hydration can also increase sensitivity, making skin react more strongly to environmental triggers such as sun exposure, heat, stress and certain skin care products.
For women who already have rosacea, these changes can mean more frequent flare-ups and more noticeable redness.
Can perimenopause and menopause cause rosacea?
It’s common for women to notice that rosacea becomes more pronounced during perimenopause, especially during hot flashes or moments of stress. Menopause itself doesn’t directly cause rosacea, but it can act as a trigger for flare-ups in women who are more prone to it.
Rosacea can affect anyone, but it is most commonly seen in adults with fair skin and usually appears between the ages of 30 and 60. Women are more frequently diagnosed than men, though men can also have rosacea.
Genetics also play a role, so a family history of rosacea can increase your likelihood of experiencing it. Additionally, people with sensitive skin, a tendency to blush easily or underlying triggers (such as hot drinks, spicy foods or stress) may be more prone to flare-ups. Read more about rosacea in our essential guide.
Does menopause rosacea go away?
Rosacea symptoms may improve once hormonal levels stabilise after menopause, but many women continue to experience some redness, flushing or sensitivity.
While rosacea symptoms won’t necessarily go away entirely, there are some ways that you can manage it to reduce flare-ups:
- Identify and avoid your triggers, such as spicy food, stress, alcohol, heat or hot drinks
- Establish a gentle, rosacea-friendly skin care routine that strengthens your skin barrier
- Protect your skin from the sun
- Protect your skin during winter
- Be gentle with your skin
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Your rosacea-friendly menopause skin care routine
During menopause, your skin needs products that calm, hydrate and protect without triggering irritation or redness. Here’s are our menopause and rosacea-friendly skincare recommendations:
Scent Free Cleanser
Our Scent Free Cleanser gently removes impurities and excess oil without disrupting the skin barrier. Its fragrance-free formula is free from drying ethyl alcohol and leaves skin soft and calm, making it suitable for menopausal skin that may be prone to rosacea.
Scent Free Cleanser 150ml
This fragrance-free cleanser is a sensitive skin essential!€38,95
Scent Free 24-Hour Cream
Hydration becomes increasingly important as your oestrogen levels drop during menopause. Scent Free 24-Hour Cream nourishes, moisturises and reinforces the skin barrier with Olive Squalane, Shea Butter and Cacay Oil.
It also contains the botanical Baicalin, one of the most effective ingredients we know of to delay and possibly reverse the signs of ageing.
These gentle, soothing ingredients help to support your skin’s natural balance and promote a soft, calm complexion.
Scent Free 24-Hour Cream 50ml
Healthy skin starts with our bestselling moisturiser for sensitive skin€35,95
Age Defy+ Anti-Redness Booster Drops
When redness or flare-ups intensify, Age Defy+ Anti-Redness Booster Drops provide targeted relief. Formulated for mature skin, these drops contain Apricot Leaf Cell Extract and Sweet Almond Oil to calm irritation, reduce visible redness and restore skin balance.
Age Defy+ Anti-Redness Booster Drops 10ml
Soothe and calm sensitive skin with our anti-redness skin drops.€40,95
Scent Free Truffle Night Cream
Our favourite rosacea-friendly moisturiser for night is the Scent Free Truffle Night Cream.
An unscented night moisturiser for even ultra-sensitive skin, the key active in this night cream is Northern Truffle (White Mushroom). This remarkable extract helps soothe and comfort skin affected by hormonal changes, supporting calmer-looking skin during periods of sensitivity or flushing.
Scent Free Truffle Night Cream 50ml
Soothe, calm and repair with this Ceramide and Truffle sleep cream€43,95
Scent Free Facial Sun Cream SPF30
Our Scent Free Facial Sun Cream SPF30 provides broad-spectrum SPF protection without harsh ingredients or fragrances, shielding your skin from UV rays and preventing sun-induced redness or irritation.
It’s free from drying alcohols and contains a supportive blend of natural ingredients that are well suited to sensitive, menopausal skin.
Scent Free Facial Sun Cream - SPF30 50ml
Shield and hydrate with this facial SPF. Ideal for dry or sensitive skin.€38,95
Natural skin care tips for caring for rosacea-prone skin in menopause
Menopause can make rosacea-prone skin more sensitive and prone to redness, so it helps to be a little extra careful with your skin care. Focussing on gentle, soothing products and simple habits can calm flare-ups, keep your skin comfortable, and help it stay healthy.
Here are our tips for creating a rosacea-friendly routine:
- Choose gentle, fragrance-free products - avoid harsh cleansers, exfoliants and fragranced creams that can trigger flare-ups. Look for soothing ingredients that won’t strip your skin’s natural balance.
- Moisturise consistently - dryness is common during menopause. Hydrating creams that strengthen the skin barrier, like our Scent-Free 24-Hour Cream, help maintain comfort and reduce inflammation.
- Protect your skin from the sun - even mild sun exposure can worsen redness and flushing. Use a broad-spectrum, gentle SPF daily, such as our Scent Free Facial Sun Cream.
- Avoid common triggers - spicy foods, alcohol, hot drinks, hot temperatures and stress can provoke rosacea flare-ups. Keep a diary to identify your triggers.
- Be gentle with your skin - pat skin dry instead of rubbing, avoid aggressive exfoliation and use lukewarm water to prevent irritation.
- Support your skin from within – a balanced diet, rich in anti-inflammatory foods, and getting enough water can support your skin.
Fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels can make your skin feel more sensitive. This can lead to inflammation and redness.
During perimenopause, women often notice that flushing, redness, and irritation become more frequent or intense. Hot flushes can trigger temporary flare-ups, and the reduction in natural oils can leave skin more vulnerable to environmental triggers.
For rosacea-prone menopausal skin, the ideal moisturiser should be fragrance-free, hydrating and designed to strengthen the skin barrier.
Our Scent-Free 24-Hour Cream uses natural ingredients to hydrate, calm and soothe irritation. Avoid heavy moisturisers that can trap heat and worsen redness.
A fragrance-free, broad-spectrum sunscreen is essential for protecting sensitive, rosacea-prone skin from UV-induced flare-ups.
Our Scent Free Facial Sun Cream SPF30 is gentle, non-irritating and provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.
Choose a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser with natural ingredients like our Scent Free Cleanser to remove dirt and impurities without stripping the skin or causing flare-ups.
Avoid foaming, stripping or exfoliating cleansers that can aggravate redness.
Would you like help choosing the rosacea-friendly skin care during the menopause? Our friendly UK customer care team is happy to help with any questions about ingredients and can be contacted on 01403 740350.
BY CHARLOTTE, FOUNDER OF GREEN PEOPLE
This blog post has been written by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has 25+ years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry.
A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty.
A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals.
If you wish to republish this content, please credit Green People as the original creator with a link to 'Menopause and Rosacea.' Please do not use an affiliate link.
