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This face mask pressed the pause button on my menopausal skin concerns

Sleek and simple, I’m a sucker for this must-have which targets multiple needs

Helen Wilson-Beevers
Monday 07 June 2021 17:57 BST
The morning after applying I have a soft and supple complexion
The morning after applying I have a soft and supple complexion (The Independent/iStock)

With the menopause once strictly taboo, there has been a greater spotlight than ever before shone on its symptoms recently.  And thanks to Davina McCall’s latest ground-breaking documentary, Sex, Myths and The Menopause, this empowering conversation continues.

Affecting millions of women, the menopause happens when ovaries stop producing eggs and oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels fall.  The average UK age for menopause is 51.

However, hormonal fluctuations marking initial symptoms (also known as perimenopause) begin sooner. Additionally, a diagnosis of early menopause will be given to those experiencing this life stage at a younger age. Similarly, there is something called surgical menopause, which I was plunged into due to an operation at 31.

While the menopause hosts full body symptoms, focusing solely on skin for a moment, depleted or shifting hormones may cause dryness, sensitivity, and loss of elasticity. In addition to HRT, if that’s an option for you, support can be sought from specialised products too.

This is where brand-new treatment mask Menopause Faace comes in. Just as their Period Faace mask helped normalise period chat, Faace founder Jasmine Wicks-Stevens explains that she saw a gap in the market for menopause products.

Jasmine says: “Menopause Faace has been born from the same need as our other hero masks; fuss-free TLC for your skin when you need it most. It’s does-what-it-says-on-the-bottle beauty that’s been designed to have shelf-appeal.”

Specifically formulated to target lack of collagen and firmness, an antioxidant and multivitamin-packed ingredients list is billed as boosting menopausal skin while offering hydration and moisture.

It recently launched on the brand’s own site, and will be stocked in Liberty, Cult Beauty and Oliver Bonas soon too. But can one product really be a targeted problem solver for menopausal skin concerns? With the beauty buzz around this product gaining momentum, I put it to the test on my very own menopause face.

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Menopause Faace treatment mask

menopause faace.jpg

Buy now £29, Wearefaace.com

Presented in a smooth, tall recyclable earthy pink tube with black screw top lid, packaging is chic and simple. While the front branding is stylishly minimal, I found helpfully comprehensive instructions and an ingredients list printed on its reverse.

Transparent about the formula and benefits, it is vegan and made in the UK from ethically sourced ingredients. Plus, the 100ml size is generous enough to last a while and its tube packaging feels pretty streamline as mask-style products go.

Read more: 9 best sunscreens for sensitive skin to protect you from the rays

As a side point, I also like the fact that for every sale of Menopause Faace, there’s a donation to The Menopause Charity. Because I navigated hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and early menopause with very little information, supporting groups who continue raising awareness is vital.

Onto those aforementioned ingredients helping with skin affected by hormones, be it because of hot flushes, sleep deprivation, skin thinning or spots. Providing both super hydrating and anti-inflammatory components, rose water is in there to soothe and refresh skin. For plumping up properties, antioxidant rich carrot seed and pomegranate oil join skin-friendly fatty acids from rosehip oil.

Meanwhile sea buckthorn crams in vitamins B, C and E, as immortelle flower oil and safflower seed oils focus on glow and hydration. Finally, the inclusion of zinc and geranium have fighting any breakouts in mind.

While experiencing the hormonal rollercoaster menopausal symptoms can bring, I have at last found the right HRT combination, but am aware of a need to simplify my skincare routine too. When your skin simultaneously appears thirstier for hydration and more sensitive, it is easy to identify which products make any difference, for better or worse.

Read more: The best skincare products to shop from Niod, The Ordinary’s secret sister brand

The Menopause Faace formula is a smooth, freshly floral scented and gently lightweight one that glides onto skin and brings a silky sheen. Application initiates a moment’s TLC, while slathering on as much or little as you fancy.

Not at all greasy or heavy, my skin has felt trapped under thick textures during the menopause. Something I’m quick to notice, this treatment – however – successfully straddles the line between efficient nourishment and soothing refreshment extremely well.

Easily absorbed, you can feel the product satisfyingly soaking in as opposed to it just rapidly disappearing. There’s zero oiliness, so you don’t worry about any excess sliding about.

Although described as a treatment mask, its versatile benefits are multifunctional. Ideal for use as often as you want, I’ve incorporated it into my daily skincare routine as a primer. The light but comforting composition makes for a glowy canvas under makeup. I’ve not seen any pilling between layers, and equally rate this as sheer bare face prep.

Working as a quick mask too, whether you have five minutes or half an hour, Menopause Faace soaks into skin bringing moisturising comfort in the form of a soft veil.  On that note, the creamy formula can be relied upon for an around the clock hydration top up that you don’t actually have to wash off either.

Read more: 10 best night creams for glowing skin in the morning

At bedtime, I’ve relished applying a generous product portion to bring intense overnight hydration. A larger amount for layering thickly does take a little extra rubbing in but the clean, sweet scent is also calming. Especially if you dread bedtime because of trouble sleeping.

Overnight being an optimal time for skin to soak up hydration, that’s why I’m liberal with the amount of product used. And the next morning, I have seen softly supple, skin brightening results. Without any irritation whatsoever.

Most notably, I’ve appreciated having one simple and light, yet luxuriously rejuvenating product in my skincare arsenal offering multiple benefits.

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The verdict: Menopause Faace treatment mask

I’ll admit to being a bit cynical about a single product satisfying complex needs, but I have been suitably impressed by its efficiency in soothing, hydrating and moisturising skin. The sleek packaging brings helpful product information at a time that can be confusing enough already. Equally, I wholeheartedly applaud its simplicity whenever you feel like a lift and decent value for money given the high-quality skin refreshing results.

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