I’ve spoken on Instagram before about realising that I’m perimenopausal, and in many ways it helped explain changes I’d been noticing in my skin over the past few years. It began to feel drier, less comfortable and less tolerant, even though very little had changed in my routine.

Skin changes over time, and there are lots of reasons for that. Hormonal shifts, stress, sleep and lifestyle all play a role. For me, understanding that perimenopause was likely contributing helped make sense of why I started reaching for products I wouldn’t normally have used or needed, particularly hydrating serums and richer moisturisers.

This isn’t about fixing perimenopausal skin or promising results. It’s about learning what your skin requires at different stages and responding to that. For many people, that means focusing more on hydration, comfort and barrier support.

If your skin has been feeling drier, tighter or more unsettled, these are some of the hydrating products that often work well when extra support is needed. They are options to dip into depending on how skin feels, not products that need to be used all at once.