For many women, their late 30s and 40s are a time of growth—personally, professionally, and emotionally. Yet just as life begins to feel more settled, the skin may start telling a different story. Fine lines appear more pronounced, the glow seems harder to hold onto, and dryness or sensitivity creep in where none existed before.

These visible shifts are not simply “aging.” They are the first signs of perimenopause—the transitional years leading up to menopause—and they continue into menopause itself. Both phases are marked by significant hormonal changes that directly influence skin health. Understanding what’s happening beneath the surface is the first step to taking back control of how you look, feel, and connect with others.

The Science Behind Skin in Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause and menopause are driven by declining levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—the three key sex hormones that play a critical role in skin health.

• Estrogen supports collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production, maintains blood supply to the skin, and keeps the extracellular matrix strong. When estrogen drops, collagen begins to decline by about 1% per year starting in early adulthood—and women can lose up to 30% of their skin’s collagen in the first 5 years after menopause.
• Progesterone promotes hydration and extracellular matrix formation. Its decline reduces sebum production and contributes to dryness and thinning.
• Testosterone, though lower in women, supports circulation and sebum. When levels fall, skin can look duller and feel less nourished.

Together, these hormonal changes lead to thinner, drier skin, reduced elasticity, increased wrinkles, and greater susceptibility to discoloration, rosacea, and delayed healing.

And here’s where new science offers hope: During perimenopause and menopause, when declining estrogen and progesterone make skin more vulnerable, supporting oxytocin pathways in the skin may provide an entirely new layer of resilience.

Options for Supporting Perimenopausal and Menopausal Skin

The good news? We know more than ever before about how to help skin thrive during these transitions. Leading dermatologists highlight several evidence-based approaches:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Systemic HRT is still the gold standard for vasomotor symptoms and can also benefit skin by restoring estrogen’s support of collagen and hydration.
• Topical estrogen and phytoestrogens: Compounds like methyl estradiolpropanoate and resveratrol have shown improvements in dryness, laxity, and radiance when applied topically.
• Retinoids: Still the gold standard for boosting cell turnover and collagen, retinoids can improve fine lines, pigmentation, and overall skin thickness.
• Cosmeceuticals with peptides, growth factors, and exosomes: These advanced topicals stimulate collagen, elastin, and extracellular matrix repair, improving firmness and luminosity.
• Injectables & biostimulators: Hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid fillers restore hydration, elasticity, and volume while stimulating new collagen.
• Energy-based devices: Ultrasound, lasers, and radiofrequency treatments trigger neocollagenesis and can even influence gene expression for long-term resilience.
• Oxytocin support: Topical ingredients, such as jasmine-derived extracts, can stimulate oxytocin receptors in the skin. This novel pathway has been linked not just to improved elasticity and radiance, but also to increased confidence, attraction, and overall wellbeing.

XOMD products are inspired by, but do not contain, oxytocin. XOMD products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare professional if you have any concerns or underlying conditions.

The Role of Oxytocin in Your Skin

Most women don’t realize that their skin is also an oxytocin-producing organ. Keratinocytes—the most common skin cells—can actually synthesize and release oxytocin. Even more fascinating: your skin has oxytocin receptors that respond to this “love hormone.”

When activated, oxytocin receptors in the skin:

• Reduce inflammation and redness
• Support wound healing and repair
• Improve elasticity and firmness
• Promote angiogenesis (healthy blood flow)
• Contribute to a more radiant, youthful appearance

This explains why touch—whether from a loved one, a facial massage, or even the mindful application of skincare—feels so soothing. Physical stimulation of the skin helps trigger oxytocin release, creating a feedback loop of improved skin health and enhanced emotional wellbeing.

The XOMD Difference

While clinical interventions are important, XOMD believes daily skincare should also work in harmony with your body’s natural chemistry.

Our proprietary OX Factor™ is designed to support perimenopausal and menopausal skin by:

1. Activating oxytocin pathways through jasmine-derived botanicals that stimulate Piezo1 mechanoreceptors in the skin. This “touch response” helps trigger oxytocin release and receptor activation, promoting collagen, hyaluronic acid, and feelings of wellbeing.
2. Supporting pheromone pathways with carob-derived compounds, subtly influencing attraction and social connection.
3. Improving skin quality with peptides and phospholipids that restore barrier strength, radiance, and smoothness.

In a double-blind clinical study, women using XOMD not only saw significant improvements in skin quality but also reported enhanced confidence, better first impressions, and improved relationship satisfaction.

Reframing Skin at Midlife

Perimenopause and menopause are universal—but feeling less radiant doesn’t have to be. Science now gives us the tools to understand what’s happening beneath the surface and to act on it.

By combining advanced dermatology with innovations like XOMD, women can reclaim not just smoother, firmer skin—but also the confidence, magnetism, and connection that make this stage of life one of the most powerful yet.

Discover XOMD.