Treat your hot flashes with cool products from Marcelle, Justice and Nivea!

Menopause, it's the plot twist no one asked for.... but here we are... It's a word that strikes fear into the hearts of women everywhere. Sure, there are perks. No more periods - imagine being able to wear white pants whenever you want! But then there’s the… let’s call it less glamourous side: hot flashes, mood swings, rebellious skin - you name it, it could happen.

 

Amanda Thebe, bestselling author, menopause educator and advocate for women's health offers some great advice: “The worst things you can do for yourself during menopause are to ignore your symptoms, try to power through in silence and neglect the changes your body is going through. I know from experience how isolating and confusing that can be. I spent years misdiagnosed and struggling with symptoms like dizziness, depression, dry & irritable skin, without realizing they were connected to perimenopause.” 

 

While it's true that lot of it is out of your control or at least more in control of a medical professional - the personal care side of it is something you can help yourself with, once you find the right products of course! 

 

The biggest project can be your skin which suddenly goes haywire and starts doing the opposite of what you are used to - Amanda agrees finding that her skin has lost elasticity and has become much drier, dull, and more sensitive as a result of menopause, so finding the right hydration & product was a priority. Using science-backed products designed specifically for menopause like Marcelle’s Revival+ Vitality collection has been a game changer for her. The collection uses a breakthrough formula, made with antioxidants, vitamin D, turmeric, hyaluronic acid, urea and squalane, leaving skin feeling firmer, more hydrated and just healthier overall. Amanda feels that "it’s lovely to see visible concrete results while knowing the formula was co-created with 400 Canadian women in menopause with sensitive skin."  

 

Revival+ Vitality Redensifying Day Cream - 50ml - $39.95 

This comforting, hydrating cream is like a support bra for your face - it lifts, firms and helps counteract all those delightful effects menopause brings. It’s been tested and recommended by Canadian women in menopause with sensitive skin and it helps restore comfort, hydration and bounce for plumper, happier skin. 

Also worth grabbing: Revival+ Vitality Redensifying Eye & Lip Cream - 15ml - $39.95 - because crow’s feet and fine lines have had enough fun, thank you very much.

 

Available at drugstores across Canada and online at marcelle.com. 

 

And let’s not forget the mane event - thinning hair. If you’re not ready to commit to the “re-growth journey” and just want fuller, thicker-looking hair now, reach for:  

 

Justice Hair Care Volume Boost Shampoo & Conditioner - 250ml - $28.99 each 

Specially made for fine or thinning hair, this duo cleans without weighing it down. Cotton extract, hibiscus vinegar, and soy proteins keep hair hydrated and shiny without build-up, while adding body and bounce. Think of it as your hair’s daily pep talk. 

Top it off with Volume Boost Texture Spray - 250ml - $28.99 for that “oh, this old volume? I woke up like this” finish. It adds lift from the roots, protects from pollutants, and leaves hair feeling soft, full, and alive again. 

 

Available at Healthy Planet stores across Canada and online at well.ca. 

And because menopause loves to suck the moisture out of everything - yes, even your lips - keep your lip balm close, I like: 

 

Nivea Vanilla Buttercream 24H Moisture Nourishing Lip Balm – 2 x 4.8g – $4.99 

It’s basically dessert for your lips! The shea butter, avocado, and jojoba oil formula melts in like frosting, keeping your lips soft, smooth and hydrated for a full 24 hours. Sweet, creamy, and totally mood-swing approved!

 

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada. 

 

At the end of the day, you can't avoid menopause so your best defense is to arm yourself with information and educate yourself - there are so many great books and blogs out there! A few you might find useful:

 

Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! by Amanda Thebe

 

Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause and Life's Next Period by Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW

 

The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health With Facts and Feminism by Dr. Jen Gunter

 

All are available on amazon.ca.

 

- Lisamarie - 

Plump and firm skin with Isa Knox Anew, Korres and Vichy!

Pump your way to plump skin with:

 

Isa Knox Anew Clinical Collagen Booster Firming Cream - 50ml - $65 - fine lines and wrinkles are reduced and skin elasticity is improved with a formula of moisturizing and skin-plumping niacinamide and squalane. I especially love the hygienic, airless pump - just press down on the top and it dispenses just the right amount of cream without your fingers ever having to touch the rest of the product!

 

Available online at avon.ca. 

For skin that has lost its bounce:

 

Korres Black Pine Bounce Firming Moisturizer - 40ml - $70 - a plumping face cream that brings the bounce back to your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and replenishing hydration. Powered with a formula of black pine - packed with polyphenols, stengthening skin to improve the appearance of firmness, fine lines and wrinkles; 4D bio-shapelift - a powerful complex to visibly lift and firm the appearance of the facial contours; and spilanthes acmella extract - to provide a tensing effect that firms and lifts the appearance of the skin.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

For skin that needs some resculpting help for the neck and face contours during menopause:

 

Vichy Neovadiol Phytosculpt Neck & Face Contours - 50ml - $61.95 - fights skin sagginess and lack of firmness in two key areas: the neck and face contours. Formulated with tensing phytosterol of natural origin and densifying proxylane - your neck and jawline with thank you for it!

Available at Vichy counters across Canada and online at vichy.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Fight menopause's effects on the skin with Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Complex Densifying and Replenishing Serum!

Menopause may be a fact of life but that doesn't mean your skin has to suffer because of it. Restore the comfort and confidence you feel when skin looks great with the Vichy Neovadiol line - featuring  formulas that offset the cutaneous impact resulting from menopause.

And even without menopausal skin I still fell in love with one of the products from the line:

Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Complex Densifying and Replenishing Serum - 30ml -$59.95 - an advanced replenishing concentrate for mature skin that redensifies and redefines skin contours, providing freshness, radiance and a more even complexion.

It contains the 1st compensating complex of Hyaluronic Acid, Hepes and Pro-Xylane 3% able to reproduce the global benefits of the youth hormone (DHEA) on the skin along with soothing and fortifying Vichy Thermal Spa Water. The only textures specifically designed for mature skin in hormonal change, which combine comfort, freshness and gives instant radiance to the skin.

I'm all about the texture - a gel emulsion with golden micropearls and AQUAKEEP technology that feels so fresh and cool and the scent - hypoallergenic fragrances of apple, green tea, iris, jasmine and violet that makes it smell so delicious!

Also available in the Compensating Complex collection are day creams for normal to combination or dry skin as well as a night cream - all for $54.95 each.

Available at Vichy counters across Canada and online at vichy.ca.

With September marking the Menopause Awareness Month, Vichy Canada has launched No Pause At Menopause, a website devoted entirely to women’s physical, social, and mental well-being during this pivotal stage of life - a much need resource as many women don't know where to look for information concerning menopause!

From skin changes and skin issues, to nutrition and wellness, No Pause At Menopause addresses these topics through a plethora of articles written by dermatologists, gynecologists, dietitians, and endocrinologists including Canadian dermatologists Dr Genevieve Therien and Dr. Jennifer Beecker who will soon join the roster of female experts contributing to the platform.

- Lisamarie -

Vichy Neovadiol Rose Platinium Fortifying and Revitalizing Rosy Cream

Vichy Neovadiol Rose Platinium Fortifying and Revitalizing Rosy Cream - 50ml - $56.95 - nourishes, densifies and stimulates the natural glow of mature skin with a fresh, comfortable cream that features a luscious texture and delicate hint of rose that revives skin leaving it looking radiant and healthy with a rosy glow.

Over time, skin gets thinner and loses its natural radiance. As skin grows duller, more pale, and more fragile, it stops looking healthy and the contours of the face lose their fullness and elasticity - all of which the formula addresses with:

Calcium - enriched with powerful minerals, natural calcium improves the differentiation process in the epidermis, strengthening and improving the corneal layer. At the surface, it helps hold the corneocytes together to fortify the skin’s protective barrier - giving skin a real boost, guarding against the passage of time;

Beeswax - this natural extract soothes, protects, and nourishes the epidermis and revitalizes it deep down - to wake skin up a little more each day;

mineral pigments - selected for their affinity with natural skin tones and added in just the right amount to produce a healthy glow, these rosy pigments instantly melt into skin of any hue, thanks to the subtle balance between pigments and mother of pearl - delicately, naturally, skin tone is revived and exudes good health;

LHA - this lipophilic derivative of salicylic acid is designed for ultra absorbency - with repeated application, it accelerates the skin’s natural regeneration process at the cellular level, for a more even skin tone without any irritation - the same results as AHA with a concentration that is seven times milder;

IGEFYL - a product of biotechnology, this yeast mimics the effects of IGF1, a protein secreted by fibroblasts that improves skin’s overall health - and provides the epidermis with added support, so it’s thicker and less fragile - for skin that looks and feels firmer;

Vichy mineral-rich thermal water - drawn from a depth of 4,000 metres at the natural springs of France’s Auvergne region, it has a concentrate of 15 minerals at an amount of 5.2 grams per litre -  stronger, healthy-looking skin.

I'm not quite in the right age range to really test this cream out so I passed it along to a friend to get her opinion and she was very impressed that from the very first application, her skin felt softer and looked more radiant - and she loves the scent!

Available now at drugstores and Vichy counters across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Beautiful skin during and after menopause thanks to Vichy Neovadiol Magistral!

As if all the other crap that goes along with menopause wasn't bad enough it can also literally suck the life out of your skin making it look dull, sluggish and tired. Want to recuperate its density, softness, comfort and radiance? Then you need:

Vichy Neovadiol Magistral - 50ml - $55 - specially formulated for mature skin in advanced or post-menopause with a rich formula of omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids capable of reconstructing all layers of the skin all while  providing intense nutrition, firming contours and smoothing wrinkles.

Suitable for all skin types even the most sensitive ones, it's paraben-free, hypoallergenic and enriched with Vichy Thermal Spa Water.

Available now in drugstores and be sure to check out the blog Vichy has specially dedicated for mature women - www.beautifulatmyage.ca.

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart - Biotherm, Lise Watier, Elizabeth Arden, Vichy and Ed Hardy!

Biotherm Skin Ergetic - a new product line that is paraben free and contains ingredients that are 99% of natural origin - the tag line sums it up - "So signs of fatigue don't turn into signs of aging" Sign me up!
Energy Up Complex Signs of Fatigue Repairing Concentrate - 50ml - $58 - contains broccoli, soy apple, lemon and sugar cane - the most interesting part of this product is the fresh cosmetics technology that makes it possible to optimize the effectiveness of the active ingredients via last-minute activation - the broccoli extract in this product is one of the best ingredients for fighting skin fatigue but is unstable when added to a skincare formula.  To solve the problem, Biotherm decided to isolate this ingredient in a capsule so that it could be activated at the last minute, immediately before the first application.  You release the powder into the rest of the concentrate and it will retain optimum stability for three months - so don't forget to use it every day!
Anti-Ox Complex Non-Stop Anti-Fatigue Moisturizer - 50ml - $49 - in a rich creme for dry skin or cream gel for combination skin - contains tomato, apple, bitter orange, grape and pomegranate - the cream gel smells amazing, this one is on my shopping list!
D-Tox Complex Overnight High-Recovery Moisturizer Night - 50ml - $51 - contains buckwheat, tea, ruscus, soy and cranberry

Lise Watier Eye Quartet - $31 - if you are already a fan of her quads you will be pleased to know they now come in 4 new gorgeous colour combos:  Les Violets, Les Bleus, Les Verts and Les Rosés.

Elizabeth Arden Petty Hot - 50ml EDP - $63 - with top notes of red currant, fresh mandarin, blood orange, red apple and freesia; heart notes of Queen of the Night, peony, pimento blossom as well as Petelia and Georgywood molecules; and a base of amber, white patchouli, tonka bean, sandalwood and musky Cosmone molecule.  I gave it a sniff and I like it when I first spray it because of all of the fruity top notes, but once it dries down it turns very floral on me so I'm not such a fan.

Vichy NeoVadiol Gf Eye and Lip Contours - 15ml - $39.50 - with a cooling eye and lip contour applicator for menopausal skin it is said to have a crease-smoothing effect and will make eye and lip contours appear defined.

Ed Hardy Born Wild for Women - 50ml EDP - $62- with top notes of blackberry and black currant buds; heart notes of magnolia and peach blossom; and base notes of lily of the valley, sandalwood and musk.

Ed Hardy Born Wild for Men - 50ml EDT - $62 - with top notes of cara cara orange, spicy cardamom, ambrette seed and papple,; middle notes of jasmine, neroli, ozone and pink perppercorn; and base notes of California Palo Verde and sandalwood.

Ed Hardy reminds me of the Rock of Love episode where Bret takes the skank de jour to the Ed Hardy store and gets her slutted out - since then I haven't been able to take the brand seriously - but I'm sure there are lots of Ed Hardy fans out there that are thrilled by these new fragrances!

- Lisamarie -

Come be a NeoWoman with Vichy! Canadian event!

Some of our readers may be aware that October 18th is International Menopause Awareness Day.  Vichy knows and is looking to educate the public abut menopause and encourage women to enjoy their post-menopausal years with their NeoWoman campaign. It's launching a program during the month of October where 250 pharmacies across Canada will each dedicate one day to inviting women to come in and receive a free skin health consultation and facial massage from a dermo-advisor.

The dermo-advisor will be massaging in Neovadiol Gf, the face cream launched last year, developed specifically for menopausal skin.Neovadiol Gf, used proteic Gf (a natural extract rich in vegetable proteins) and pro-xylane (a natural sugar derived from the xylose molecule) to stimulate growth in the skin's major cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) to encourage skin firming and plumping.  I snagged the Ontario list for you below (click on the chart and it will become bigger), if you are elsewhere in Canada give your local pharmacy a call and see if they are taking part in the event.  If you are in Markham, I recommend giving the Shoppers Drug Mart at Markville Mall a call - Evelyn is the dermo-advisor who will be coming in for their event and she's incredible!  Call 905-477-6320 for an appointment at that location.

- Lisamarie -