Menopause, Collagen & Skin: What to Eat, What to Apply, and What Actually Helps

Ciao, Beautiful!

There comes a point for so many women when their skin suddenly feels different.

Maybe it feels drier than it used to or your under-eyes look a little crepier, your neck feels thinner, or your skin seems to lose moisture at rapid speed.

And if this started happening around perimenopause or menopause, you're not imagining it.

As estrogen shifts and declines, the skin can become drier, thinner, less elastic, and more prone to visible wrinkling. Estrogen plays a role in collagen, hydration, elasticity, and the overall comfort of the skin barrier, so when it changes, your skin often changes with it.

But here’s the hopeful part: while we cannot stop time, we can support the skin beautifully from the inside and the outside.

Collagen is one of the main proteins that helps give skin its firmness, bounce, and structure. As we age and especially as hormones shift during menopause when collagen naturally declines.

That’s one reason skin can start to look thinner, drier, softer, or less “springy” than it did before.

Food cannot magically erase wrinkles, and bone broth will not turn into collagen under your eyes overnight. But the foods you eat can give your body important building blocks, like amino acids, vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants, that help support normal collagen formation and overall skin health. Vitamin C, in particular, plays an important role in collagen synthesis and antioxidant protection in the skin.

That’s why I love thinking of this as support, not perfection! And why I love me some bone broth! :)

Bone broth is warm, comforting, mineral-rich, and full of amino acids from slow-simmered bones and connective tissue. I love it as part of a skin-supportive routine because it feels nourishing in a way that is deeper than just “beauty food.”

And while my favorite place to order it in Austin is still Picnik, it’s not always practical, which is why we’ve mastered the art of making it at home.

For Alex's EASY Bone Broth recipe, go here!

And here’s a simple beauty nutrition tip: if you’re thinking about collagen support, don’t forget vitamin C.

Your body needs amino acids from protein, but vitamin C helps support normal collagen formation. That’s why pairing protein-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods makes sense.

Think:

• Bone broth with lemon or lime squeezed in after cooking

• Eggs with berries on the side

• Chicken with roasted bell peppers

• Salmon with a citrus salad

• Lentils with tomatoes

• A protein smoothie with berries (my other fave, especially in the summer!)

It doesn’t have to be complicated, just consistent. Because small daily choices can really add up!

This is where I think women get confused because the beauty industry loves to make collagen sound like magic! So let’s make it simple.

Topical skincare does not work the same way nutrition does. You cannot just rub collagen on your face and expect it to become new collagen inside your skin.

But that does NOT mean topical skincare isn't powerful.

A smart topical routine can help your skin look smoother, feel softer, hold moisture better, and protect the collagen you already have.

Menopausal skin often loses moisture more quickly, which can make fine lines, crepiness, rough texture, and irritation look more noticeable.

Here are three of my favorite topical tips for supporting menopausal skin.

1) Hydrate with a Hyaluronic based serum.
2) Then seal with oils, butters, or richer creams.
3) During the day, remember sunscreen! 

A hydrating serum helps bring water-based moisture to the skin. Then oils and butters help soften the skin and support the barrier so that moisture does not disappear as quickly.

This is especially helpful for dry under-eyes, the neck, the chest, and anywhere the skin starts to feel thinner or more fragile.

This is also why I love barrier-supportive products during menopause. The goal is not to suffocate the skin. The goal is to comfort it.

When your skin is hydrated and sealed properly, it can look plumper, smoother, fresher, and more rested.

This may not sound glamorous, but SPF is one of the most important beauty steps for protecting the look of your skin long-term.

UV exposure contributes to premature skin aging, including wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. Dermatologists recommend sun protection, including broad-spectrum sunscreen, to help reduce premature skin aging and protect skin health.

Think of sunscreen as collagen protection.

You can use the best serums, oils, masks, and treatments in the world, but if your skin is getting daily unprotected UV exposure, you are working against yourself.

A few simple SPF reminders:

• Use broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher

• Apply it to your face, neck, chest, and hands

• Reapply when outdoors or sweating

• Use as last step in your skincare routine

• Use hats, shade and a fan when needed (dark spots can emerge from heat witout direct sun)

This way, you're activiely protecting the skin you have worked so hard to care for! 

Here’s the little beauty truth I wish more women knew:

Collagen in a skincare product does not necessarily tell your skin to produce brand-new collagen.

But collagen can still be a wonderful topical ingredient.

In cosmetic formulas, collagen is often used because it can help moisturize, soften, bind water, and create a light film on the skin that helps reduce the look of dryness and dehydration. Research on collagen-based cosmetic ingredients notes its humectant and film-forming properties, which can help soften and moisturize the skin.

That means topical collagen can be especially lovely when your skin looks tired, crepey, dry, or a little deflated.

This is one of the reasons we love it in products like our Eye Dream of Sleep Wrinkle Mask.

It can help the skin look smoother, more hydrated, more cushioned, and more rested, especially in delicate areas where dryness can make every little line look more obvious.

Here’s an easy way to think about it:

In the morning:

• Hydrate your skin with serum

• Apply moisturizer or face butter to seal it in

• Use SPF when outdoors

• Nourish with protein and vitamin C

At night:

• Cleanse gently

• Use a hydrating serum

• Apply your eye cream or eye wrinkle mask

• Seal with oil, butter, or a richer cream if needed

• Sip something nourishing, like bone broth, tea, or mineral-rich water

Menopause skin simply means your skin is asking for a different kind of care!

Bone broth, protein, vitamin C, SPF, hydrating serums, oils, butters, and collagen-rich skincare can all play a role in helping your skin feel more supported during this season!

I hope this is helpful.

The more you know, the more you glow!

xoxo

Jentri 

p.s. follow along with our Youtube video below to make your perfect cup of bone broth!