Meet Phase: The New Skincare Craze That Works With Your Hormones

Remember when we used to think that our skin issues were just a phase in our teens? If only! From that time of the month issues to early menopause, it can feel like our skin never catches a break. The good news is, skincare technology has come a long way and more brands are taking note of the relationship between hormones and our skin.  

We caught up with the creators of Phase Skin, a new line of skincare products formulated to work with your unique biochemistry and hormone stages. Hormones play a big part in women’s health yet there is very little information available to women about how this affects their body. Phase Skin is opening up the dialogue for women to learn about menstrual hormones, cycles, menopause and skincare.

Where did the idea come from to rethink menopause from a skin care POV? 

My background focused on Vitamin C skincare and Kristin is a medical scientist. We both entered menopause early in our lives, Kristin is a breast cancer survivor and I lost both parents tragically. As a result, our skin changed in response to menopause. There was nothing in the market that addresses skin changes especially during younger ages without making one feel old and an afterthought in the skincare market. We wanted to be more than “hope in a jar”, to make women feel great about themselves through the health and vitality of our products without having them worry that no one understands what they are going through.  

How does Phase Skin help women who are in medically-induced menopause due to breast cancer? 

Our founder, Kristin, has gone through this herself and is intimately acquainted with the assault chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs can have on our hormones and skin. Phase Skin is here to help soothe those breakouts and hydrate that flaky skin.  Let’s face it, our appearance can change so much when undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the last thing we want to be concerned about is which product we can use on our skin. Phase Skin products are safe and effective. Each serum in the kit can be used with the menopause serum to help your skin keep that glow even when you don’t feel so glowy inside. 

Can you talk about the science you use to inform Phase Skin products, and any trial findings? 

Hormones are part of our biochemistry and ebb and flow as we cycle each month, impacting our skin health. So, we mapped the fluctuations in hormones to the changes the skin experiences each month. Every ingredient in our products have been scientifically proven to work cleanly and effectively with your hormones, the products are developed in Canada with ethical, cruelty-free and natural ingredients, scientifically developed to work. It is the first of its kind product to be developed in Canada. We are Leaping Bunny Certified and currently in the process of obtaining our Vegan Certification.  

What effects do hormones have on our skin? 

Estrogen is the queen of hormones, and when she is high, our skin is glowing. When she is low, our skin can get angry, irritated, dry and acne-prone. When we mapped the skin health and hormones together, we noticed that the fall in Estrogen levels during the luteal phase or PMS phase can leave skin defenceless against testosterone, resulting in acne and irritation.  

As females, we know that estrogen plays a significant role in our biology, but what we found is that our estrogen starts to steadily decline in our 30s and can cause a loss of up to 30% of collagen in the first year of menopause. Decreased estrogen results in the loss of collagen, making our skin look wrinkled and saggy. Estrogen also increases the synthesis of Gammaaminoglycans (GAG), which stimulate the synthesis of elastic fibres and promote retention of water in the skin – these are the ingredients that give our skin that bouncy plump look. The loss of estrogen means the loss of GAG’s resulting in the loss of elastic fibres, resulting in loose skin and wrinkling.  

What’s even more interesting is that even though Estrogen is decreasing, our androgens, aka testosterone, remain the same. Androgens are responsible for increased sebum production, which is why some women who never had acne before may find themselves with acne in menopause. 

We spoke with women and other skincare experts about what we were seeing and it became clear to us that, while the beauty industry knows a lot about hormones, no one was properly harnessing that knowledge to develop remedies for the full spectrum skin issues women encounter throughout the many phases of their lives. We needed something that tackled it all. 

What specific issues does Phase Skin tackle and is there something for everyone experiencing side effects of hormonal fluctuations and menopause? 

Each of the three products in the P{H}ASE Kit is specifically formulated with product percentages that align with the needs of the skin based on your menstrual cycle. 

We have divided the menstrual cycle into three phases: Menstrual, follicular and luteal.  

As women move onto the next hormonal phase of their lives, the P{H}ASE II Menopause Serum is available for perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women. It’s formulated to help combat wrinkling and sagging due to the loss of collagen, and it also helps decrease the appearance of dark spots and dry irritated skin. 

What kind of feedback have you gotten from women using Phase products? 

Women love it! You can head to our website for testimonials on women entering menopause to dealing with cystic acne and more. 

For more info. and detailed descriptions about each skincare phase regimen, visit myphaseskin.com 

Phase Skin is partnering with Rethink Breast Cancer for Breast Cancer Awareness month by donating 10% of sales from the Phase Kit and Menopause Serum for the month of October.