A woman’s skin tells a tale. The hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause, the glow and strain of pregnancy, the changes of puberty, and the fine lines of a life well lived are all carried by it. But for far too long, the discourse surrounding beauty has ignored the unique experiences and complex demands of women's skin at every stage of life, treating it as though it acted uniformly.
Science, however, paints a different picture. Skin is a living, breathing organ that responds to biology, lifestyle, and the world around us.
Hormonal surges, environmental stressors, and time inevitably leave their mark.
To truly care for women’s skin, we need to move past a one-size-fits-all solution.
We need to embrace evidence-based, empathetic care that respects every chapter of a woman’s life.
Justine Liebenberg 11 Sep 2025 The hormones
Hormones act like invisible architects, shaping how skin looks, feels, and functions.
During puberty, they drive oil production and often result in breakouts.
Meanwhile, pregnancy floods the body with estrogen, sometimes leading to pigmentation changes like melasma.
Finally, later in life, menopause can bring a sharp decline in estrogen and with it, a loss of up to 30% of collagen in just five years, affecting firmness, elasticity, and hydration.
These shifts aren’t flaws; they’re biology.
And thanks to advances in science-backed skin care, from epigenetics research to targeted active ingredients, we can now create skincare that works with, rather than against, these changes.
Stage-specific solutions mean we can finally address the real needs of skin at every life stage, instead of relying on blanket promises.
The A-word
For decades, women were told to fight ageing, to erase all of its signs.
Now, the idea of ageing is undergoing its own makeover: it’s no longer something to hide, but something to honour.
Shifting from 'anti-ageing' to 'pro-ageing' opens the door to conversations about strength, resilience, and confidence.
It’s about celebrating lived experiences, not erasing them.
It calls on brands to combine scientific innovation with cultural empathy, ensuring that the products on our shelves truly reflect the women who use them.
Dr Judey Pretorius 11 Aug 2025 Skin + care
Real progress happens where science meets care.
Today, research-driven skincare can target hyperpigmentation with ingredients like Thiamidol, address collagen loss with epigenetic actives such as Epicelline, and strengthen the skin barrier with advanced moisturising complexes.
Thiamidol emerged from a decade of testing 50,000 compounds to address hyperpigmentation at its source.
Epicelline is backed by 15 years of epigenetic research and helps re-activate skin’s youthful gene expression as it responds to age and environmental stress.
When science and empathy work hand in hand, skincare becomes more than a product on a shelf.
It becomes a source of confidence, dignity, and well-being.
Healthy skin is not just about how we look. It’s about how we live, age, and thrive.
