Skincare designed with your hormones in mind
We developed Living M, skincare designed for hormonal skin changes experienced in menopause after realising we were both perimenopausal. All the skincare products available were either highly potent, focused on anti-ageing or lacking in active ingredients and highly fragranced. None of this resonated with what we needed or how we saw ourselves. When we started to speak with friends and family we quickly learnt they felt the same too.
Increasing awareness of perimenopause
There is still so much progress to be made in increasing awareness of perimenopausal symptoms and detaching this conversation from our age. No one women’s menopausal experience – peri or post – is the same. From individual symptoms, intensity of symptoms and the way in which they come about. For some, it’s surgical menopause, for others it’s POI (premature ovarian insufficiency). Being aware of the symptoms and linking these to changes you are experiencing both physically and psychologically really is just the first step.
Why it can be difficult to accept menopause
After awareness comes acceptance. It can be tricky to process what is happening with society cementing strong associations of menopause and our 50’s. Experiencing moments of ‘am I imagining it?’ isn’t uncommon when it happens earlier than you may expect. When it’s not a hot flush or a missed period we can often mark up these changes as ‘life’. We’re just tired. We’re just busy. We’re just a bit down. We’re just a bit forgetful. All of these small ‘justs’ can evolve into something much bigger. Keeping track of changes and symptoms can be extremely helpful. Otherwise they can be lost in the mayhem of life. Sharing and being open with friends and family can also be incredibly helpful. No one should ever feel isolated in managing their symptoms and the impact these changes have on us.
We're anti 'anti-ageing'
The idea for Living M came when we opened up to each other about how we were feeling and the struggles we were having. We developed Living M with an incredible group of women from all over the world. They ranged from being confused if they were menopausal, perimenopausal and post-menopausal. We listened and we learnt. Our biggest learning was that, just like us, these women do want to understand and talk about menopause, they don’t want to turn back the clock to our 20’s and want to enjoy looking and feeling the best version of themselves regardless of age.
Our Mission at Living M is personal
Our mission really is personal. We want to truly break down the taboo of menopause and how it is intrinsically linked to negative conversations around ageing. You can follow us on social @wearelivingm and join the conversation. We would love to hear what you think and how we can make this change happen.
Siobhan & Caroline xx
Instagram @wearelivingm
Facebook @wearelivingm
