Menopause is part of our natural evolution as women.

When my skin started changing in my forties, nothing I had trusted for twenty-five years worked anymore. When I went looking for answers, I was dismissed. So I went and studied it: first as a cosmetic formulator, then as a certified menopause coach.

This guide is my version of the conversation I wish someone had had with me at forty-five. It answers two questions. Why is my skin changing as I move through perimenopause and menopause? And what can I do about it?

This is not a guide to Philogeni products. It is a guide to understanding what is happening to your skin at this stage of your life, so you can care for it with confidence, whichever products you choose.

The thread that runs through it is one I think about every day: the most useful gift we can give our skin through this transition is support. For me, that means skincare made with kindness and care, and time for yourself.

How the guide works. It's four short modules, each with a handful of chapters you can read in a few minutes. Go at your own pace and start wherever your question is. Every chapter begins with what you're feeling and ends with what helps. If you love the science, as I do, it's waiting at the bottom of each chapter under “Go deeper.” If you don't, you can skip it and miss nothing.

If you have a question along the way, write to me at hello@philogeni.com. I reply to every email personally, even when I don't have every answer.

If you have read this far, you have already begun.

With love, Barbi