By Emma Raho.
If you’re anything like me, you have spent the vast majority of your life thinking menopause happened when you were about 103, and came with a few hot flushes as your reproductive system slapped a “closed for business” sign on your uterus. Even our one and only health and development class – girls only, God forbid a boy hear the word “period” – touched on menopause for about five seconds in-between tampon talk and the mortifying ‘putting a condom on a cucumber’ experience. Imagine our collective surprise when around the age of 39/40, strange things began to happen. Perimenopause was not so much a surprise but an actual jump scare, the laundry list of symptoms for a phase in our lives we all face is so under documented, or even discussed. This review could quite easily turn into a deep dive of the way that the female experience is essentially ignored and chronically underfunded, however I digress.
Pictured: Emma Raho using Vivea.
During Perimenopause your body, mind, senses, and perception drastically changes, and really all we have is a choice between Hormone Replacement Therapy, and some complimentary herbal remedies, which may or may not work. With this in mind, it’s good to see some emerging brands that cater to the needs of women going through peri, and menopause in one way or another. Vivea Skincare is spearheaded by two women who felt alone and “taboo” through the process of menopause. Wanting to make a difference they created products that specifically helped with the hormonal skin changes that perimenopause and menopause bring. It’s extremely hard, and worrying when your body makes drastic changes suddenly, and I love that Vivea acknowledges and caters to those changes. Even browsing the website was quite comforting, OK this is normal, I’m not alone and my face isn’t going to suddenly shrivel up and drop off my head. Phew.
Of the products I tried, the Hydrating Cooling Mist was a massive win. My workplace can get pretty hectic, so having something I can just grab and spritz during a hot flush is honestly a bit of a lifesaver. It’s one of those small things that makes a big difference in the moment. It gives that instant cooling feeling without leaving your skin wet or sticky, which is exactly what you want when you’re already overheating. I also liked that I could use it over makeup without it going weird or patchy.
The Cooling Day Cream, Night Cream, and Body Gel Moisturiser all worked really nicely for keeping my skin soft and comfortable without feeling heavy. That was a big thing for me, because anything too rich tends to make me feel even more uncomfortable when I’m already warm. These sink in quickly and just feel light on the skin, which makes them easy to use day to day without thinking too much about it. I recommend wearing sunscreen over the day cream if you’re going to be outside, and on some days I did feel like I needed a bit more hydration under makeup. But even then, it still sat well as a base and never felt like it was clogging my skin or sliding around.
The night cream had a lovely fragrance and was just a nice, comfortable layer that left my skin feeling softer in the morning. No greasy residue, no heavy feeling, just a bit more comfort overall.
Overall, what stood out most for me is how practical the range is. It doesn’t try to do too much, it just focuses on making things feel easier day to day, especially during those annoying, and always badly timed power surges that have me running for the air con remote. The mist is definitely the standout for me, and the day cream is something I’d happily keep in my routine.
Shop Vivéa Menopause Skincare online here.
Disclaimer: While this was gifted to the Sans Pareil Online team to review, our opinions are our own and we have not been paid or coaxed to say something either way. If you would like to have your product reviewed please contact us here.
