For some women, perimenopause means the makeup drawer barely gets opened anymore, foundation that used to feel effortless now sits unevenly on drier skin, and the ten extra minutes it takes in the morning suddenly feel like more than you have to give. For others, it is the opposite, a newfound, almost defiant investment in skincare and grooming rituals, as if reclaiming some control over how you look and feel. Both reactions are common, and both are worth understanding rather than judging yourself for.
Quick Answer
Perimenopause changes your relationship with makeup and beauty rituals through a mix of practical factors, drier and more reactive skin, less time and energy, and psychological ones, shifting identity, body image changes, and a reassessment of what actually feels worth the effort now. Neither abandoning makeup nor doubling down on beauty routines is inherently right or wrong, what matters is that the choice feels like yours, not a response to shame or pressure.
- Hormonal skin changes, dryness, sensitivity, texture shifts, genuinely change how makeup looks and feels
- Reduced time, energy, and cognitive bandwidth from brain fog and fatigue affect willingness to maintain routines
- Identity shifts during perimenopause can make old beauty rituals feel disconnected from who you feel like now
- Some women use skincare and grooming rituals as a genuinely helpful form of self-care and control during this stage
- There is no correct response, dropping makeup and investing more in it can both be healthy adjustments
Pulling back
Less interest in makeup, simplified or abandoned routines, prioritising comfort and time over appearance, sometimes tied to feeling disconnected from how you look now, or simply not having the bandwidth.
Leaning in
New or renewed investment in skincare, grooming, or makeup, often framed by women as reclaiming a sense of control, care, or identity during a stage that can otherwise feel destabilising.
Why Does Makeup Suddenly Feel Different on Your Skin?
Perimenopausal skin genuinely behaves differently, and this is not in your head. Declining oestrogen reduces collagen production and skin’s ability to retain moisture, which commonly leads to increased dryness, more visible texture, and sometimes patchiness, all of which change how foundation, powder, and other base products sit on your face. Products that worked well for years can suddenly look cakey, settle into fine lines more visibly, or feel uncomfortable in a way they did not before, simply because the skin underneath has changed.
Skin can also become more reactive and sensitive during this stage, making some products that were previously fine cause irritation, redness, or breakouts. This is a real, physiological shift, not a sign you are doing your skincare or makeup wrong, and it often means routines that worked for a decade genuinely need to be revisited and adjusted rather than forced to keep working.
Why Do Some Women Stop Bothering With Makeup Altogether?
For many women, the honest answer is simply capacity. Between disrupted sleep, fatigue, and the general cognitive load of brain fog, the ten or fifteen minutes that used to go into a makeup routine can start to feel like a genuine expense you no longer have the bandwidth for, especially on days already stretched thin by work and family responsibilities. This is less about not caring how you look and more about a real, felt shortage of time and energy that has to be allocated somewhere.
There can also be a psychological layer, a sense of disconnect between how you feel inside, exhausted, unsettled, not quite yourself, and the effort of presenting a polished, put-together face to the world. Some women describe it as beauty rituals starting to feel performative or dishonest during a stage where they are already working hard just to feel okay internally, and pulling back becomes less about giving up and more about simplifying what feels authentic right now.
Why Do Other Women Suddenly Invest More?
For a meaningful number of women, perimenopause triggers the opposite reaction, a renewed or even first-time interest in skincare, grooming, and self-presentation. This often gets described less as vanity and more as a form of reclaiming agency during a stage where so much else, your cycle, your sleep, your mood, feels unpredictable and out of your control. A consistent morning skincare ritual or a considered approach to makeup can function as a small, controllable act of care in a period that otherwise feels chaotic.
This can also be tied to identity work happening during perimenopause more broadly. As many women reassess who they are and what they want in this next chapter, some find that investing in how they look and feel is part of actively choosing a version of themselves for this stage, rather than passively accepting an image shaped by fatigue and stress.
There Is No “Correct” Response Here
Both directions, pulling back and leaning in, can be entirely healthy, and the direction itself is not the thing worth examining. What is worth paying attention to is whether the shift feels like a genuine choice, made from what actually feels good and sustainable to you right now, versus a reaction driven by shame about how you look, pressure from others’ comments, or simply exhaustion you have not addressed elsewhere. A simplified routine chosen because it genuinely suits your current life is different from abandoning care of yourself out of low mood or depletion you have not acknowledged.
If either shift is accompanied by a broader loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, persistent low mood, or a sense of not caring about yourself at all, it is worth gently checking whether that reflects a mood symptom worth discussing with a doctor, rather than simply a lifestyle preference.
In the Indian Context
Appearance and grooming carry particular social weight for many Indian women, tied to family expectations, festival and wedding culture, and sometimes direct commentary from relatives about how you “look tired” or have “let yourself go.” This can make pulling back from makeup during perimenopause feel like it invites unwanted comment in a way it might not elsewhere, adding a layer of social pressure on top of an already difficult adjustment.
It is worth deciding, deliberately, how much weight you want to give that commentary. A brief, matter-of-fact response, “I’m just more comfortable like this these days,” tends to close the conversation faster than a lengthy explanation, and you are not obligated to justify a change in your own routine to satisfy someone else’s expectations of how you should present yourself.
| Your experience | What it might reflect | Worth doing |
|---|---|---|
| Skin reacting differently to old products | Genuine hormonal changes in skin barrier and moisture | Simplify and gently update your routine, patch-test new products |
| Less interest in makeup generally | Reduced capacity, identity shift, or both | Fine as is, if it feels like a genuine preference rather than avoidance |
| Newfound interest in skincare or grooming | A form of self-care and reclaiming control | Also fine, lean into it if it genuinely feels good |
| Complete loss of interest in appearance alongside low mood | Possible underlying mood symptom | Worth mentioning to a doctor, particularly if mood is affected broadly |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for makeup that used to work perfectly to suddenly look wrong on my skin? Yes, very commonly. Changes in skin moisture, texture, and sensitivity during perimenopause genuinely alter how base makeup products perform, and switching to more hydrating, lightweight formulas often helps more than technique changes alone.
Should I be worried if I have lost all interest in how I look? Not necessarily on its own, many women simplify their routines during this stage. But if it is accompanied by broader low mood, loss of interest in other things you used to enjoy, or a general sense of not caring about anything, it is worth mentioning to a doctor, since this can be a sign of a mood symptom worth addressing.
Is it shallow to feel like skincare and makeup genuinely help my mood during perimenopause? No. Small, controllable rituals of self-care can genuinely support mood and a sense of agency during a destabilising life stage, and finding something that helps you feel more like yourself is a reasonable thing to value, not something that needs justifying.
What skincare changes are worth prioritising during perimenopause? Gentler, more hydrating cleansers, a genuine moisturiser suited to drier skin, daily sunscreen, and patch-testing new products before full use tend to serve perimenopausal skin well, alongside general good habits like adequate water intake and sleep, which also affect how skin looks and feels.
The Second Spring is an information resource, not a medical provider. For personal advice, speak with your doctor or gynaecologist. Write to us at thesecondspringofficial@gmail.com
You Don't Have to Go Through This Alone
Perimenopause can feel confusing and isolating, but you don't have to figure it out by yourself. Talk to a gynaecologist or doctor who understands perimenopause about what you're experiencing, or see how other Indian women are navigating the same changes in our community.
In a medical emergency, call 112. For mental health support, iCall can be reached at 9152987821 (Mon–Sat, 8am–10pm).
