Why Skin Changes With Age and How to Restore Its Strength Naturally

As we age, every system in the body evolves, but few changes are as visible as those that appear on our skin. Fine lines, crepiness, dryness, slower healing, uneven tone and increased sensitivity all become more common… and while many people put these changes down to “getting older”, the truth is far more hopeful.

Your skin doesn’t simply age because the calendar turns over. It ages because of the inputs it receives, hormones, stress levels, inflammation, nutrients, hydration, environmental exposure and the care rituals we give it (or don’t).

This is where a therapeutic approach to skincare becomes powerful.

Enter: UnFrazzled™ Calm Hand Cream and Body Lotion, your daily, plant-powered ritual for soothing the nervous system while restoring skin barrier strength, hydration and resilience.

Let’s explore why the skin changes with age, how menopause accelerates those shifts, and why ingredients like squalane (and stress-reducing adaptogens) become non-negotiables for healthy, glowing, age-resilient skin.

Your skin is anything but superficial.

It is your largest organ, responsible for:

• Temperature regulation
• Immune defence
• Microbiome balance
• Detoxification through sweat
• Barrier protection against chemicals, pathogens and pollutants
• Sensory communication with the nervous system

As you age, this organ doesn’t simply “look different,” it functions differently too.

Dermal collagen declines by around 1% per year, the barrier becomes thinner and more permeable, and your natural oil production drops. This leaves the skin more prone to:

• 
  Dryness
  
• Flakiness
• Sensitivity
• Inflammation
• Dullness
• Micro-tears and slower healing

Menopause triggers one of the most dramatic changes in skin health due to declining oestrogen. Oestrogen supports:

• Collagen synthesis
• Elasticity and firmness
• Skin hydration
• Mucosal moisture
• Healthy wound healing
• Circulation and radiance

When levels begin fluctuating (often a decade before menopause), women may notice:

• 
  Crepey skin
• More dryness
• Loss of plumpness
• Sagging
• Itchiness
• Slower healing
• Increased skin sensitivity

This is why peri-menopause and post-menopausal skin benefits so strongly from lipid-rich moisturisers, barrier support, and ingredients that calm the nervous system (because stress hormones can deepen skin ageing just as much as hormonal changes).

Which brings us to one of the most misunderstood nutrients for ageing skin…

Your skin naturally produces a lipid called squalene, making up around 10–15% of your sebum in youth. It keeps the skin soft, hydrated and protected.

But here’s the missing piece no one talks about:

Squalene production drops dramatically with age

By the time you reach your 40s and 50s, natural squalene levels decline significantly, especially during menopause. The result?

• 
  A weaker barrier
• More moisture loss
• Rougher texture
• Increased irritation
• Acceleration of fine lines
• Poor resilience to environmental stress

The problem:

Squalene (with an “e”) is unstable, oxidises easily and can actually become inflammatory on the skin.

The solution:

Squalane (with an “a”) — a stable, hydrogenated version that mimics your natural skin oils without oxidising.

And the best part?

The squalane used in our UnFrazzled™ range is naturally derived from olives, a clean, plant-based, sustainable source.

It is:

• 
  Highly biocompatible
• Non-comedogenic
• Deeply hydrating
• Calming to inflammation
• Barrier-rebuilding
• Perfect for dry, menopausal or ageing skin

Olive-derived squalane is considered the gold standard because it closely mirrors the skin’s own lipids, absorbs beautifully and supports long-term barrier health, without the greasiness of traditional oils.

Most moisturisers stop at hydration.

UnFrazzled™ adds something that becomes more important as you age:

Therapeutic stress-reducing benefits.

Because stress is one of the fastest ways to age the skin.

When you’re stressed, cortisol:

• 
  Breaks down collagen
• Slows skin healing
• Disrupts the microbiome
• Increases inflammation
• Thins the skin over time
• Deepens wrinkles and pigmentation
• Reduces barrier strength

UnFrazzled™ combines barrier-loving botanicals with nervous-system-calming plant extracts, creating a two-in-one ritual:

For your skin:

• Squalane
• Fatty acids
• Hydration-locking botanicals
• Barrier-repairing nutrients

For your nervous system:

• Essential oils chosen to calm, settle and “defuse” stress
• A grounding daily ritual that signals the body to shift out of fight-or-flight
• A sensory experience that promotes relaxation

When you reduce stress, you aren’t just helping your mood, you’re improving your entire biology:

• 
  Better sleep
• Lower inflammation
• Fewer flare-ups of skin conditions like eczema or hives
• Balanced blood sugar
• Improved hormone communication
• Better immunity
• Enhanced skin repair and collagen maintenance
• Increased feelings of wellbeing and vitality

Ageing well is not a single action — it is a series of micro-habits that support the body’s natural longevity systems.

Morning:

Apply after showering to lock in hydration and set the tone for a calm day.

During the day:

Use the Hand Cream whenever life feels hectic, fast, stressful or overwhelming. It doubles as a “reset button” for your nervous system.

Evening:

Massage the Body Lotion into the arms, chest and legs as a wind-down ritual.
Your brain begins associating the scent with rest, calm and safety, a perfect transition into sleep.

Ageing isn’t just a skin issue.  It’s a whole-body journey that blends hormones, stress, environment and lifestyle.

UnFrazzled™ Calm Hand Cream and Body Lotion support you on every level:

• Rebuild the skin barrier
• Replenish squalane loss
• Soothe inflammation and sensitivity
• Reduce stress and cortisol impact
• Promote relaxation and nervous system balance
• Create daily rituals that support healthy ageing