Menopause is a time when everything changes. With collagen levels dropping and hormones in flux, hair and skin become dry and feel more damaged than they did before. The products we used pre-menopause may no longer be as effective, so looking for something formulated to address these changes is essential. Dr Meno/pause has created a range of affordable products precisely for the purpose. I tested some of the range to see how effective they are.
Dr Meno/pause haircare
The haircare range is the smallest part of the Dr Meno/pause lineup, with just a single shampoo and conditioner for all hair types. Boost Me Strengthening Shampoo is described as a revitalising, restorative shampoo for thinning hair.
It contains what we all understand to be the right ingredients to address thinning and dry hair. Caffeine, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid all encourage the growth of healthy hair, and are commonly found in hair products that leave hair feeling sleek and well nourished.
Strengthen Me Nourishing Conditioner is the second product in the haircare range. This repairing conditioner, as Dr Meno/pause describes it, contains argan oil and hyaluronic acid to keep hair looking hydrated and shiny and reduce hair breakage.
Using the haircare products
I’ve been using both the Boost Me shampoo and the Strengthen Me conditioner for a few weeks now, and I have seen some positive results. I have found that brushing causes less hair loss than before, which is a strong positive. I also found that after washing and conditioning, my hair did feel a little softer. It wasn’t an immediate change, but after the first few washes, I did feel the results.
While the shampoo and conditioner left my hair feeling clean and slightly improved, I missed a beautiful, feminine scent. For me, what enhances the feeling of freshly washed, nourished hair is a subtle scent that lasts for a day or two after washing. Don’t get me wrong, the products don’t have an unpleasant scent, but what is there is just a little too neutral.
I was impressed by how well the shampoo lathered and distributed through my hair, and by how little product was needed per wash. Couple this with the price point – £12 each for a product with the word menopause attached is a refreshing change – and it offers reasonable value for money.
Dr Meno/pause skincare
The skincare range is slightly more extensive, with five products currently available. I tested the Hydrate Me Day Moisturiser and Soothe Me Sleep Cream, and for me, these produced more impressive results.
Using the skincare products
From the very first use of the Hydrate Me Day Moisturiser, I found that my skin felt beautifully smooth and soft. I’m often not very good at sticking to a morning and evening skincare routine, but having had that experience straight off the bat, I decided to commit to cleansing and then moisturising morning and evening for two weeks to see the results.
I tend to keep my skincare fairly simple, using only a face wash in the morning and evening. and a moisturiser once, sometimes twice each day. Using the same cleansing routine, I supplemented the Dr Meno/pause products for my usual moisturiser. Just a fingerful of each of the creams was enough to cover my face and neck with ease.
Again, I was impressed. Both the Hydrate Me Day Moisturiser and the Soothe Me Sleep Cream absorbed easily into the skin, leaving it feeling fresh and hydrated without any hint of oiliness. The peptides, niacinamides and vitamins were clearly doing all that they are designed to do, and my skin felt fabulous.
Dr Meno/pause skin and haircare: The verdict
As we age and undergo the indignity of menopause, changing our longstanding self-care routines can feel like a huge upheaval. The crowded beauty market is filled with creams, lotions and potions that are reputed to do everything we need and more, but those purporting to help with menopause issues are often accompanied by a huge price tag, or simply don’t have the promised results.
Dr Meno/pause is a little different. It doesn’t promise to make you look and feel like a 20-year-old, but it does aim improve the condition of your hair and skin. And it does.
What’s even better is that it does so at a reasonable price. The products range from £12 to £15, so even if you try them and find they don’t give the results you hoped for, you haven’t had to sell the family jewels to find out.
The only real criticism I have is the packaging. For many, it won’t be such an issue, but for me, it has been a real problem. Once I take my glasses off to shower or wash and moisturise, I have no chance of reading the labels. With many products, that’s no problem, with shampoo and conditioner often being in slightly different shaped or coloured bottles, but with Dr Meno/pause, both are the same. Granted, the colour runs from pink to purple on one and purple to pink on the other, but on heavy brain fog mornings, it’s unlikely I’ll remember which is which. The face creams, once removed from their respective boxes, look, to my blurry eyes, exactly the same. I’ve had to leave the jars in the boxes so that I can more easily tell them apart.
Set aside this packaging pickiness, and Dr Meno/pause offers a well-priced range of uncomplicated, effective products. Each product serves a purpose across the various stages of the menopause journey, leaving you feeling revitalised and nourished in the gentlest way possible.
Tested: Dr Meno/pause haircare and skincare products
Price: From £12
Average Janes rating: ★★★★☆
