OQ-02: Do changes in skin barrier lipids explain menopausal dryness, and can topical lipids correct them?
Status: open. Status as of . Version 1.0.
This page describes research, not your skin. Talk to your own doctor about your situation.
What we can say today
Researchers do not yet know whether changes in the skin's barrier lipids explain the dryness many people notice around menopause. One small study found that ceramides in the outer skin layer look different after menopause. We found no trial that tests topical ceramides on their own in menopausal skin. One small trial tested a mixed product that contained ceramide.
Why it matters
Dryness is one of the skin changes most often linked to menopause, and many people describe skin that feels tight after washing. Ceramides are a family of fats that help the outer skin layer hold water. If their profile shifts after menopause, that would offer one possible explanation and a clear target for research.
For researchers, the question has two parts that are easy to blur. The first is whether the lipid change causes dryness. The second is whether putting lipids on the skin changes anything people can feel. A finding on the first part says nothing yet about the second.
What is known
- A 2022 review in Climacteric describes dryness among the skin symptoms linked to menopause. [1]
- A 2022 cross-sectional and lab study in Scientific Reports compared small groups of White Caucasian women (7, 11 and 10 participants) and found lower and shorter ceramides in the outer skin layer after menopause. The change was not seen in women using hormone therapy. Skin samples came from the buttock, not the face. Two authors were employed by a cosmetics company. [2]
- A 2023 randomized, placebo controlled trial in the Journal of Clinical Medicine tested a multi ingredient topical product that included ceramide on the facial skin of 50 postmenopausal women for 6 weeks. Because the product combined several ingredients, the trial could not show the effect of ceramide on its own. [3]
Why it is still open
The lipid study was small, and it measured one point in time, so it can show a difference between groups but not what caused it. It used buttock skin, which is rarely exposed to sun, and facial skin may behave differently (see OQ-03). It measured lipids, not how dry skin felt to the women.
The one trial on facial skin was short and tested a blend. Any effect could come from another ingredient, from the base cream, or from the mix. We found no trial that isolates topical ceramides in menopausal skin.
What would answer it
Two kinds of study. First, a larger study that measures barrier lipids and dryness that people report in the same women, ideally over time across the menopause transition, and in facial as well as body skin. Second, a randomized trial in menopausal skin that compares a ceramide preparation with the same base without ceramide, over several months, with dryness as the main outcome.
Sources
1. Zouboulis, et al. Skin, hair and beyond: the impact of menopause. Climacteric. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2022.2050206 PMID 35377827. Verified on 2026-10-12. Note: one author affiliation with a cosmetics company.
2. Kendall, et al. Menopause induces changes to the stratum corneum ceramide profile, which are prevented by hormone replacement therapy. Sci Rep. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26095-0 PMID 36522440. Verified on 2026-10-12. Note: two authors employed by a cosmetics company.
3. Na Takuathung, et al. Efficacy and Safety of the Genistein Nutraceutical Product Containing Vitamin E, Vitamin B3, and Ceramide on Skin Health in Postmenopausal Women: RCT. J Clin Med. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12041326 PMID 36835861. Verified on 2026-10-12.
Related on MenoDerm
Status history
| Date | From | To | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (none) | open | Page created, status set | (none) |
Cite this page
MenoDerm Open Question OQ-02, version 1.0, , /open-questions/do-barrier-lipids-explain-menopausal-dryness.
MenoDerm explains research. It does not give medical advice and is not a clinic. Talk to your own doctor about your situation. The status describes the research, not your situation.