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Hello.

Skin seems drier with age. Due partly to lower oestrogen maybe?

It's a struggle to hydrate facial skin enough, to avoid continuous peeling/molting. Especially around the nose which feels sore and dry. This is despite using a hydrating toner after gentle cleansing, and hydrating serums and moisturiser, and increasing water intake. What are your recommendations?

Thanks very much. Used to have oily skin and hair so it's quite a change!

As we age, our skin becomes drier because of a decrease in the natural lipid and water content. This is indeed compounded by the menopause due to a fall in the levels of "skin friendly" oestrogen. I would recommend a dermatological grade moisturiser that contains urea (at least 10%), which is highly moisturising. You should moisturise at least twice a day. You should also use a gentle cleanser when washing your face, as normal foaming cleansers (and toners) can worsen dryness. Cetaphil, CeraVe and Eucerin are good brands. Gently pat your skin dry after washing and apply the moisturiser immediately afterwards as this helps to lock in moisture. At night time, you could use a hyaluronic acid based serum before applying moisturiser.

The soreness and dryness around your nose could be in keeping with mild seborrhoeic dermatitis - there is specific treatment for this, which you can discuss with your GP.

I hope that this is helpful.