Last week, I wrote about some of the many ways menopause can affect us, along with practical strategies I have found useful both professionally and personally.

This week, I am moving from understanding the heat to finding a little relief from it.

And as I am still in my FIRE months at My Retreat, the timing really could not be more appropriate! 

No product or treatment can take menopause away, and every woman’s experience will be different. However, there are some beautifully simple products and rituals that may help you feel cooler, calmer and more comfortable, while also caring for skin that may be changing.

Create Your Own Menopause Comfort Kit

Hot flushes do not always arrive when it is convenient to stand in front of an open freezer.

They can appear during the night, in the middle of a meeting, while driving, when you are fully dressed to go somewhere lovely or, naturally, just after you have applied your make-up.

Keeping a few cooling and comforting products nearby means you can respond quickly without making a great performance of it.

You might create a little menopause comfort kit for:

• your bedside table
• your handbag
• your desk or workplace
• the car
• holidays and days out
  
  

Alongside a bottle of water and perhaps a small fan, two of my favourite Temple Spa products for this are Aaahhh! and Toning Essence.

Aaahhh! Instant Cooling Balm

The name really does describe the feeling.

Aaahhh! is Temple Spa’s cooling body balm, created to bring an instant feeling of freshness and comfort to tired, warm or tense areas.

Massage it into places such as:

• the back of the neck
• shoulders
• lower legs
• feet
• anywhere that feels hot, heavy or tired

The cooling sensation makes it particularly lovely when you are feeling overheated, after a long day, following exercise or before bed.

It can also feel wonderfully comforting when restless or uncomfortable legs are making it difficult to settle.

My Aaahhh! Tips

Keep a tube beside the bed so it is easy to reach during the night.

Massage a little into your feet and lower legs before sleep, then take a few slow breaths while you allow the cooling sensation to work.

Keep another tube in your desk or handbag and apply a small amount to the back of your neck when you need a quick moment of freshness.

Aaahhh! is £25 for a full-sized 150ml tube.

Toning Essence: Not Just Part of Your Skincare Routine

Toning Essence is an alcohol-free facial toner that refreshes and hydrates the skin while completing the cleansing stage of your skincare routine.

It is a lovely everyday product, but during warmer weather and menopause it can become so much more than simply the step between cleansing and moisturising.

It comes in a spray bottle, so you can mist it directly over your face, neck and décolletage whenever your skin feels warm, dry or uncomfortable.

And my favourite summer tip?

Keep it in the fridge.

A chilled mist of Toning Essence feels glorious during a hot flush, after being outdoors, when you wake feeling overheated or whenever you need a quick cooling pause.

You can use it:

• first thing in the morning
• after cleansing
• throughout the day
• over make-up as a light refreshing mist
• after time outdoors
• before applying your serum or moisturiser
• during the night if you wake feeling hot

Keeping one at home and another at work or in your bag means cooling refreshment is never too far away.

The Current Toner Offer

Temple Spa’s current toner offer allows you to choose any two toners for £35, saving £15.

You could choose two bottles of Toning Essence and keep them in different places, or pair it with another toner to suit your skin and routine.

For example, Easy on the Eye is a gentle eye make-up remover that can also be used as a facial toner, making it an especially useful two-in-one product for holidays and travelling.

One bottle for your bathroom and one for the fridge sounds entirely reasonable to me.

When Menopause Begins to Show on Your Skin

Hormonal changes do not only affect how we feel. They can also influence the skin, which may become drier, thinner or less firm as we move through menopause.

We often concentrate our skincare on the face, but two of the first places changes can become noticeable are the neck and décolletage and the hands.

These areas are regularly exposed to sunlight and the environment, but they do not always receive the same daily care as the face.

Exalt for the Neck and Décolletage

Exalt is Temple Spa’s firming cream-gel created specifically for the neck and décolletage.

It helps the skin feel softer, smoother and firmer, making it a useful addition when this delicate area begins to look drier or less toned.

Apply it morning and evening after cleansing, using upward sweeping movements over the neck and across the décolletage.

Do not stop your facial skincare at the jawline. Your neck and chest deserve the same regular attention.

Exalt is currently £32 instead of £50, saving £18.

Palm Balm for Hard-Working Hands

Our hands work incredibly hard and are constantly exposed to washing, weather, sunlight and everyday life.

The skin on the hands can be one of the first places to show dryness, pigmentation and other visible signs of ageing, particularly when hormonal changes are also affecting moisture and skin resilience.

Palm Balm is a rich but fast-absorbing hand treatment designed to moisturise, smooth and protect dry hands and nails.

Massage it into the backs of the hands as well as the palms, paying particular attention to the knuckles, cuticles and any areas that feel dry.

Keep one beside the bed and turn applying it into a simple evening ritual. You could also keep one beside the sink or in your handbag so that hand care becomes something you do regularly rather than only when your skin feels uncomfortable.

Palm Balm is normally £20. When you spend £20 or more, you can currently add Palm Balm for half price at £10, saving £10.

Small Rituals Can Make a Difference

Products are most helpful when they become part of a simple routine rather than another thing you buy and forget to use.

Try creating a five-minute evening ritual:

Cleanse your face and mist it with chilled Toning Essence before applying the rest of your skincare.

Smooth Exalt over your neck and décolletage using slow upward movements.

Massage Palm Balm into your hands, fingers and cuticles.

Then apply Aaahhh! to your feet, lower legs and the back of your neck.

Lie or sit quietly for a few minutes and concentrate on slowing your breathing.

It does not need to be elaborate. The aim is simply to give your body a clear signal that the demands of the day are over and it is safe to begin settling.

The ritual may not guarantee a perfect night’s sleep, but it gives you a calmer and more comfortable starting point.

When You Need More Complete Support

Sometimes a cooling mist or five quiet minutes is exactly what you need.

At other times, your body and mind may be asking for something deeper.

My Woman’s Rebalance Experience is a complete three-hour, hands-on treatment designed to support women through hormonal changes, including perimenopause and menopause.

It begins with time to arrive, exhale and step away from everything you have been carrying.

The experience includes a warm foot soak, soothing massage for the neck, shoulders and scalp, and a symmetrical top-to-toe massage using warm and cool rose quartz.

Reflex massage techniques are incorporated for the hands and feet, alongside chakra balancing and nurturing aromas.

The contrasting temperatures of the rose quartz can feel particularly beautiful when your body is struggling to regulate its own temperature, while the slow, balanced nature of the treatment is designed to encourage deep rest.

It is not a medical treatment for menopause, but it offers something many women desperately need: three uninterrupted hours in which they do not have to organise, remember, manage or care for anybody else.

Choose the Support You Need

Menopause support does not have to be all or nothing.

Some days it might mean wearing lighter layers, drinking more water and misting your face with chilled Toning Essence.

Some evenings it might mean applying Aaahhh!, caring for your neck and hands and going to bed earlier.

And sometimes it might mean acknowledging that a five-minute ritual is not enough, and giving yourself permission to receive several hours of proper, nurturing care.

The most important thing is to notice what your body is asking for and to stop treating your own comfort as an optional extra.

You deserve support through this transition.

Preferably with a cold facial mist, a cooling balm and several removable layers close at hand.

Love, Julia 🤍