Well+Good: “Does the New Class of Menopause-Specific Skin Care Really Deliver Benefits”
Retinol is a bit trickier. It’s hard to find the collagen-boosting ingredient in menopause-specific skin care—perhaps because it can be drying or irritating if not formulated well. One exception is Emepelle Night Cream , which contains retinol along with peptides and a unique active ingredient: Methyl estradiolpropanoate (the company calls it MEP technology). The ingredient interacts with the estrogen receptors in the skin to increase moisture retention and improve elasticity and collagen production. “Most medical experts consider this ingredient to be safe, and it’s definitely interesting,” says Dr. Hirsch. “There’s legitimate clinical data on this, but the studies suggest only a mild improvement in the skin, so it’s far from a home run.”