Stripes Ulta Launch: Menopausal Skin in 2026

The fact that roughly 78% of women between 45 and 60 notice their skin’s texture and resilience tanking isn’t a surprise, it’s a direct result of hormonal shifts that make specialized aftercare essential. The upcoming Stripes Ulta launch is a big deal because it finally improves access to targeted solutions for these issues. It’s about addressing the real physiological changes happening beneath the surface.

45% of Women Report Increased Skin Sensitivity During Perimenopause and Menopause

A 2025 survey from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) found that almost half of all women going through perimenopause and menopause develop heightened skin sensitivity. This isn’t a small thing. It completely changes what products you can tolerate and what treatments are safe, especially hair removal. As estrogen levels drop, the skin’s barrier function weakens, leaving it wide open to irritation. For a waxing client, this means the skin is going to be more reactive to the wax, the pull, and everything you put on it afterward. The old advice for younger skin, use a strong astringent or exfoliate right away, is just asking for trouble here. The entire focus has to switch to calming, hydrating, and repairing that barrier. Think about how a sweater you’ve worn for years can suddenly feel scratchy, or a trusted face cream starts to sting. That’s the new reality for a lot of women, and it’s why a brand like Stripes, now at Ulta Beauty, is so welcome with its formulations designed to soothe instead of strip.

Estrogen Decline Leads to a 30% Reduction in Collagen Production in the First Five Years Post-Menopause

Estrogen has a massive effect on collagen production, and a 2024 study from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) confirmed that collagen synthesis plummets by about a third in the first five years after menopause. Collagen is what gives skin its structure and bounce, so losing it means the skin gets thinner, less elastic, and much more likely to tear or bruise from a wax strip. This makes the waxing service trickier and the recovery time absolutely critical. As a professional, you have to change your technique for this fragile skin. For the client, aftercare is now about supporting the skin’s compromised structure, not just preventing a few ingrown hairs. This is where products with peptides become useful, as they can send signals to encourage what little collagen production is left. Emollients and humectants are also non-negotiable for maintaining some plumpness, which helps to visually soften the effects of collagen loss. Without that intense hydration and support, skin quickly becomes crepey and defenseless against environmental damage.

Skin pH Can Increase by 0.5 Units in Menopausal Women, Affecting Barrier Function

Late 2024 research in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science showed a measurable pH shift in menopausal skin, which tends to drift from its happy, slightly acidic state toward neutral or even alkaline. That half-point change might not sound like much, but it messes with the skin’s acid mantle, its protective shield. A disrupted acid mantle is more porous, so it can’t hold onto moisture and it lets irritants in, which is why many menopausal women complain about chronic dryness and tightness. In terms of aftercare, this means we have to choose products that help coax the skin’s pH back down to its optimal level of around 5.5. This nuanced approach might involve using formulas with a carefully balanced pH or even very low concentrations of something like lactic acid to gently guide the skin back to health. If you ignore this pH shift, you’re just signing up for prolonged irritation and a much slower healing time after any kind of treatment.

Up to 60% of Menopausal Women Experience Xerosis (Severe Dry Skin)

The Mayo Clinic reported in 2025 that xerosis, or clinically severe dry skin, affects up to 60% of menopausal women. We’re not talking about a little surface flakiness. It’s a deep, persistent dryness caused by oil glands producing less sebum and a malfunctioning skin barrier. Skin this dry has no flexibility, which makes it incredibly prone to the micro-tears that happen during a wax. It also heals much more slowly. Because of this, aftercare for menopausal skin must be all about intense, sustained hydration. This means you have to layer products: start with a hydrating serum and then seal it all in with a rich, occlusive moisturizer. You need to be looking for ingredients that mimic the skin’s own building blocks, like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane. This layering creates a protective seal that locks in moisture so the skin can finally recover. Skipping this step leads directly to prolonged discomfort, flaky patches, and a higher risk of ingrowns because the dry, tight skin can’t shed properly.

The Conventional Wisdom on Exfoliation Often Fails Menopausal Skin Post-Waxing

Most basic aftercare guides will tell you to start exfoliating right away to prevent ingrown hairs. This advice can be a disaster for menopausal skin. In my two decades of experience, I’ve seen the damage it can cause. For skin that is already thinner, drier, and more sensitive, aggressive physical scrubs or strong chemical exfoliants (like high-percentage AHAs or BHAs) just inflict more trauma. They create micro-abrasions and fire up inflammation, further destroying an already weak skin barrier. This can result in redness that won’t quit, painful sensitivity, and even post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. A much gentler plan is required. After waxing menopausal skin, the priority is to calm and heal it. Wait at least 48 to 72 hours, and then only use a mild enzymatic exfoliant or just a soft washcloth with a creamy cleanser. The idea is to encourage cell turnover without stripping or irritating anything. Many over-the-counter lines fail here because they’re built on the assumption of a universal, resilient skin type. Stripes’ products are different because they’re formulated to work *with* the skin’s healing process. This entire approach is a necessary shift in how we think about aftercare, finally acknowledging that skin has different needs at different stages of life. Recognizing these physiological changes is everything if you want to provide effective aftercare, particularly after a service like waxing. The Stripes Ulta launch helps by making specialized solutions more available to women working through these changes. A routine tailored for hydration, barrier repair, and gentle soothing will dramatically improve post-waxing comfort and long-term skin health for anyone experiencing menopause. It’s also smart to be vetting aftercare products carefully for any sensitive skin.