For a decade, I have been running Skin Elixir with what I call a blank brain. I’ve spent well over ten years feeling as though I was walking through mental treacle - struggling to find the right words, losing my train of thought mid-sentence, and living with a spiky irritability.

At 52, I’ve spent the last 16 years asking a single ovary and one fallopian tube to do the work of two. After a somewhat miracle twin pregnancy at 39, I now realise my body has been running a hormonal marathon on a nearly empty tank. Like so many of us, I assumed my 'blank brain' and irritability were just the inevitable 'tax' of the menopause. Following the standard advice that low oestrogen was the sole culprit, I’ve been using Evorel Conti patches - yet the 'belly tyre' only grew, my arthritic toe joint throbbed with constant inflammation, and my confidence hit an all-time low. I was doing exactly what I was told, so why did I still feel so chemically 'spiky' and physically exhausted?

The Molecular Secret to a Calm Mind

In the UK, the standard HRT protocol is naturally focused on safety specifically protecting the womb. Because I have an intact uterus, I was prescribed the combined patch  Evorel Conti, which includes a synthetic progestogen to keep the lining healthy. This is an essential safety measure, but for me, it felt like only half the story. I’ve realised that while my patch was protecting my body, my brain and metabolism were still crying out for the body-identical version of progesterone. Even on combined HRT, I still felt that emergency hunger and more strikingly spiky irritability because, I know understand, my nervous system was missing the specific natural molecule it needed to feel at peace.

The Molecular Gap: Why My Combined Patch Isn’t Enough

Even though I am still using Evorel Conti a combined patch that contains both oestrogen and a synthetic progestogen (Norethisterone) I am finally realising why I’ve continued to struggle with spiky moods and a blank brain. I now understand that while synthetic progestogens like the one in my patch are chemically engineered to protect the womb lining, they lack the specific molecular shape required to convert into allopregnanolone in the brain (National Institutes of Health) . In contrast, the Natural Progesterone USP I am now using is body-identical. Because its structure matches our own hormones exactly, it crosses the blood-brain barrier to activate GABA receptors, which is the biological mechanism currently switching off my 'mother rage' and anxiety. While the synthetic version in my Evorel Conti patch focuses on my uterus, only this natural molecule found in the NOW Solutions Progesterone provides the sedative, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic calm that is finally ending my 16-year fog and emergency hunger.

The Endometriosis Connection: Calming the Fire

This isn't just about menopause; it’s about any condition driven by hormonal fire, such as endometriosis. For those suffering from endo, oestrogen acts like fuel, causing lesions to grow and inflame. Natural progesterone acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory extinguisher.  It switches off the inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins) that cause that lightning bolt pelvic pain. By introducing Progesterone USP, you aren't just masking the pain; you are chemically signaling those overactive cells to enter a resting state, providing a level of relief that oestrogen-heavy protocols simply cannot reach.

The Brain-Skin Connection: Nourishing the Surface

As the founder of Skin Elixir, I’ve spent years studying how stress and hormones manifest on our faces. There is a powerful Brain-Skin Connection; when your brain is inflamed and your cortisol is spiky, your skin reflects that distress through dullness, sensitivity, and hormonal puffiness.

Just as my brain is needing the calm of progesterone to find its focus, our skin needs the right topical food to find its glow. My natural skin-quenching products are handmade to mirror this philosophy of deep, botanical nourishment. When you use a quenching balm or serum, you are providing the external satiety your skin craves-calming the surface inflammation just as progesterone calms the internal fire.

My Awakening: The First 24 Hours

After much research I decided to try a high-quality progesterone cream (NOW Solutions) alongside a 24-hour fast to give my body a clean slate. 

The shift was instant:

The hunger switch - within hours of my first dose, my frantic hunger vanished. Progesterone slows gastric emptying, meaning a light dinner actually felt like enough. I felt an absolute, peaceful satiety I haven't known in years I can remember anyway.

The inflammation cool-down - I have an osteoarthritic toe with bone spurs that usually throbs with every step. Overnight, that throb went quiet. By dumping oestrogen-driven water retention, progesterone gives the joint breathing room.

The return of confidence - confidence is chemistry. By hitting the brain’s GABA receptors, progesterone kills the jittery anxiety and repairs the myelin sheath (the insulation on your nerves). For the first time in as long as I can recall, the fog is thinning. I am finding my words again.

What about the brain fog?

For me, the internal 'noise' quietened down within hours, but the real magic happens over the first few weeks. While the calming effect on your GABA receptors is almost instant, the physical repair of your brain’s wiring (the myelin sheath) is a gradual process. Most women find that the 'blank brain' starts to sharpen after about 14 days of consistent nightly use, with the most profound clarity returning between months one and three (National Institutes of Health).

Nourish the Skin You’re In-Inside and Out

At Skin Elixir, I’ve always believed in handmade, botanical nourishment to support your skin’s glow. But I’ve realised that nourishing the skin you're in means listening to the cries for help from within.

If you are feeling wired and tired, struggling with your memory, or fighting a belly tyre that won't budge, you aren't failing. You may just be progesterone starved. I’m finally waking up from a 16-year marathon, and I want you to know: My intuition telling me there had to be an answer was right. There is a way to find your calm, your confidence, and your fullness again. 

The Brain-Skin Connection: Why Topical 'Feeding' Matters

Just as my brain needed the chemical hug of progesterone to find its focus, our skin needs the right food to manage the external effects of hormonal shifts. There is a profound Brain-Skin Connection; when your brain is inflamed and your cortisol is spiky, your skin reflects that distress through dullness, sensitivity, and hormonal puffiness.

I’ve spent ten years perfecting my range to nourish the skin you’re in, and these two products are my personal anchors for hormonal skin:

Organic Frankincense & May Chang Moisturiser £27 Skin Elixir

This is my quenching hero. Frankincense has been used for centuries to calm the nervous system and reduce inflammation. Combined with May Chang, it acts as an aromatherapy ritual that grounds you while it physically cools the skin. It’s perfect for that hot and bothered hormonal face, instantly taking down redness and puffiness.

Super Natural Oil 2% Bakuchiol Day Oil UK £33.00 Skin Elixir

This is liquid gold for menopausal skin. It contains 2% Bakuchiol -a natural, non-irritating alternative to retinol - which helps with the collagen loss that happens when oestrogen drops. It’s packed with Black Seed Oil and Clary Sage (which contains phytoestrogens), working to firm and tighten the skin while providing that lit from within glow that oestrogen dominance usually steals from us. 

The Hormonal Cliff: The 75% Drop

Many women don't realise that as we move through our 40s and 50s, our hormones don't drop in unison. They fall at terrifyingly different rates. Between the ages of 35 and 50, progesterone levels typically plummet by a staggering 75%, while oestrogen only declines by about 35%.

By the time we reach menopause, we might have half the oestrogen we once had, but our natural progesterone has often plummeted to almost zero. If you have a single ovary, like me, that 'hormonal cliff' is even steeper and happened much sooner. When we add a combined HRT patch like Evorel Conti into this gap, we are successfully replacing our oestrogen and protecting our womb with a synthetic progestogen but we aren't necessarily 'replacing' the body-identical progesterone our brain and metabolism are starving for.

This can leave us in a state of progesterone deficiency where, despite being on HRT, our body still lacks the specific molecular key needed to stay calm, lean, and clear-headed. It is only by 'topping up' with a body-identical Progesterone USP that I'm finally bridging that 75% deficit and switching off the 16-year emergency signal in my nervous system.

The Havoc: A Body in 'Emergency Mode'

When this ratio is skewed, your body enters a state of metabolic chaos. It isn't just about hot flushes; it’s a total systemic breakdown:

The cortisol steal - when progesterone is low, your body steals what’s left to make cortisol (the stress hormone). This keeps you in a permanent state of fight or flight, which is why you feel spiky, irritable, and unable to cope with small stressors.

The histamine explosion - oestrogen is a histamine stimulator, while progesterone is a mast-cell stabiliser. Without progesterone, your histamine levels skyrocket, leading to skin rashes, itchy skin, and increased joint pain-like my throbbing osteoarthritic toe.

The collagen collapse - progesterone is essential for the production of the enzymes that build collagen. When it drops by 75%, your skin loses its bounce almost overnight. This is why a quenching approach with my Super Natural Oil is so vital; it provides the topical lipids your skin can no longer manufacture for itself.

Why Your Memory Feels Like 'Treacle'

This isn't just forgetfulness. It is a physical change in how your brain cells communicate. Progesterone is a neurosteroid; it acts as the insulation (myelin) for your brain's wiring. When that 75% drop happens, your internal internet connection goes from high-speed fibre to a glitchy, slow dial-up. You know the word is there, but the signal can't get through the inflamed treacle to find it. Adding Progesterone USP (like I'm already finding) is like finally upgrading your brain's hardware.

Taming the 'Mother Rage': Why Progesterone is the Ultimate Calm

Many of us spend years feeling guilty for what we call "Mother Rage" - that sudden, white-hot flash of irritability or spikiness that feels like a loss of control. If you have been living with a single ovary since having twins, like me, your calm tank has likely been empty for over a decade. This isn't a personality flaw; it is a chemical deficit.

Progesterone is the precursor to allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid that acts like a natural valium for the brain by plugging directly into your GABA receptors. When your progesterone levels drop by that staggering 75%, your brain loses its internal buffer.

Without this chemical cushion, every small stressor - a loud noise, a messy kitchen, or a forgotten task - hits your nervous system like an electric shock. 

Adding Progesterone USP doesn't just make you sleepy; it effectively softens your reaction to the world, allowing you to move from a state of agitated exhaustion back into a place of quiet, confident poise.

What a beautiful realisation. I hope this blog has posed some food for thought.

Credible sources:

The Science of Satiety and Weight

Appetite Suppression: Recent research published in Steroids (2024) demonstrates that progesterone treatment can significantly reduce food intake and body weight in post-menopausal conditions, highlighting its role in regulating fat mass. (ScienceDirect).

Curbing Cravings: A study on addiction pathways found that serum progesterone levels correlate negatively with cravings, suggesting it helps dampen the "reward" signals in the brain that lead to compulsive eating or sugar seeking (ScienceDirect).

The Insulin Connection: Progesterone helps the body manage insulin resistance, a common driver of the "belly tyre" during menopause when oestrogen is unopposed (Diabetes UK).

The Brain and Memory 'Awakening'

Myelin Repair: Progesterone is a well-documented neurosteroid that promotes the formation of new myelin sheaths (the insulation on your brain's wiring), which is essential for clearing brain fog and restoring memory (PMC - NIH).

GABA and Calm: Progesterone converts into allopregnanolone, which activates GABA receptors in the brain - the same receptors targeted by anti-anxiety medications - to provide natural calm and better sleep (Dr. Brighten).

Confidence vs. Anxiety: Studies show that a drop in progesterone weakens the brain's calming system, leading to the spiky irritability and loss of confidence often felt in midlife (FemmeBiome). 

Inflammation and Joint Health

Endometriosis Relief: Research indicates that progesterone acts as a natural antagonist to oestrogen in endometriosis, down-regulating the inflammatory cascade and reducing the growth of painful lesions (PMC - NIH).

Joint Pain: Progesterone possesses anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties that can help reduce swelling and pain sensitivity in arthritic joints (ScienceDirect). 

The Hormonal 'Cliff'

The 75% Drop: Clinical data confirms that while oestrogen levels decline moderately during menopause, progesterone levels plummet by roughly 75%, leading to the oestrogen dominance that causes systemic havoc (Wellsprings Health).