Perimenopause & Menopause
Created with expert guidance from our women’s health aromatherapist, discover what to expect through perimenopause and menopause, explore common symptoms and find practical ways to support your wellbeing.
What is Perimenopause & Menopause
Menopause is a natural biological transition marking the end of menstruation and fertility. While every person’s experience is unique, most begin noticing changes in their mid‑40s (or earlier due to medical or surgical factors). Menopause is confirmed after 12 consecutive months without menstruation; the transition phase leading up to it is known as perimenopause, which is when most symptoms appear.
Common Symptoms of Perimenopause & Menopause
Perimenopause and menopause can feel different for everyone. Explore some of the common symptoms you may experience, with expert guidance to help you understand these changes and support your everyday wellbeing.
Hot Flushes & Night Sweats
Hot flushes and night sweats are sudden heat surges triggered as falling oestrogen levels disrupt the body’s internal temperature regulation. A pre-prepared blend like Restore Balance combines Rose Absolute, Geranium, and Clary Sage - all helpful in balancing hormones and offering a sense of calm and equilibrium. Geraniol, found in Geranium and Rose, supports emotional regulation while offering mild cooling, soothing properties that help stabilise the nervous system and reduce the intensity of heat surges. Additionally, Clary Sage contains sclareol, a component shown to bind to oestrogen receptor sites; while it doesn't replace oestrogen, it may help modulate the body's response to declining hormone levels.
Product Solutions & Rituals:
- Restore Balance Body & Room Mist: Apply the body spray onto your chest as you feel a flush coming on.
- Restore Balance Pulse Point Rollerball: Keep on your nightstand to use during the night if you are woken by a heat surge.
- DIY Hot Flush Blend: If you prefer to create your own blend, add 3 drops of Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) and 2 drops of Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) to 10ml of your chosen blending oil. Take a little of the blend into your palms, rub them together, bring your hands up towards your face to inhale the aroma, and massage into your upper chest daily.
Support for Hot Flushes & Night Sweats
Restore Balance Body & Room Mist
Restore Balance Pulse Point Roller Ball
Balance Routine
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Cypress Essential Oil
Sleep Disruption
The dip in oestrogen and progesterone can significantly impact your sleep architecture. Lower oestrogen levels are behind nighttime heat surges, while progesterone normally helps us feel naturally calm and ready for rest. When both hormones fall, drifting off becomes harder and waking up during the night becomes much easier. Plant aromatics rich in natural sedatives can help quiet an overactive mind; linalool and linalyl acetate in Lavender, santalol in Sandalwood, and calming esters in Jasmine work in synergy to promote deeper, more restful sleep.
Solutions & Rituals
- Sleep Better Body & Pillow Mist: Spritz onto your pillow just before getting into bed.
- Sleep Better Bath Oil: Add to a warm bath for a deeply relaxing bedtime ritual.
- Diffuser Ritual: 30 minutes before bed, add up to 8 drops of pure Lavender essential oil to your bedroom diffuser. Close the door to let the room fill with aroma, then switch off the diffuser before sleeping.
- Pillow Application: Place 2 drops of Lavender directly onto the corner of your pillow (away from face contact) and breathe deeply.
Support for Sleep Disruption
Sleep Better Body & Pillow Mist
Sleep Better Bath Oil
Lavender Organic Essential Oil
Aroma Spa Diffuser
Mood Changes & Anxiety
Declining hormone levels directly influence key neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, often leading to sudden emotional shifts and heightened anxiety. Introducing self-massage alongside essential oils helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering cortisol levels so the body can better regulate mood. Oils like Geranium contain citronellol and geraniol to ease emotional fluctuations and ground the nervous system. Combining this with Bergamot - rich in limonene, linalool, and linalyl acetate - helps lift low mood and lower stress markers, creating the ideal conditions for balanced nervous system activity.
Solutions & Rituals:
- Real Calm Room & Body Mist: A balanced blend of grounding Patchouli, sedative Lavender, and uplifting Bergamot. Spritz around your space whenever you feel tension rising.
- DIY Soothing Body Oil: Mix 4 drops of Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) and 6 drops of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) into 20ml of Jojoba carrier oil. Apply in long, slow strokes over the body to encourage deep relaxation.
Support for Mood & Anxiety
Real Calm Body & Room Mist
Geranium Essential Oil
Bergamot Essential Oil
Jojoba Oil
Brain Fog & Mental Fatigue
Brain fog is no laughing matter; losing your train of thought mid-sentence can feel disorienting and alarming. These temporary cognitive lapses happen as fluctuating hormone levels alter processing in the brain. Revitalising plant aromatics help clear mental clutter and restore focus. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is packed with menthol to invigorate the mind and sharpen concentration, bright Lemon (Citrus limonum) refreshes an exhausted mental state, and crisp Rosemary provides a clean aroma that cuts directly through brain fog.
Solutions & Rituals:
- Mind Clear Rollerball: Apply to inner wrists and inhale deeply when you need to feel focused and in control.
- Instant Tissue Inhalation: Place 1 drop of Peppermint or Rosemary essential oil onto a tissue. Hold near (but not touching) your nose and inhale deeply for an immediate mental lift.
Support for Brain Fog & Mental Fatigue
Mind Clear Diffuser Oil
Mind Clear Pulse Point Roller Ball
Peppermint Organic Essential Oil
Rosemary Organic Essential Oil
Lemon Organic Essential Oil
Dry Skin
Menopause directly impacts the skin because declining oestrogen reduces the body's natural capacity to retain moisture. As collagen breaks down more rapidly and natural surface oils decrease, skin can begin to feel drier, thinner, and less supple. Rich blending oils like Jojoba work as an ideal base to replenish lost lipid balance. Pairing Jojoba with skin-supportive essential oils like Neroli, Lavender, Rose, and Geranium provides deep nourishment while offering an uplifting aroma during your daily post-shower routine.
Solutions & Rituals:
- Restore Balance Massage & Body Oil: Enriched with Jojoba and Sesame seed oils alongside Rose, Geranium, and Clary Sage to deeply nourish dry skin. Apply daily after showering.
- DIY Nourishing Body Oil: Add 3 drops of Neroli (Citrus aurantium amara) and 2 drops of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) to 10ml of Jojoba oil. Apply in long, gentle strokes over damp skin after washing.
Support for Dry Skin
Restore Balance Massage & Body Oil
Neroli Essential Oil
Lavender Organic Essential Oil
Jojoba Oil
Joint Discomfort & Stiffness
Declining oestrogen levels during perimenopause can directly affect musculoskeletal health, leading to joint stiffness, reduced mobility, and localised discomfort. As hormonal levels shift, tissues surrounding the joints often experience increased inflammation, making symptom management a key priority for maintaining daily mobility and physical activity.
Solutions & Rituals:
- DIY Joint Comfort Massage: Combine 4 drops of Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) and 6 drops of Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) in 20ml of Jojoba carrier oil. Take your time massaging the blend into uncomfortable hips, ankles, wrists, fingers, or toes.
Support for Joint Discomfort & Stiffness
Muscle Ease Active Roll-On
Frankincense Essential Oil
Chamomile Roman Essential Oil
Jojoba Oil
WOMEN'S HEALTH FAQS
Ask Our Expert
Perimenopause usually begins in your mid-40s, but it can start anywhere from your late 30s to your early 50s. The timing varies because it’s driven by gradual changes in ovarian hormone production rather than a single switch. Medical procedures and conditions can also influence the start of perimenopause.
Menopause itself is just one day: the day of your final period. You’re officially considered to have reached menopause after 12 consecutive months with no periods. Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being 51 in the UK.
Perimenopause symptoms are so diverse because oestrogen receptors are found throughout the body - in the brain, skin, joints, bladder, heart and more. As oestrogen fluctuates, all these systems can be affected, which is why over 40 recognised symptoms have been documented and why each woman’s experience can look so different.
You can naturally support your wellbeing during perimenopause and menopause by focusing on gentle, everyday practices that help regulate stress, improve sleep and support hormonal balance. Prioritising nourishing food, regular movement, good sleep habits, and calming therapies can make a meaningful difference.
Aromatherapy can support your wellbeing during perimenopause and menopause because each essential oil has its own action. This gives you a diverse set of oils to choose from, allowing you to select an essential oil that matches your specific needs on any given day. It’s a truly bespoke approach, reflecting the individuality of your menopause journey.
Essential oils can support your wellbeing during perimenopause and menopause by calming the nervous system, easing emotional fluctuations, improving sleep and offering gentle comfort for the varied symptoms of this transition. Bringing essential oils into simple daily rituals, such as skincare, breathwork, massage blends or bedtime routines, helps support both physical and emotional changes in a natural, nurturing way.
When choosing and using essential oils during perimenopause and menopause, consider safety, dilution and how your body responds day to day. Use essential oils that support your specific symptoms, such as sleep, mood, joint comfort or hot flushes. Pay attention to how each blend makes you feel so that you have a clear idea of what works for you.
Our essential oil expert, Jo Kellett TIDHA MIFPA CIMI, graduated from the Tisserand Institute of Holistic Aromatherapy in 1996. She returned to the college in 1999 as an Essential Oil Therapeutics Tutor, where she taught until the college closed. Jo runs a successful private Aromatherapy practice in Brighton, specialising in Women’s health. Jo is also an internationally published author and has lectured on the subject of Aromatherapy both in the UK and abroad.
For more information on Jo Kellett, check out her website or Instagram
Jo Kellett
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