The Science Behind Vivéa, with Scientist Sigrid

Recently, our formulator, Sigrid Vorwerk, a personal care product designer with over 35 years' experience, took us behind the scenes of the science that makes Vivéa the first skincare range created specifically for menopause.

***Watch video snippets from Sigrid's interview on our "Science Behind Vivéa" page.

Why menopausal skin needs more than a moisturiser

More than 70% of women are unprepared for menopause, and that includes what it does to their skin. As oestrogen drops, the skin produces less collagen and elastin, becomes noticeably drier, and for many women, hot flushes, redness and even menopause acne appear on top.

"Lots of brands are bringing just moisturisers to the market and think they are helping for menopause," Sigrid explains. "But they are just moisturisers." A single hydrating ingredient can't address what is really a whole-body hormonal shift showing up on your skin.

Clinically proven actives, working in synergy

Every Vivéa formula is built from clinically proven active ingredients, used at the high concentrations shown to be effective, not a token amount for the label. Just as importantly, they're chosen to work together:

Deep, lasting hydration: Vivéa combines multiple weights of hyaluronic acid with Aquaxyl and other moisturisers. Working in synergy, they deliver hydration that lasts up to 72 hours.
Collagen and elastin support: Liftonin and Sphinox are lifting actives that encourage the skin's own collagen and elastin production, targeting the loss caused by falling oestrogen.
Stress and cortisol: here's something few people know: the stress of hot flushes raises cortisol, and cortisol breaks down collagen and elastin. Vivéa includes an active that helps reduce cortisol production in the skin.
Cooling relief for hot flushes: every gel cream contains a long-lasting menthol-derived cooling agent, so the moment you apply it, your skin feels calmer and cooler.
Soothing redness: oat and chamomile extracts, both well known for calming the skin, help reduce redness with regular use.

Tested for sensitive skin

All Vivéa products are dermatologically tested in Italy, where each formula stays on the skin of 20 subjects for a full 48 hours, which is far longer than any product sits on your skin in real life. The result: no reactions at all, even on sensitive skin, with every report signed off by a dermatologist.

A regime that works around the clock

The actives appear across the whole range in different concentrations, so the products build on each other.

Start with the Creamy Cleanser, which includes prebiotics to feed your skin's good bacteria and support a healthy skin barrier.
The lightweight Day Gel Cream hydrates without oiliness, which is important for menopausal acne-prone skin.
The Hydrating Cooling Mist lives in your handbag for instant refreshment throughout the day.
Hand & Body Gel Cream provides cooling hydration everywhere else.
At night, the Night Gel Cream carries the highest concentration of actives, timed for when skin metabolism peaks between 2am and 3am.

Healthy skin is beautiful skin

Your skin is your biggest organ. Up to two square metres of it. Vivéa's philosophy isn't about erasing wrinkles; it's about helping you feel well and healthy in your skin, every day of menopause and beyond.

As Sigrid puts it: "Try Vivéa, because if you use it, after a few days, you will love it."