Baby Boomers Rehydrate With M Balance.

Sears' Circle of Beauty's new skin care line targets menopausal skin.

TO OILY, DRY and combination skin, add another category--menopausal skin. With the 4000 baby boomers reaching menopausal age every day, many are seeking information and products to solve skin and health problems associated with this transition which typically causes skin to lose firmness, balance, hydration and vitality. But Circle of Beauty has introduced a new skin line, M Balance, that helps counteract the effects of menopause. Menopause is a natural biological process but can sometimes be caused by surgery or drugs.

M Balance products contain moisture-protective ceramides, botanicals and vitamins to improve the skin's moisture balance. The M Balance line offers three separate levels of hydration to customize the experience.

"Each woman experiences menopausal changes differently," said Dorothy Sexton, vice president of marketing and product development, Circle of Beauty. "There's a personal reaction to menopause. The three levels in the M Balance system are customized to meet all the needs of women experiencing menopause."

M Balance's Level 1 is for skin slightly affected by menopause, which is beginning to feel dry, tight, less radiant, less resilient, thin and rough. Level 2 is designed for skin moderately affected, resulting in dry, uncomfortably tight skin that is dull and less contoured. Level 3 is for the most severe menopausal skin. It is deeply dehydrated and painfully tight, splotchy, uneven, sagging, fragile and coarse. Each level includes a system of Cleanse Away hydrating cleanser refiner, Day Restore moisture cream and Night Balance repair cream.

"M Balance is about women talking to women and taking a new life stage into their hands," said Candace Corlett, principal, WSL strategic retail consultant firm, a business strategist for Circle of Beauty. "Only in the last 10 years have women begun to come out of the closet about menopause, especially baby boomers."

According to Circle of Beauty surveys, 69% of women over the age of 55 feel more than comfortable discussing menopause today.

"Base knowledge increases confidence," explained Karen Giblin, director of Prime Plus/Red Hot Mamas, a group designed to educate and support women during the emotional and biological changes of menopause. "Menopause is a process; it begins in the late thirties (peri-menopause) and continues on through to menopause and post-menopause. Hormone levels change, and estrogen especially contributes to hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, frequent urination and dry skin."

Other changes can include bruising, thin hair, broken capillaries and changes in fat deposits on the body.

"Studies conducted in Europe conclude that menopause causes an increase in water content and a decrease in the fatty plumpness of the facial skin," said Maritza Perez, cosmetic dermatologist at Columbia University. "Vascular vessels in the face also react to hormone changes. The loss of estrogen results in a reduction of collagen and skin translucency."

Clinical studies revealed an 84% improvement in skin moisture after eight weeks of use. Additionally, M Balance offers Plump Perfect, a hydrating night treatment for lips, Heat Relief cooling stick, a pearlized lotion to cool the pulse points, Glowing Results instant skin brightener to restore tone, Re-Start intensive moisture boost and Eye Supply to combat moisture loss and sagging under-eye skin. M Balance is available in 450 Sears U.S. stores at Circle of Beauty counters.

"M Balance was not inspired by any one thing, but rather all the women who came to our beauty advisors for advice about their menopausal skin," said Ms. Sexton. "And this couldn't happen at a better time in the marketplace."

Last month, Prime Plus, in association with Circle of Beauty, launched a website for peri- through post-menopausal women, primeplus usa.com. Circle of Beauty sponsors a skin care content page. Prime Plus has nearly 60,000 members and 42 chapters across the U.S. that discuss transitions of menopause and why they occur. The group also discusses the psychological effects menopause may have due to lack of sleep or anxiousness and opens dialogue among partners, doctors and family members.

By Veronica MacDonald Associate Editor