Melanie Lampro

So Good I Had It Twice

The menopause. The change. Being of a certain age. That time of life. However you refer to it, it’s not all about hot flushes. The list of possible menopause symptoms is long, and it’s not pretty. I have encountered many others experiencing hormonal changes who have undergone several, if not all, of the indicators on that list. I offer you here my suggestions and tips relating to those issues and solutions I have discovered through TEMPLESPA products, from customer feedback and personal experience.

I am going to deliver this blog post in two sections, because I want to share my experiences of how I dealt with:

• my symptoms during the menopause
• the changes my body went through during and after

You see, I was unfortunate enough to find myself going through the motions of the menopause twice. Yes – you read that right – twice! I’ll explain that further along but right now, let’s get straight to the point; alleviating those menopause woes with my top TEMPLESPA performers for people who are feeling those hot flushes and tossing and turning at night (for all the wrong reasons).

First of all, here’s a ‘quick list’ of potential menopause symptoms and the products I recommend with links to them on the main website if you want to go straight there – consider it the ‘short version’ if you will:

• Hot flushes / Sweats (day and night)
  AAAHHH!, BREATH OF LIFE, TONING ESSENCE
• Pelvic pain/cramping
  AAAHHH!, WORK IT OUT
• Headaches / general aches and pains
  AAAHHH!, BREATH OF LIFE, WORK IT OUT
• Insomnia / restlessness
  AAAHHH!, REPOSE, QUIETUDE
• Mood changes / anxiety and depression
  BREATH OF LIFE, PURIFICATION, REPOSE, QUIETUDE
• Poor concentration and memory
  BREATH OF LIFE, REPOSE, QUIETUDE
• Skin breakouts
  PURIFICATION
• Thinning hair
  GOOD HAIR DAY, IN GOOD CONDITION, IT’S ALL GOOD
• Increased facial hair
  SKIN TRUFFLE, TRUFFLE NOIR
• Thinning skin
  IT’S ALL GOOD,  ALL TRUFFLE PRODUCTS
• Dry skin
  IT’S ALL GOOD,  ALL MOISTURISERS
• Weight gain and slowed metabolism
  GIVING IT THE BRUSH OFF

I’ll go into more detail below but not necessarily in the above order (because I embrace chaos these days).

Note: this list is not exhaustive; not all the products will suit all people, all the time, and other symptoms can occur aside from those I have experienced (you should always check in with your GP regarding any new symptoms). So many of our products are excellent for helping you to cool down and relax, but these are the ones I have used personally with excellent results AKA ‘the long version’ – if you please.

AAAHHH! Instant Cooling Balm
For anyone experiencing a hot flush, the cooling benefits of AAAHHH! offer welcome relief. Simply apply a small amount to the back of your neck when feeling warm. For an even more blissful sensation, try keeping it in the fridge and applying with a cold compress.

This versatile balm isn’t just for tired feet and legs; it’s an all-over body coolant that can be massaged into temples and other pulse points to ease headaches and boost energy. Furthermore, a relaxing foot and leg rub with this product at bedtime can be very effective in combating cramp and restless legs syndrome, promoting a better night’s sleep.

BREATH OF LIFE Aromatherapy Inhalation Essence
🔝 Top Tip! Need an energising and clearing lift? Try adding a few drops of BREATH OF LIFE to a bowl of warm water and inhaling the aromatic steam. What a clever little potion this is and, something I carry with me at all times. If I’m feeling a little ‘out of sorts’ it can lift my mood significantly. Team it up with AAAHHH! and it becomes even mightier!

REPOSE Relaxing Night Cream
🔝 When your skin feels a little lacklustre, try adding a couple of drops of LOVELY DAY to your moisturiser for a healthy, radiant look. REPOSE works beautifully both day or night! Beyond that, it aids restful sleep, helps combat headaches, and can even be used as a mask.

TONING ESSENCE Balancing Tonic Mist
🔝 Top Tip! Keep a bottle of TONING ESSENCE in the fridge and use it as a cooling spritz when you start feeling a little too warm.

WORK IT OUT Detoxing Bathing & Massage Oil
If you are just aching all over and your skin feels tender to the touch, a soak in and/or a massage with any of our bath and body oils will help but, WORK IT OUT is particularly good for muscle pain – including pelvic cramps.

PURIFICATION Deep Cleansing Mask
🔝 Top Tip! Got a spot? Use a dab of PURIFICATION as a topical treatment to help clear it! This powerful mask, formulated with land and marine mud, not only targets blemishes but also works as a decongestant for your skin and airways, revitalising dull skin and tackling hormonal flare-ups, acne, and blackheads for a clean, refreshed feel.

QUIETUDE Chill Out & Sleep Well Mist
🔝 Top Tip! Want to create a calming atmosphere? Spritz QUIETUDE into a mug of hot water and let the soothing aroma gently diffuse around you. You can use QUIETUDE as a room spray or as a pillow spray but it is also gentle enough to be sprayed onto your skin so, a quick mist can help you to unwind wherever you are.

So, those are the products that I found to be essential for me to keep on top of my menopause symptoms, as best as I could. Post-menopause, I was faced with taking on the seemingly impossible task of reversing my poor, even-thinner hair as it grew back and my doubled body weight. Daunting when you are feeling well; a Herculean trial when you are not yet 100%.

Right then, as promised (and probably a little unbelievably), let’s dive into the saga of my two menopauses.

My GP was initially reluctant to attribute my thinning hair, weight gain, dry skin, night sweats, and forgetfulness to perimenopause, feeling I was “too young” and diagnosed anxiety and depression instead. Well, I was indeed anxious and depressed; mainly because I looked and felt dreadful, and was having a terrible time with uncontrollable sweating, as well as experiencing unpredictable periods so heavy and painful that I would often pass out. However, I strongly felt these symptoms weren’t solely due to anxiety and depression (although I have known both for most of my adult life).   

The whole ordeal was dreadful, and the last thing I could muster was the energy to “pull myself together” – you understand? My only desire was to make a pillow fort and eat ice-cream. After a couple of years without any relief, the grim reality dawned: I had been enduring truly awful perimenopausal symptoms. That time may have now passed, but the memory of it still troubles me if I allow myself to dwell on it.

Eventually though, my body seemed to calm a little, my periods eased, the headaches became less intense, my mood improved, and it seemed as if I was finally over the worst of it. I was able to complete my degree (after taking a year out due to the aforementioned anxiety and depression), and shortly afterwards, I started a full-time job, at which point I re-joined the gym to work off that extra weight, but a few months in, I pulled a muscle.   

Initially, I thought it was just that. However, it transpired I had a large tumour causing various issues, including displacing my internal organs and affecting my nervous system. Following this lovely discovery, I underwent some pretty intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both playing their part in directing the horror movie that was “Menopause II: The Return of the Flush.”

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Consultant: “So, do you already have children because this treatment will effectively prevent you from having any more and will kick-start the menopause, I’m afraid.”

Me: “I’ve already been through it.”

Consultant: “Already? Well, you are going to go through it all again.”

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And I did. This time, thinning hair was no longer a concern; chemotherapy had seen to that, leaving me as bald as a pebble. The sweating, however, was something else entirely! It took on a whole new level of ferocity.

I think that losing my hair was probably the very worst thing though. I was already upset that it was thinning, and for a while I was unsure which was worse, but in retrospect, I think I preferred being bald to having wispy ‘not quite there’ hair.

GOOD HAIR DAY and IN GOOD CONDITION
When I first used hair care products from TEMPLESPA, I wasn’t sure if I’d see any difference, and initially, I didn’t. But that’s the thing about seeing yourself daily – subtle changes often go unnoticed. Time and again, customers have said others remarked on their improved skin and complexion before they themselves saw it. TEMPLESPA Consultants experience this too!

GOOD HAIR DAY and IN GOOD CONDITION have made a real difference to my hair, giving it more body and a thicker texture. But, I’d also been longing for larger sizes, ideally with a pump, and TEMPLESPA answered the call! They’ve recently launched bigger versions of several products, including the wonderful GOOD HAIR DAY and IN GOOD CONDITION, alongside LA LA LAGOON and PEACE BE STILL.

My hair loss was happening alongside a significant increase in weight, driven by the steroids, comfort eating, and the limitations of being hospital-bound. I still struggle to understand how I allowed the weight gain to become so pronounced, and it’s proving a slow process to reverse. It was a challenging time physically and mentally.

This upheaval also affected my skin; it has become much drier, lost some of its former firmness, a likely combination of hormonal shifts and the fluctuating weight (as well as the march of time, of course). My routine now includes dry brushing before I get into the shower, a body scrub with a loofah or mitt during my showers, and I always ensure I moisturise afterwards.

GIVING IT THE BRUSH OFF Detoxing Dry Body Brush
Dry body brushing is a massage technique, typically performed before showering, thought to stimulate the lymphatic system, enhance skin texture, and promote well-being. Its advantages include exfoliation, improved circulation, enhanced lymphatic function, reduced cellulite appearance, and prevention of ingrown hairs and blocked pores.

This practice isn’t for everyone, though; it should not be used on the face and is unsuitable for those with eczema, psoriasis, very sensitive skin (as the brush’s abrasiveness can cause irritation), open wounds, sunburn, or recent surgical sites to avoid complications. Consulting a dermatologist is advisable for individuals with pre-existing skin conditions to ascertain its suitability.

IT’S ALL GOOD Nutritious Boost Facial Oil
🔝 Top Tip! Want to minimise scars and stretch marks? Try massaging this oil gently into those areas.

This classic, professional-strength restorative oil from TEMPLESPA could only be improved (in my mind) if it were also available by the gallon and in a spray.

I have such fond memories of Avon’s Skin So Soft Dry Oil Spray. It was a staple in my routine for ages, and I genuinely loved using it. However, something shifted a few years ago. Whether it was a reformulation or simply my body’s evolving chemistry, I can no longer enjoy it as I once did.

It’s a real shame, but nowadays, the texture just doesn’t sit right on my skin, and the scent, which I once adored, now feels off. It’s disappointing when a long-time favourite no longer works for you. It feels like saying goodbye to an old friend.

While IT’S ALL GOOD isn’t intended for the exact same use as Skin So Soft, its versatility still shines through. You can apply it to your body, hair, and nails, as well as your face. A great way that I have found to incorporate it into my routine is by adding a few drops to my body moisturiser for an extra boost of nourishment.

Bursting with nutrients to replenish even the most damaged skin, IT’S ALL GOOD has proved effective on damaged hair, nails, and cuticles. It helps to diminish age spots, scarring, and stretch marks, treats eczema and psoriasis, and is also brilliant as a massage and beard oil. So much from one tiny bottle!

BODY TRUFFLE Luxury Body Moisturiser
A firming gem, and I always feel very decadent when I’m using it. The formula combines advanced science and cutting-edge ingredients to condition skin, even out skin tone, and preserve suppleness and elasticity whilst regulating moisture levels and encouraging skin regeneration.

Day moisturisers, night moisturisers, serums, eye gels, neck creams; you probably can’t moisturise dry, thinner, more delicate, hormone-ravaged skin enough. All of them will help do that job for you, but I do have a couple of particular favourites.

Not just because they recently changed to full vegan formulas, these are superb products that do everything they should, but also because I am sure that both have reduced the amount of peach-fuzz I have on my face. They are SKIN TRUFFLE  (which I use during the day) and TRUFFLE NOIR (for my night cream), which brings me neatly to my final recommendation – our entire Truffle Family of products. I use all of these on my face and body regularly, and I would have to say in earnest that if you were going to splurge on one thing at TEMPLESPA, treat yourself to these. All of them.

It began as a desolate time for me, but its legacy isn’t entirely grim. There’s a freedom to embrace with no periods, no birth control, no cramping, and therefore no internal scheduling. Oh, and no cancer, of course. However, there was also sadness; of something ending, a finality that lingered despite the joy of a fresh start, but I learned to balance them. Every negative has a positive, after all.

When I began using TEMPLESPA products, I was still in remission and also experiencing menopause-related symptoms, apart from the headaches (curiously, I never had another migraine after chemotherapy, despite having previously had them my whole life).

Knowing firsthand which TEMPLESPA products have helped me and my customers is the positive outcome here, allowing me to offer recommendations from both personal and shared experience. I truly hope this blog post has been helpful for you, and if you’re going through a difficult time with menopause, please believe me when I say it will get better.

If you want to know more about any of the products I have mentioned in depth and/or want to talk to me about your menopause symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

🔗 TEMPLESPA and Menopause (FAQ)

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Revisions

This blog post, originally shared on 27th August, 2018, has been updated to ensure accuracy regarding current product prices, sizes, and availability. The last update was on 5th May, 2025.