Adventures start on the train to Belfast
by
Aisling Grimley.
Last Tuesday My Second Spring travelled to Belfast to make a presentation about menopause and a second spring as part of Vichy's launch of Neovadiol Compensating Complex
Aisling Grimley, My Second Spring with Laura Murphy who is a dynamic trainer for Vichy
Lots of us know that great adventures begin on the train to Belfast and so it is for My Second Spring.
Vichy introducing Dermo Advisors to Neovadiol at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Talking about menopause - a first for many
I’m just on my way back from making a presentation to Vichy’s Dermo Advisors (the, mainly, women who advise people on skincare in pharmacies) about the menopause and the idea of a second spring. Vichy is in the process of launching a new product - Neovadiol Compensating Complex - especially designed to meet the skincare needs of women at menopause. As menopuase is so rarely discussed it is important for the advisors, who range in age from 20 to 70, to understand the concerns and skin issues facing some women at menopause. I was delighted to share my knowledge of menopause gleaned over the past 2 years since the launch of My Second Spring in 2013. Skin issues frequently arise in discussions with Second Springers and I think the key skin issues seem to centre around dryness, new found sensitivity, redness, first time acne and unwanted hair as well as hair loss/thinning of the eyebrows. During our recent Meet the Experts session with Annie Gribbin of MakeUp Forever it was very evident that the Second Springers at the event were probably at least as concerned about skincare as they were about applying make-up.
Information and Inspiration at midlfe
My presentation last Tuesday focused first on Information on menopause - The What, When, Why?, Symptoms and Treatments in the second half we looked at Inspiration and how to be your very best self at midlife and beyond. For many of the younger women in the audience this was brand new territory, in fact for all women in the audience this was probably their first ever event organised to have a discussion of the topic of menopause. Crazy, when you think that 100% of women lucky enough to live to menopause age will go through it. Feedback from the event was brilliant, with women happy to hear the basic information, which many said made them feel less daunted by menopause. The ideas of second spring and find a new voice and greater personal power, as we move into the 'wisdom years', had a great appeal and feeling of optimism for many. A lot of women said it was news to them to learn that menopause is a process rather than an event that takes place 1 year after our last period.
Laura Murphy explains the action and components of Vichy's Neovadiol Compensating Complex
My co-presenter Laura Murphy of L’Oreal Training is much too young for menopause but she’s a most enthusiastic and supportive advocate of women going through midlife changes. She enlisted my help in opening up dialogue around menopause as part of the training around the product launch. The second part of the presentation involves Laura explaining the biology behind skin changes. She continues by explaining the action and scientific rationale behind Neovadiol and its actions on the skin. One of the key benfits, as I understand it. are the creams' role in mimicing the action of DHEA a hormone that depetes at menopause. The idea is that Neovadiol Compensating Complex mimics what we've lost through this hormonal change.
Belfast - Dermo Advisors and guests learnt about menopause during the launch of Neovadiol Compensating Complex
We had a great evening at The Merchant Hotel yesterday. I was delighted to meet some of the fabulous Dermo Advisors of Northern Ireland and enjoyed their company, questions and comments during and after the formal presentations. During the Question and Answer session there was a very useful discussion around the different symptoms that affect skin at midlife and how they can be managed and supported. A lot of questions centered around how alternative therapies can be used as a support during menopause.
Mothers and daughters gathered to discuss menopause in Belfast
'Life begins at menopause'
One of my favourite comments was from a woman saying that now she knows that ‘Life begins at the menopause, I will be like a new woman – my husband will think he’s having an affair’. This captures the sense of fun and optimism that we shared last night. Another fun comment was from a woman who said she only had 1 hot flush during my presenation.
Belfast was the start of the My Second Spring/Vichy roadshow – next stops Dublin, Cork and Galway. This work with Vichy/Neovadiol is a very exciting new partnership for My Second Spring and a fabulous start to 2016. I’ll keep you posted on our next events and will be back soon with more details of Neovadiol as well as an opportunity for some of you to try out the products and report back.
