When fine isn't enough

Perimenopause, hormone changes, low energy, and learning to support my body in my 40s

First post of 2026!!

I know, I know. It’s been a while.

I just haven’t been in the right headspace. I could have forced something out or asked ChatGPT to do the work, but it wouldn’t have felt right.

The Vanity Edit is a space where I want you to feel like the time you’ve spent reading was worth it. Not just unnecessary noise for posting sake. We get enough of that doom scrolling.

Anyway, here I am. with the first article for 2026 And I have a lot to say and it’s not about skincare…

A New Season

The best way I can describe where I am right now is: I’m in a season I’ve never been in before. Not in a everything is falling apart kinda way. Just in a very specific, very real way. I’m older and wiser and life has quietly, steadily shifted.

My kids are growing. My marriage has matured. My friendships look different. My perspectives on things I thought I had completely figured out? Have changed. And me, the woman I am right now, at 43 (44 on June 16th, if you want to send cake) I’m not the same person I was even two years ago. And I think that’s actually a beautiful thing, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Indulge me for a few minutes and let me talk about what’s really been on my mind. My body. My health. My wellness. And everything I’m only just beginning to figure out.

Thankfully, my skin still glows…Sometimes…. hello hormonal changes. Now, estrogen levels, this is yet to be determined. But research shows that while a woman’s estrogen levels peak in her mid- to late-20s, they begin to decline or fluctuate, with more significant drops occurring as she enters her late 30s to early 40s….. So either way something is going on and i’m trying to figure it out.

Despite how I look, being consistently mis-aged, and hearing from friends I haven’t seen in years that I 'haven't changed,' I love it. I’m not going to pretend I don’t. But here’s what people don’t see when they’re looking at my skin

Internally, my body feels like it’s operating on its own agenda! I have a flu like symptoms every 5-10 business days, my energy levels are chaotic and recovery from workouts take longer than they should, leaving little aches to linger. This is where I feel my hormones are telling me something, yet my GP looks at the blood work and tells me everything is fine.

And I’m sitting there thinking, fine isn’t good enough. I need to understand what’s actually happening.

Entering my wellness era

When I fell pregnant, my skin changed overnight. Everything I thought I knew went out of the window.

Back then, I needed products that were safe for me and my baby, and I needed them to work on dark skin. Thirteen years ago, the options were limited, and the information available did not always feel relevant. So I started digging. I became obsessed with skincare, ingredients, and understanding why something works, not just what it claims to do.

That discovery phase was overwhelming, but it was also one of the most interesting journeys I’ve ever been on.

And now I feel like I’m in that same place again.

Only this time, it’s not about what I’m putting on my face. It’s about what’s happening inside my body.

The Holland & Barrett moment

About 6 months ago, I walked into Holland & Barrett very confidently, very naively, and thought, multivitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin C, throw in a couple of lions mane gummies and i’m good to go.

Ha!

Fast forward to a month ago, I decided to send my supplement stack to my AI friend ChatGPT and it sent me on a proper research spiral. And it turns out, the doses I was taking were low for my age and the symptoms I was experiencing. So off to the GP I went and requested some blood work to find out what I actually need?

This is where the reality of knowing the difference between taking supplements because it feels like the right thing to do and actually supplementing with intention, for your specific body, your specific stage of life and your specific goals.

The results for my blood work came back, nothing alarming, nothing outstanding. A few areas of improvements but all in all the foundation is ok. So now, i’m moving on to the next step, where I want to understand my hormones.

Am I in Perimenopause? or not!! I need to know.

My GP says no. My body says something is happening. My algorithm (most likely due to my search history) says perimenopause, to the point where I genuinely can’t tell if I’m experiencing symptoms or just forcing a narrative based on the content i’m absorbing. It’s a real question I’m asking myself. Please comment below or reply to this email, i’ll love to know if i’m not the only one here!

But stripping away the noise, I do know that something is shifting. Estrogen, progesterone, all of it changes as we get older. That’s biology, not drama. And I want proper clarity about where I actually am in that process. Not guessing or AI’ing at midnight. Proper clarity. Blood work, hormone panel, the full picture.

If you’re still here reading along, didn’t realise i had soo much, so thanks for following along. But moving on, I need you to understand something. I was the child that hated PE. Genuinely, passionately hated it. I used to beg my mum to write me a note Every. Single. Week. just to get out of the lesson.

So the fact that I’m now in my 40s, I’ve completed a Hyrox, run two 5Ks, and I’m a run lead for my local Sunday run club is still a bit wild to me. I’ve even inspired my husband to join, which feels like a small miracle in itself.

But with the recent changes i’m feeling, i’ve noticed my recovery, my energy, my performance is taking a hit and I can’t just train harder and hope for the best. So for the next few weeks, i’ve had to slow down to support my body so I don’t create more harm than good.

What comes next

Like any new and unknown journey, I’m researching. I’m asking questions. I’m learning what makes sense for a woman in her 40s who is busy, active, and still wants more from life while her hormones shift in the background.

And I’ll be bringing that journey here.

I want to share what supplementation actually makes sense, what clarity looks like, and what it means to support your body properly instead of relying on a generic multivitamin and a prayer.

This space is truly, more than vanity. Its for sanity too!

I’m really happy to be back sharing with you here on The Vanity Edit. If this resonates with you and you’ve had your own similar experience i’d love to hear from you.

Be well, and always choose joy!

Jacqueline x