Introducing Murad Skin Systems: Targeted Skincare for Hormonal Skin Changes

Your skin changes. Your skincare should know what to do next.

As hormones shift through perimenopause and menopause, you may start noticing changes that seem to appear surprisingly quickly: skin looks duller, dark spots become more noticeable, firmness changes, or the jawline doesn't feel quite as defined as it once did.

And suddenly, the skincare routine you've relied on for years doesn't seem to be doing enough.

That's why Murad created Skin Systems: targeted, step-by-step skincare routines designed around the visible changes that can happen as hormones shift.

Rather than asking you to build a complicated routine from individual products, Murad Skin Systems take a simpler approach:

Reset. Treat. Target.

The result is a routine that helps take the guesswork out of skincare and makes it easier to understand what your changing skin needs.

Why Does Skin Change During Perimenopause and Menopause?

Hormonal ageing isn't simply another name for getting older.

As oestrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decline through perimenopause and menopause, processes that influence skin renewal, collagen, hydration and oil production can also change.

You might notice:

• Dullness or loss of radiance
• New or more visible pigmentation
• Dark spots
• Changes in firmness
• More visible lines and wrinkles
• Changes around the jawline and neck
• Dryness and dehydration
• Changes around the delicate eye area

And you may experience several of these concerns at the same time.

That's where a system-based approach can help.

What Are Murad Skin Systems?

Murad Skin Systems are targeted skincare routines built around two of the most common visible changes associated with hormonal ageing: changes in brightness and changes in firmness.

There are two systems:

The Brightening System is designed for dullness, uneven tone and dark spots.

The Tightening System is designed for loss of firmness, wrinkles and more visible changes to skin structure.

Both follow the same simple philosophy:

RESET the skin's surface.
TREAT your primary concern.
TARGET the delicate eye area.

Instead of asking, "Which products should I be using at my age?", the better question becomes:

"What is my skin showing me right now?"

The Murad Brightening System: For Dullness, Dark Spots and Uneven Tone

Has your skin started looking duller? Are dark spots becoming more noticeable? Or does your complexion simply not have the same luminosity it once did?

As skin renewal slows, dead surface cells can accumulate while pigmentation becomes more visible. This can leave the complexion looking dull, uneven or patchy.

The Murad Brightening System is designed to address these changes through exfoliation, targeted treatment and eye-area brightening.

Step 1: RESET with AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Both Murad Skin Systems begin with the same foundation: AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser.

As dead skin cells accumulate, the surface of the skin can appear dull and uneven.

Using an exfoliating cleanser a few times per week helps remove this buildup, smooth the skin's surface and prepare it for the targeted treatment that follows.

Think of it as laying the groundwork for the rest of your routine.

Step 2: TREAT Based on What Your Skin Needs

This is where the Brightening System becomes personalised.

If your primary concern is dullness and loss of radiance, choose Vita-C Glycolic Serum.

The formula combines gold-stabilised vitamin C with glycolic acid to help brighten and smooth the appearance of skin while providing antioxidant support.

If your primary concern is dark spots and pigmentation, choose Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum.

Its formula combines patented Resorcinol Technology, Tranexamic Acid and Glycolic Acid to visibly target stubborn discolouration and promote a more even-looking skin tone.

The distinction is simple:

Dullness? Think Vita-C.

Dark spots? Think Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum.

Step 3: TARGET the Eye Area

The final step is Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector.

The skin around the eyes is thinner and can show visible changes in tone and radiance earlier than other areas of the face.

A targeted eye treatment brings the Brightening System's radiance-focused approach to this delicate area, helping address the appearance of dark circles and tired-looking eyes.

The Murad Tightening System: For Firmness, Wrinkles and Skin That Feels Different

For some women, pigmentation isn't the biggest change they notice.

It's firmness.

The jawline may look softer. Skin can begin to feel less elastic. Fine lines may become more visible, or wrinkles that were once only noticeable with facial movement may become more persistent.

Hormonal changes can contribute to changes in collagen and the processes responsible for maintaining skin structure.

The Murad Tightening System is designed specifically around these visible concerns.

And again, it begins with the same foundation.

Step 1: RESET

Use AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser a few times per week to remove dull surface buildup and prepare the skin for the targeted treatment that follows.

Step 2: TREAT Based on the Level of Change You're Seeing

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all anti-ageing serum, the Tightening System allows you to choose your retinoid based on your skin concerns.

For earlier visible signs of ageing, choose Retinol Youth Renewal Serum.

Murad's retinol serum is designed to address multiple visible signs of ageing, including fine lines, wrinkles, texture, tone, radiance and firmness.

For more advanced loss of firmness, sagging and deeper-set wrinkles, choose Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment.

Retinal is a vitamin A derivative that sits one conversion step closer to retinoic acid than retinol. Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment is designed specifically to address the appearance of deep-set wrinkles and sagging.

Again, the decision becomes easier:

Fine lines and earlier changes? Think Retinol.

Deeper wrinkles and loss of firmness? Think Retinal.

Step 3: TARGET the Eye Area

The Tightening System also includes a targeted eye treatment, because the delicate skin around the eyes can be one of the first areas where changes in firmness become visible.

This means the system doesn't stop at treating the face. It considers how hormonal ageing can appear across different areas of the skin.

The Philosophy: Reset, Treat, Target

What makes Murad Skin Systems different isn't simply the products within them.

It's the sequence.

RESET

Clear away surface buildup and prepare your skin with AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser.

TREAT

Choose the targeted serum that addresses what your skin is showing you now.

For Brightening:
Vita-C Glycolic Serum for dullness and radiance OR Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum for dark spots and pigmentation.

 

For Tightening:
Retinol Youth Renewal Serum for earlier visible signs of ageing OR Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment for more advanced loss of firmness and deeper wrinkles.

 

TARGET

 

Finish with a dedicated eye treatment matched to your system and concern.

 

Three steps. One clear purpose behind each.

 

Can You Use the Brightening and Tightening Systems Together?

 

Yes.

 

In fact, many women won't fit neatly into a single category.

 

You might be experiencing pigmentation and loss of firmness. Dullness and wrinkles. Dark spots and changes around your jawline.

 

The Murad Skin Systems are designed so that Brightening and Tightening can work within the same broader routine.

 

A simple approach is to focus on brightening in the morning and tightening at night.

 

For example:

 

AM
Cleanse → Brightening treatment → Eye treatment → Moisturiser → SPF

 

PM
Cleanse → Tightening treatment → Eye treatment → Moisturiser

 

AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser can be incorporated a few evenings per week rather than every time you cleanse.

 

This allows you to address multiple visible changes without turning your bathroom cabinet into a 12-step skincare routine.

 

Where Does Moisturiser Fit into the Murad Skin Systems?

 

The Skin Systems focus on targeted treatment, but hydration remains an essential part of a complete routine, particularly as hormonal changes can leave skin feeling drier or more sensitive.

 

After your targeted serum and eye treatment, choose a moisturiser based on how your skin feels.

 

If you're experiencing significant dryness and dehydration, a richer hydrating formula can help replenish moisture and support a plumper, more comfortable complexion.

 

If your skin still becomes oily or blemish-prone, opt for hydration appropriate to those needs rather than assuming hormonal skin automatically requires a heavy cream.

 

Your system targets your visible concern. Your moisturiser supports your skin type and hydration needs.

 

And Don't Forget SPF

 

If you're targeting pigmentation, wrinkles or other visible signs of ageing, daily sun protection is essential.

 

UV exposure contributes to both pigmentation and collagen breakdown and can undermine the visible results you're working towards.

 

Apply broad-spectrum SPF every morning as the final step of your routine and follow Australian sun-protection guidance when outdoors.

 

This is particularly important when your routine contains exfoliating acids or retinoids.

 

Which Murad Skin System Is Right for Me?

 

Start with what you're seeing in the mirror rather than your age.

 

Choose the Brightening System if you're noticing: dullness, dark spots, uneven tone, pigmentation or loss of radiance.

 

Choose the Tightening System if you're noticing: fine lines, wrinkles, softer contours, sagging or loss of firmness.

 

Use both if you're noticing both.

 

And within each system, choose the treatment matched to the level and type of change you're experiencing.

 

Still unsure? Murad's Skin Quiz can help identify the system most relevant to your skin.

 

A New Way to Think About Hormonal Skincare

 

Perimenopause and menopause don't suddenly give everyone the same skin.

 

One woman may notice pigmentation first. Another may see changes in firmness. Someone else may experience both alongside dryness, blemishes or sensitivity.

 

That's exactly why skincare during hormonal change shouldn't be one-size-fits-all.

 

Murad Skin Systems are designed to replace the guesswork with a clear approach:

 

Reset the surface. Treat what you're seeing. Target where change shows.

 

Because your skin hasn't stopped responding to skincare.

 

Its needs have simply changed.

 

And your routine can change with it.