Sweat-drenched midnight awakenings, insomnia, headaches, irregular periods, unpredictable ovulation, mood swings, hair loss, brittle nails, weight gain, and, not to mention, dreaded vaginal dryness.

Menopause — once dismissed by actress Gabrielle Union as an “old woman thing,” given the onset of symptoms typically beginning in a woman’s mid-40s to early 50s — is starting to creep up even younger. And it’s catching worried women off guard.

“For too long, women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms have been told to just deal with it,” Stripes Beauty President Cara Kamenev told Happi. “These life-altering symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, brain fog, disrupted sleep, mood swings, and changes in skin and hair. They affect emotional, physical, and mental well-being every single day, yet many women struggle to get validation or solutions within the traditional healthcare system. Stripes was created to put these symptoms at the center of the conversation, and to provide women with real, effective tools to support them through this stage of life.”

Besides Union — who was reportedly 37 when she started noticing signs of perimenopause, or the years’-long transition leading into menopause — such was the case for Naomi Watts, author of New York Times bestseller “Dare I Say It” and founder of Stripes Beauty, a menopause solutions brand. The Oscar-nominated actress, who has become a poster child of sorts for menopause, was 36 when she began experiencing headaches and fertility issues. Bloodwork checking hormone levels suggested she was close to menopause, a reality she said was “very, very scary to hear.”

“I thought for sure it’s the end of my fertility, my career, my relationships, like where does the list end?” said Watts during a New York City fête last October celebrating Stripes’ second birthday. “We were just always told ‘menopause, the end,’ which is just not true. That’s why I created Stripes: to build awareness and come up with solutions for skincare, scalp to vag, and help women feel supported by the beauty industry. We are relevant. We have plenty to do.”

“Menopause impacts half the population, yet historically, it has been stigmatized and underfunded,” said Kamenev. “Naomi founded Stripes to take menopause out of the shadows, and Stripes is leading a growing movement reframing menopause as a natural, powerful transition – not something to hide behind or endure in silence. We believe in a world where midlife is a celebration – not a crisis. The more this conversation scales, the more brand innovation, investment, and accessibility will follow. This means that midlife women will finally get the research, products, and care they deserve, and younger generations (and men!) learn earlier that this stage is something to prepare for with confidence, not fear and shame.”

360-Degree Approach To Menopause with Stripes Beauty

In honor of World Menopause Day, Oct. 18, Stripes partnered with Wisp, a sexual and reproductive health online platform offering treatment and contraception options that are affordable and accessible.

“World Menopause Day is a key cultural moment that brings increased visibility to an oft-overlooked life stage,” said Kamenev. “Partnering with Wisp in the lead-up to Menopause Awareness Month more broadly allows us to amplify awareness, drive meaningful conversation, and offer women access to both lifestyle solutions and medical care. Together, we’re showing that menopause deserves the same urgency and openness that other women’s health milestones receive.”

Stripes and Wisp share a mission to meet women where they are with education, empathy and solutions that empower them to thrive during this life stage and beyond. Stripes provides holistic products and community support, while Wisp offers direct access to licensed medical providers and prescription and non-prescription care.

“By combining our strengths, we’re giving women a complementary 360-degree approach to menopause, from science-backed daily essentials to personalized, clinical treatment when needed,” noted Kamenev.

From Oct. 3 to Oct. 5, Stripes Beauty opened the doors to The Meno Café, a first-of-its-kind retail and community pop-up in NYC’s West Village. The café offered a VIP opening panel with Watts in conversation with Advisory Board members Dr. Cindy Meston (clinical psychologist) and Dr. Somi Javaid (board-certified OB/GYN) where they discussed hormones, GLP-1s, longevity and intimacy in midlife. Stripes Beauty products were also included in a shopping experience, which included Vag of Honor, a daily vaginal moisturizing gel for intimate moisture, Oh My Glide intimate play oil and a vaginal pH balancing probiotic supplement.

Kate Hudson also made a cameo at the café, joining in on this cultural movement where wellness, community and celebrity.

Kim Cattrall’s Partners with the Natural Cycles App

Another celebrity leading the menopause movement is none other than “Sexy and the City” vixen Kim Cattrall. In a recent candid Instagram post, Cattrall spoke of Natural Cycles Perimenopause, a new experience within the Natural Cycles app designed to decode menopausal shifts and translate symptoms and cycles into insights. What’s more, it’s the first and only app of its kind cleared by the FDA as birth control. The app’s algorithm claims to significantly reduce the risk of users receiving an incorrect fertility status since it applies a user’s unique temperature data, which reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancy and can help users plan for pregnancy with greater precision. The Natural Cycles app also values users’ privacy, so their data stays theirs by way of an advanced data privacy protection program.

Cattrall was portraying said she was navigating perimenopause when portraying while cast as Samantha Jones on “Sex and the City,” and wished that such an app existed circa 2004, adding her symptoms would have been less “confusing and daunting.” But, through the chaotic changes, experiencing a bodily change she couldn’t help has strengthened her.

“Menopause has made me stronger,” she said in the post. “It has taught me to listen more to my body and accept what is beyond my control. Menopause isn’t the end. It’s the start of who you’re becoming.”

Life’s a Playground

Other celebrities such as Christina Aguliera and Brooke Shields are sharing beauty secrets to keep menopausal women in good mental, physical and emotional health.

Sexual wellness brand Playground, cofounded by Christina Aguilera, is an intimate health and wellness brand created to empower women to pursue pleasure, connection and self-discovery through better intimate health. Playground is another brand serving as a vanguard for menopause with clinically-backed products that are vagina-healthy and libido-boosting. Each FDA-cleared formulation is designed to elevate intimate care with comfort and confidence. The brand offers a lineup of lubricants and body oils to keep skin hydrated for optimal intimacy. Mini Escape is a plant-based lube developed with pleasure enhancing herbal stimulants and a coconut and sandalwood essence. Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and bamboo extract mimic natural lubrication for a “silky slip,” while black cohosh and horny goat weed work to balance hormone levels and boost sexual drive, per the brand.

Mood Maker Body Oil is an adaptogen-infused, hydrating intimacy body and massage oil nourishes skin while activating the pleasure pathways of the body through sensual touch, massage and tactile arousal. What’s more, it’s made with notes of vanilla, sandalwood, rose and ylang ylang to boost pheromones. The brand’s newest product, Miracle Melts, is a hormone-free innovation designed to provide rapid, lasting relief from vaginal dryness and discomfort. Formulated with medical-grade hyaluronic acid, these vaginal inserts deliver noticeable relief in nine days with hydration lasting up to three days per use. It’s idea for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, postpartum recovery, cancer treatments and those seeking hormone-free solutions and alternatives to traditional estrogen therapies.

‘The Beginning of Better Hair’

Hair loss is a critical symptom of menopause. Declining estrogen and progesterone shorten the growth cycle and increase shedding and reduced oil production leads to dryness, brittleness and texture changes. In addition, women experience widening parts, crown thinning and increased scalp sensitivity. As hormonal changes directly impact scalp and strand health, Commence, actress founded by Brooke Shields, is a hormone-conscious haircare line for women 40 and over. The brand entails a proprietary ingredient blend, supercharged through biofermentation technology. Products are designed to help women age fearlessly while reclaiming shine, volume and density during hormonal transitions.

“Menopause wreaked havoc on the health of my scalp and consequently the quality of my hair,” said Shields. “After looking everywhere for products that addressed people over 40, there was nothing there that was comprehensive and not in the pharmaceutical sector. So, I decided to create a line myself targeting scalp help for people over 40. I created these products out of my own real needs. Lab-tested with clinical trials, Commence creates a healthy environment at the roots so my hair grows stronger from the get-go. Thus, was born Commence, the beginning of better hair at any age.”

Commence’s The Root Serum is a multi-tasking treatment for roots, scalp and strands, specifically formulated to address the unique challenges of menopausal hair. The Root Serum directly combats menopausal hair changes—thinning, shedding, dryness and scalp sensitivity—by calming the scalp, strengthening follicles and boosting density for healthier, fuller hair.

Alfalfa extract and quinoa peptides nourish follicles, fortifying strands from the root up. Lactobacillus ferment calms irritation and rebalances the scalp’s microbiome, which can become more reactive in midlife. Acai stem cells deliver antioxidants that fight oxidative stress, a factor that accelerates hair aging.

“During menopause, the hormonal shifts can also induce a state of inflammation,” said Dr. Marnie Nussbuam, board-certified dermatologist. “The Root Serum delivers powerful antioxidants and other topical nutrients to the scalp to strengthen the follicle and restore the scalp’s natural state. The Root Serum uses these powerful antioxidants to mitigate changes associated with menopausal information.”

With another Menopause Awareness Month for the books, brands are only getting started in raising awareness about this important women’s health issue.

“We believe in a world where midlife is a celebration – not a crisis,” said Kamenev. “The more this conversation scales, the more brand innovation, investment and accessibility will follow. This means that midlife women will finally get the research, products and care they deserve, and younger generations (and men!) learn earlier that this stage is something to prepare for with confidence, not fear and shame.”