Menopause isn’t typically met with feelings of jubilance and a pro-aging mindset. It’s an oft-undesired eventuality met with reluctance and even dread that every female assigned at birth must face in their life.

The faces of menopause vary. There are women with adult children who may have enjoyed a full reproductive life—some have (or try to have) an easygoing attitude toward the natural hormonal shifts that come with aging. There are the anxiety-laden 5% of women who experience early menopause between 40 and 45. And, there is the rare 1% who have primary ovarian insufficiency who reach menopause before age 40 with prior chemotherapy and radiation treatment to blame, among other possible causes.

Others, who may not necessarily be going through early menopause, may start noticing signs of perimenopause for as long as a decade. A hallmark of perimenopause, which generally starts in the mid- to late-40s, includes unpredictable changes to one’s menstrual cycle from skipped periods to changes in the length and the time in between them to heavier or lighter menses. These cyclical irregularities can also come with a laundry list of unpleasant physical symptoms from night sweats to sleep disturbances to weight gain to hair loss. They may even begin to take effect earlier, catching women off guard as soon as her mid- to late-30s.

A Rocky Journey to Menopause

Such was the case with Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts, founder of Stripes Beauty, an intimate care brand catering to the sexual wellness of menopausal women. At just 36, Watts said she began to experience migraines, irregular periods, night sweats and difficulty conceiving — symptoms her doctor chalked up to perimenopause after a blood test detected off-kilter hormone levels tied to menstrual regulation.

“I was in my late 30s, trying to get pregnant and start a family. I wouldn’t have even found out as early as I did had I not been at that precipice of wanting to start a family,” she said. “When I wasn’t able to get pregnant, over and over again, I went to my doctor and said ‘What’s up?’ And he said ‘Let’s take some blood work. The bloodwork came back and suggested I was close to menopause at 36, which was very, very scary to hear because I thought for sure it’s the end of my fertility, possibly my career.”

Watts added, “We were always told menopause: the end— which is just not true.”

Hot with Inspiration

Watts went on to deliver two children, now teenagers, with ex-husband Liev Schreiber. Armed with her knowledge about menopause, and personal struggles that blindsided her, Watts felt empowered to build a business to raise awareness and equip women with the right skincare and supplemental products to maintain optimal vaginal health and function during their menopausal transition and beyond.

In this way, she proudly sports her womanly “stripes” as a fierce advocate for women’s sexual wellness while offering education and support for women everywhere.

Honoring the Vag in NYC

On October 17, the day before World Menopause Day, Stripes Beauty hosted an intimate soirée at a supper club in Manhattan’s SoHo district to celebrate Watts’ January release of her new memoir, “Dare I Say It,” in which she regales audiences of her experiences navigating menopause and beyond. Timing also marked the brand’s two-year anniversary. The theme was “honor the vag.”

Skincare for Down There

The brand’s bestselling skincare products include Vag of Honor, an ectoine hydrating and revitalizing gel formulated with hyaluronic acid and glycogen aimed to maintain daily hydration, and Oh My Glide, an oil featuring a blend of squalane, bisabolol, coconut and avocado oil that works to restore moisture and improve skin’s elasticity. Another skincare offering, the Full Monty Squalane Hydrating Vitamin C Body Oil, is formulated with squalane, acai oil, vitamins C and E and kakadu plum, to nourish and illuminate skin, delivering deep hydration and allover radiance. In a clinical study following four weeks of use, 100% of participants reported increased skin hydration, enhanced skin barrier function, improved elasticity, heightened skin radiance and greater softness.

To alleviate facial dryness, Power Move Ectoine Hydrating & Plumping Facial Serum contain’s the brand’s proprietary blend featuring ectoine and squalane, along with five types of hyaluronic acid and poria cocos mushroom to firm, hydrate and plump while visibly smoothing fine lines and rejuvenating dull, dry and changing skin.

The light, quick-absorbing serum complements other Stripes products, providing optimal absorption to leave your skin smooth, firm and visibly radiant, while reducing the appearance of fine lines.​ The serum imparts a subtle scent of iris, sandalwood and beach rose after Watts’ favorite natural fragrance.

Supplement Offerings

The brand’s other SKUs include supplements that can help alleviate perimenopausal symptoms. Dream Date helps women achieve a better night’s sleep. The Inside Addition is a probiotic supplement for post-menopausal women to aid strong bones to help avert osteoporosis, and assuage hot flashes, stress and brain fog.

Putting the ‘Men’ in Menopause

At the event, menopause experts, New York-based Drs. Rocio Salas-Whalen and Heather Hirsch, an internist and endocrinologist, respectively, who were on hand to answer questions related to sexual health during the menopausal transition. Dr. Hirsch is the lead physician and clinical program director for the menopause and midlife clinic at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. She also serves as faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Salas-Whalen said being forthcoming in romantic relationships is key to tackling the shame and stigma around discussing sex-related issues with their partner.

“We’re just starting to get educated about this; imagine men who have less of an idea,” said Salas-Whalen. “We have to be their educators.”

In discussing the connection between hormonal changes and vaginal dryness — a drop in estrogen, for example, can disrupt the vagina’s acidic pH of five to a basic pH of six or seven — Dr. Hirsch said this tissue-related imbalance leads to pain with intercourse. She said some of her patients use a combination of daily moisturizers and estrogen in the form of hormone therapy to re-balance pH, a solution Watts said she also puts into practice.

“That’s why I created Stripes,” said Watts. “To build awareness and come up with solutions for skincare, scalp to vag. I hope women feel supported by the beauty industry. We are relevant, we matter. We have plenty to do. It’s not over.”