In honor of Menopause Awareness Month, Get to Know These Game-Changers
Welcome to the menopause revolution. These days menopause is stepping out from behind closed doors and hushed conversations to have its moment in the sun, complete with a series of brands and rad female founders who are bringing the conversation to light. And it’s of little wonder why.
According to Contemporary OB/GYN, 90 percent of post-menopausal women experience painful sex due to dryness and atrophy, where 50 percent of women to give up on their sex lives altogether in their fifties. Additionally, a recent UK report found that nearly one million women left their jobs due to menopausal symptoms. It’s high time the general public and the wellness market starts focusing on menopause - from alleviating its symptoms and educating women on what to expect. Here are 16 companies changing the definition on what it means to be menopausal.
Womaness: “Screw the taboo” is the tagline for this product-focused women’s company that’s on a mission to serve the 50 million women going through menopause at any given time. Founded by Michelle Jacobs and Sally Mueller, Womaness offers robust arsenal of high-performance modern menopause products created by women for women that delivers solutions from head to toe (and everything in between) geared towards hot flashes, brain fog, dry skin, sleepless nights and more. Through innovative products, essential information, and unlimited inspiration, Womaness takes the “pause” out of menopause and sparks the power of menopositivity: a radiant, dynamic outlook that embraces who menopausal women are today. Because according to the site, “Women at this stage of life are the coolest, smartest, most interesting women we know.”
Caria: Caria believes “menopause should be a supported journey – not dismissed, but met with compassion, care, and community. Caria lets you connect with other women and with experts in a supportive space.”Created by Virtue Health founder Arfa Rehman, it’s is an all encompassing app designed for women experiencing menopause. They can record their symptoms, find holistic therapies, and gather insights about their menopause journey. Caria offers evidence-based approaches for managing symptoms—like cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, nutritional therapy, mindfulness, and fitness— and aims to address women and their journey with compassion, care, and community.
Thermaband: Founded by mother-daughter duo Debbie and Markea Dickinson, Thermaband is a temperature control device designed to help menopausal women control their body’s heating or cooling, entirely on demand. After working as a lawyer in her menopausal years and suffering from debilitating hot flashes while in court (where she said she used an array of ice packs, wraps and fans for relief), Debbie was inspired to create the Thermaband Zone device as a portable, technology-driven solution to hot flashes. The Zone makes temperature personal by learning your specific body to activate cooling or warming. Co-designed by a community of women, scientists and engineers so menopausal women no longer have to suffer in silence.
Gennev: Co-founded by former Microsoft Chief of Staff Jill Angelo, Gennev is the tele-health serves that caters exclusively to menopausal women around the country. It offers a variety of treatment options for symptoms, including prescription medications, supplement recommendations, and lifestyle behaviors that bring on fast relief. Women with a Gennev membership can book virtual appointments with OBGYNs, and liaise with health coaches certified in lifestyle behavior changes for managing weight and body image, sleepless nights, anxiety and depression. The Gennev team listens to a patient’s story, explains what’s happening in their body – both physically and mentally – and then we create a personalized care plan for clients.
Tabu: Like Tabu’s tagline, we also “because your sexual health doesn’t have an expiration date.” After an eye-opening conversation with her mom about sex in her fifties, Tabu founder Natali Waltz investigated the lack of conversation surrounding menopause and the appropriate solutions for women. She launched Tabu, a sexual wellness company for menopausal women, to help alleviate symptoms like vaginal dryness and painful intercourse. Designed in partnership with clinicians, Tabu’s Starter Kit includes a lightweight discrete massager and organic, healing lubricant.
Joylux: Made specifically for menopausal women, Joylux launched the first smart sexual wellness device that—when paired with an app - can track progress and provide education on everything from hot flashes to better sex and aims to improve strength, sensation, and natural lubrication. Founded by Colette Courtion, the OBGYN-designed and endorsed device utilizes red light, gentle heat, and sonic technology to promote hydration and overall vaginal wellness.