When it comes to menopause and perimenopause symptoms, we often talk about the internal changes—hot flashes, mood swings and brain fog but do not always discuss the external, aesthetic symptoms, which are just as real and can have a profound impact on self-esteem and confidence, says Dr. Shirin Lakhani, a UK-based menopause and women’s health expert.
“During menopause, declining estrogen levels can lead to dry, thinning skin, increased fine lines and wrinkles and a loss of that youthful plumpness and glow,” she explained.
“Women may notice their skin becoming more sensitive or that their usual skin care products no longer seem to work the way they used to. There’s also a reduction in collagen production, which can cause sagging, particularly around the jawline and cheeks.”
According to Dr. Lakhani, hair can become dry, brittle and may even start to thin or shed more noticeably, nails can become more fragile, and many women also experience changes in body composition—an increase in fat around the abdomen and a loss of muscle tone.
“And of course, intimate areas are affected too,” she continued. “Vaginal dryness, a loss of elasticity and skin sensitivity can make women feel uncomfortable and self-conscious, which impacts everything from daily comfort to relationships. There is also an increased susceptibility to infections such as UTIs and thrush.”
According to Dr. Lakhani, there is a need to talk about these changes more openly because they are not just cosmetic and are deeply tied to how women feel about themselves during this stage of life.
Meanwhile, doctor and plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Paul Banwell said that women still do not have a huge choice of options to address their menopause symptoms, which means that most women branch out from what their doctor can provide and look to alternative brands and ingredients that may help.
Dr. Banwell, who has launched the supplements brand Artis London that offers products in the menopause space, noted that the menopause has been discussed much more openly in the past decade, which has made it easier for women to search for alternative symptom relief support.
“At one time, it would have been ‘taboo’ to speak about their symptoms, but it is much more openly discussed now, so brands can be more open with how their supplements and ingredients can help women going through the menopause,” he said.
Menopausal shoppers feel underserved and invisible
According to Heather Jackson, who is CEO and co-founder of GenM, an organization that partners with brands selling menopause products and advocates to get the best for menopausal women, there are more than 15.5 million women in the UK alone, and one billion globally, who are currently in menopause.
“The next generation of women is actively seeking solutions to improve their experience of menopause— they’re demanding visibility, trust and choice," she said. “Yet while menopause is being talked about now more than ever, GenM’s research still consistently shows that menopausal consumers continue to feel overlooked, underserved, and invisible, to both brands and society.”
“It’s important to remember that despite societal preconceptions and increased media coverage, accurate knowledge about menopause signs is still not widespread and many women still struggle to understand how menopause affects their physical, mental and emotional health,” she added.
This means that beauty and personal care products for menopausal and perimenopausal women is a big business opportunity. A study published by the National Institutes of Health declared that 1.2 billion women are expected to be in perimenopause and menopause by 2030. While a report from Women’s Health Access Matters and KPMG showed that the market for menopause drugs, holistic treatments and apps and wearables was worth nearly $18 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach $27 billion by 2030.
A survey undertaken in February 2025 in the UK found that approximately 76% of women are buying vitamins and minerals to help manage menopause symptoms.
The OnePoll survey was conducted on behalf of the buy now pay later service Clearpay and surveyed 2,000 UK women who have experienced perimenopause or menopause symptoms.
The research found that UK menopausal women spent an average £147 each year on supplements, £120 on vitamins and minerals and £105 on hormone support.
The most expensive products they bought were skin care treatments for an average of £244 a year and skin care products at £179.
Meanwhile, a comparison of the figures from 2023 and 2024 revealed a 156% increase in sales of omega-3 fish oil, a 150% rise in calcium products, 92% higher sales of primrose oil and a 20% rise in red clover sales among these consumers.
However, the report also revealed that 29% of women reported feeling overwhelmed while navigating menopause and the associated expenses, with 24% struggling to find a trusted source of information about suitable products.
Menopause support supplements are ‘driving growth’
Jackson agreed that menopause support supplements are driving growth within the UK dietary supplements market, alongside probiotics.
“In fact, the menopause category is now the highest revenue-generating segment overall, and it continues to experience substantial growth,” she said. “This growth reflects a broader shift, as brands increasingly respond to women’s demands for more personal care support during menopause.”
Jackson said that there is no doubt that having more personal care options is a step in the right direction but that menopause support is still an underserved sector.
“It’s important to recognize that beauty-from-within isn’t about ‘curing’ menopause—it’s about helping women feel better and more supported through it,” she explained.
“Women don’t want to be overwhelmed with products, they want to be signposted to those that are trusted and can genuinely improve their everyday experience of menopause. What really matters is credibility and trust to cut through the noise and create clarity.”
Menopause care: A sector that needs more signposting
Supplements retailer Vitawell has put an emphasis on menopause care as part of its new strategy, as the company has seen huge growth in this sector in recent years.
According to John Sutcliffe, who is group MD of Vitawell’s parent company Principle Healthcare, the key challenges are “elevating awareness, breaking down the stigma and improving visibility of menopause-friendly products in store and online.”
To support its strategy, the retailer partnered with GenM to gain more insight into menopausal consumers.
“Their data overwhelmingly indicates that women need better signposting and access to products and for brands to be part of the conversation in breaking down the taboo of menopause,” Sutcliffe said.
“Additionally, we participated in projects with UK retailers Morrisons and Tesco to improve in-store visibility through the first menopause aisles in the UK, as well as improving the online taxonomy to make the shopping experience easier and more appealing.”
A need for more regulations and proof of efficacy
While there is a plethora of ingredients and products designed to help women going through menopause, there is still a lack of scientific evidence proving which ones are genuinely efficacious.
The NICE Guideline on Menopause is still reserved about the use of supplements to manage symptoms and says that doctors should explain to women that “the quality, purity and constituents are unknown.”
Meanwhile, many general medicine practitioners are not experts in the use of supplements, so there is still a knowledge gap here.
Last year we held a discussion panel on the topic of beauty supplements, and were joined by the founder of Lyma Lucy Goff, founder of Rem3dy Health Melissa Snover and registered dietician and founder of You’re Looking Well Sophie Medellin.
All three panelists agreed that despite the optimism surrounding beauty-from-within and personal-care-from-within products, there is still a need for more rigorous standards to ensure product safety and effectiveness, as well as a need for collaboration between manufacturers, nutritionists and regulators to create products that meet consumer demand but also deliver on their promises.
Beauty-from-within for menopause symptoms
One way that beauty-from-within brands can create efficacious and trusted products that showcase the science in the menopause care sector is to work with time-tested, research backed ingredients.
One example of this comes from the brand Lyma, which has innovated in this area using the carotenoid lycopene, which it said “can play a crucial part in skin health” and that “it has been proven in medical papers to possess a number of exceptional properties.”
As one of the most common menopause symptoms is dry, sensitive skin due to dropping estrogen levels, this can often lead to accelerated signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, and skin becomes less able to be an effective barrier. Lycopene has been shown to help with this.
“Antioxidants are compounds that fight free radicals and chain reactions in the body. Lycopene has also been proven as a rich nutrient source in over 20 peer-reviewed pre-clinical and clinical studies,” the brand said, adding that its Lycored Lycopene ingredient “is a powerful nutrient shown to play an important role in skin elasticity and resilience.”
Although foods like tomatoes, carrots and pink grapefruits are rich in lycopene, Lyma said the concentrations are too low to make a definitive improvement to skin. Plus, it highlighted that research has shown that when tomatoes go through more thermal processing, the bioavailability of the lycopene content increases.
While Lyma has been innovating in the beauty-from-within menopause space, and its products span multiple sectors in the supplement industry. However, a host of specialist menopause care brands are starting up with a focus on helping women navigate menopause symptoms. For example, holistic menopause solutions company Stripes, which was founded by Hollywood actress Naomi Watts, and well-aging brand Womaness.
Womaness’ cofounder Sally Mueller said that ingestible products and sexual wellness solutions have been the two key areas of innovation for the brand and also noted that customers who enter the brand via supplements are the most loyal.
Menopause and longevity science
Menopause and perimenopause care also has a lot of crossover with longevity science, which has reshaped the anti-aging skin care sector, and Sutcliffe said that some of the key trends he expects to see spanning the beauty-from-within and menopause care spaces in the next couple of years references the link between beauty and longevity.
“We’re seeing this in things like NAD+ supplements that manage cellular energy production and repair, which is an essential element of skin preservation and healthy aging,” he explained. “More products will become available as consumer interest increases in NAD+ supplements, and we’ll see it in more convenient formats such as drinks, powders, gummies and pills. The popularity of NAD+ will drive demand for beauty supplements that have the added value of cellular repair and anti-aging properties.”
This shift in anti-aging is being driven by two factors. The first element is consumer demand for greater authenticity and self-acceptance in the beauty industry.
“There is clearly a shift in language and imagery that previously pushed anti-aging claims to a more positive pro-aging or age appreciation,” said Arnita Wofford, chief marketing officer at Gobiotics by Sweetch. “This is part of a larger cultural shift in self-acceptance and health and wellness being a new currency.
“We no longer aim to defy age but to look and feel our best at every age. The products available to consumers must also follow this shift and support us with both nutraceuticals and topicals that help meet these new challenges.”
The second key element is the growing consumer focus on incorporating beauty products into an improved approach to overall health and wellness, alongside factors such as diet, exercise and sleep quality.
“The roots of this movement from anti-aging to ‘prejuvenation’ are probably to be found in healthcare, with people gradually moving from a curative approach to disease to a preventive one,” said Laurie Canel, product marketing leader for personal care actives at Gattefosse.
“At the heart of this is a growing awareness of good preventive health practices, or how a healthy diet, regular physical activity, a good quality and quantity of sleep, or sun protection can help preserve healthspan.”
An opportunity and a responsibility
For Jackson, visibility and education play a huge role in helping menopausal women find products they can trust.
She highlighted that while this is a growing sector, only 55% of menopausal women feel accurately represented in marketing and advertising.
“We want to see and hear real, authentic women in advertising, and feel supported with accurate information and advice,” she said.
“Trust underlies every purchase decision made by menopausal women. The fact that 94% of women want to trust a menopause product before buying it highlights exactly why a universal, credible menopause-friendly shopping symbol is so essential.
She added that Gen M has introduced the MTick, a universal shopping symbol and certification designed to signpost menopause-friendly products.
“When you see it on packaging, you know it’s a product you can trust to help with one of the 48 symptoms of menopause,” she said.
“Any brand, product or retailer wanting to display the MTick must meet scientific-backed criteria and supply evidence through authorized medicinal, cosmetic or health claims to show how it supports one or more symptoms of menopause.”
Jackson said that retailers and brands currently now have a real opportunity—and responsibility—to support women in making informed, confident choices.
“With menopause finally getting the media attention it deserves, the dangers of ‘menowashing’ are very real,” she noted.
“At GenM, we stand firmly against this, and stand for substance over spin. Because menopause is not a trend, it’s a universal life stage that every woman will go through that can last up to 15 years. The menopause category deserves to be treated with respect, care and long-term commitment. It’s a forever market and it’s time it was truly understood and properly supported.”