Menopause awareness is long overdue.
For decades, women's symptoms were dismissed, overlooked or simply not discussed. Better understanding and more open conversations are all positive steps forward.
But alongside this progress, another trend has emerged: ‘Menowashing’. ‘Menowashing’ is termed referred to the practice of marketing products as menopause essentials, menopause-friendly or menopause-supporting without clear evidence that they provide meaningful benefits for menopausal symptoms. Suddenly, everything seems to have a menopause version: menopause beads, jewellery, crystals, clothing, chocolate, teas, candles, skincare, apps, wellness boxes and more.
Many of these products may be perfectly nice in their own right. Comfortable clothing can be comfortable. Cooling fabrics may help some women feel more comfortable when hot. Chocolate is always chocolate!
But menopause symptoms are largely driven by hormonal changes, particularly fluctuating and declining oestrogen levels. A bracelet cannot change hormone levels. A crystal cannot stabilise oestrogen. A candle cannot address the biological changes taking place during menopause.
That said, I understand why women buy them. I've been there myself. When I was really suffering, if someone had told me I needed the tears of a leprechaun and the eyelash of a unicorn, I'd probably have searched to the ends of the earth for them, despite knowing full well neither existed! That's how desperate menopause can make you feel. And that's where the problem lies.
When women are searching for relief, they are often vulnerable to marketing that promises more than it can realistically deliver. Women deserve clear, honest information about what products can and cannot do. Is a product simply offering comfort, convenience, or reassurance? Or is it being marketed in a way that suggests it can influence hormones or treat symptoms without any plausible mechanism or supporting evidence?
Before reaching for the latest menopause-branded product, it may be worth asking:
- What benefit is actually being claimed?
- Is there evidence to support it?
- Is it helping me feel better, or claiming to change my biology?
- Would I buy it if the word "menopause" wasn't on the packaging?
Menopause deserves evidence-based support, better healthcare, workplace understanding and informed choices. As menopause becomes a growing commercial market, the challenge will be separating genuine innovation and useful support from simple menowashing and cashing in.
Please note, these are my personal views only.
