What menopause products actually work? Doctors share how to buy wisely and stay safe

Women suffering through the hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause – all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of ageing – are being bombarded with products. More open conversations about menopause and the time leading up to it – called perimenopause – are happening just as social media has supercharged marketing. Women are being confronted by lotions, serums and light masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and necks, dietary supplements claiming to boost moods and ease hot flushes, and gadgets promising to help with symptoms. “The marketing has gotten very, very aggressive. It’s pervasive,” says Dr Nanette Santoro, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Colorado Anschutz in the US. Santoro and other doctors say that before spending lots of money on products that make big promises, it is important for women to talk to their doctors about what has actually been proven to help – and what could be harmful. “It really pays to be very, very, very sceptical,” Santoro says. A flood of marketing As menstruation winds down, women’s levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop. In some women, the symptoms can include hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes, vaginal dryness and sleep problems. Dr Angela Angel, an obstetrics and gynaecology practitioner at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, says that in the past, doctors would ask women around the age of 50 during their yearly exam if they were noticing any symptoms. But now, she says, patients are making separate appointments and initiating the conversations. At those appointments, she says, many patients tell her they have already tried something. “They’re coming to see me because it’s not effective or because it’s caused some other side effect,” Angel says. Her hospital has recently started a doctor-led menopause support group. At participants’ request, an upcoming session will focus on helping women navigate the marketing onslaught. Products aimed at women in that stage of life run from bracelets and rings claiming to help ease hot flushes to cooling blankets and bedding. Santoro’s advice to patients is to “balance what you’re going to spend over whether this might help you”. She adds: “If it’s a bracelet that’s going to cost you US$20, it’s not a big expenditure. It might provide some improvement. Things that are not well tested might still work, but if you want something that works – come back, I’m not going anywhere and I’ll give you evidence-based treatment.” Santoro says that while dietary supplements have not been proven to alleviate hot flushes in multiple studies, many are inexpensive with low potential for harm. She says that if a patient wants to try something they see online, it is important to at least tell their doctor so they can be monitored while taking it, or warned off it. Doctors note that over-the-counter products such as dietary supplements, shampoos and skin care that are advertised for menopausal women are often no different from regular products for that purpose, ingredient-wise, and that some could have side effects. Advice from doctors Dr Monica Christmas, director of the menopause programme at The University of Chicago Medicine in the US state of Illinois, says there is not one symptom everyone gets. Some women get few or none, she says, while others are extremely affected by a variety of symptoms. What is most important, she says, is seeking medical help. Doctors say that hormone therapy prescribed by a doctor can help with symptoms, as can prescriptions for non-hormonal medication. Some women are advised to avoid hormone therapy because they have had certain medical issues. “Not everybody needs hormone therapy. Not everyone is a candidate for hormone therapy. Not everybody should be on hormone therapy,” Angel says. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help a lot, doctors say. That can help with weight loss, which is associated with reducing hot flushes and night sweats. And Santoro notes that avoiding alcohol is a good step for someone with hot flushes since it can make them worse. “Many of the symptoms actually get better over time, so sometimes it really is just a matter of lifestyle modifications and self-care and getting through this most tumultuous time frame,” Christmas says. For Brandi McGruder, a 49-year-old school librarian from Dallas, it clicked that she was in perimenopause in 2025 when she went out to dinner for her birthday. When she and her friends entered the steakhouse, she was freezing cold. About 20 minutes later, she was burning up. She says she made an appointment with her doctor, who prescribed an oestrogen patch, which helped. She had seen the advertisements for products aimed at women her age, but her first stop was her doctor. She adds that while she does not like the way the symptoms have driven home that she is getting older, she is also embracing this time in her life. Her advice: “Laugh. It’s OK. Reach out to others experiencing what you are going through. Don’t take it so seriously.” Skin concerns Changes with skin come with ageing and during menopause, as skin gets thinner due to loss of supporting substances like collagen and hyaluronic acid, says Dr Melissa Mauskar, a dermatologist and associate professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas. Mauskar says using a prescribed retinoid or an over-the-counter retinol can help. Both assist with the production of collagen and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. She advises getting moisturisers with ceramides, which help keep skin hydrated. “You don’t want to have anything that has too many additive ingredients – just because it’s natural and a botanical does not mean it’s better,” Mauskar says. “A lot of those actually are contact allergens that can make people more sensitive.” Ingestible collagen is being marketed to menopausal women, but she warns that studies are mixed and that ingesting it “doesn’t mean that it’s going to make its way to your skin and plump up your face” – despite product claims. Light masks, she says, will not hurt, and some studies show they could help, but they will not make a difference overnight. She says seeing any improvements from them would probably take daily use for many years. She says sun damage is one of the biggest reasons patients have more wrinkles, so consistent use of sunscreen is a must for all ages. “I think there’s a lot of new fancy things coming out and targeted to perimenopause [and] menopause patients,” Mauskar says, “but sometimes the tried and true things that we at least have the science for … are my kind of gold standard for my patients.”

What menopause products actually work? Doctors share how to buy wisely and stay safe

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From skin serums and rings to lotions and gadgets, products promising to help women with menopause symptoms are everywhere now

From skin serums and rings to lotions and gadgets, products promising to help women with menopause symptoms are everywhere now