Welcome to the Age of Menowashing
There has never been a better time to be a wellness brand targeting women in midlife. Or depending on how you look at it, a worse time to be a woman in midlife trying to figure out what's actually going to help you feel better.
The peri/menopause space has exploded in the past 5 years; when I entered early menopause ten years ago NO-ONE was talking about it and menopause shampoos/moisturisers/£100 per month supplement subscriptions weren't even a glint in the eye of the most opportunistic marketer. And while some of that is genuinely great as women are finally talking openly about their experiences and the taboo is lifting, a significant chunk of what's filling that space is sadly opportunistic BS. A plethora of supplements with "menopause balance" on the label or a collagen powder "specially formulated for women over 40." A gut health programme "designed for hormonal harmony."
It sounds credible and it's packaged beautifully but it also costs a lot. And it’s absolutely banking on the fact that you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and desperately looking for answers. The menopause industry is now worth billions and it is growing fast. Brands are not investing in this space because they care deeply about your wellbeing, they're investing because there is serious money to be made from women who are struggling and have been failed, for too long, by mainstream medicine. That's not cynicism but that's just how markets work. And understanding it is the first step to protecting yourself.
The "everyone's an expert" problem
In addition to the menopause “goldrush2, it would appear that the wellness space also has a serious credibility crisis.
Because peri/menopause has become such a hot topic, it has attracted a wave of people positioning themselves as experts with little to no formal training to back it up. Personal trainers offering nutritional protocols for hormonal balance. Influencers selling supplement programmes or life coaches running menopause retreats after completing a weekend course. None of this is necessarily coming from a bad place and let's face it, everyone needs to make a living. But good intentions are not the same as clinical training; and when you are dealing with something as complex and individual as perimenopause which can affect everything from your cardiovascular health to bone density to mental health, the stakes of getting it wrong are real.
Nutrition in particular is an area where the "everyone's an expert" problem runs deep. Food is something we all engage with every day, which can make it feel like fair game for anyone to advise on. But nutritional biochemistry, and the interaction between nutrients and hormones is incredibly nuanced. Understanding how to take a thorough case history and work with a woman's individual picture is a specialised skill set that takes years to develop.
A weekend course does not get you there, nor does a large Instagram following.
What actually helps (Spoiler alert: it's not a £90 supplement)
The interventions with the strongest evidence base for supporting women through peri/menopause are, almost without exception, unglamorous. They cannot be branded and sold with a mark-up, which is precisely why they don't trend.
They include:
Eating well: more vegetables, adequate protein, way fewer UPF's
Thorough comprehensive blood testing and knowing your numbers and markers….full thyroid panel/blood sugar/cholesterol/iron
Further functional testing if indicated
Moving consistently: particularly strength training, which matters enormously for bone and metabolic health
Prioritising sleep: not just getting to bed earlier, but understanding what's disrupting it
Managing stress meaningfully: not just talking about it but actually addressing it
Social connection: real IRL nourishing human contact and belly laughing
Time outdoors: natural light, movement, fresh air
Honest conversations with your GP including where appropriate, a HRT prescription
And critically working with a qualified practitioner who can look at your individual picture. Because perimenopause is not one-size-fits-all. What's driving your symptoms, what your nutritional gaps are, what your history looks like matters enormously and untangling it takes proper training and time.
Why Credentials Actually Matter
I trained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London, a three-year, in-depth course where I underwent 200 clinical supervised hours. I've been in practice since 2018, and have invested my own £££ significantly in ongoing CPD and mentorship throughout that time because this field moves and evolves, and staying current matters.
I'm registered with both BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) and CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council) the two key professional bodies that set standards for nutritional therapy in the UK. Registration with these bodies means I'm working to a recognised code of practice, I hold professional indemnity insurance, and I'm committed to evidence-based, ethical practice. That's not me blowing my own trumpet but being transparent about why it matters who you choose to work with.
A Note to My Fellow Professionals
If you're a health or fitness professional reading this: please know this isn't an attack on you. Personal trainers, yoga teachers, health coaches, acupuncturists- you all do valuable work. But there are boundaries to a scope of practice that exist for good reason. I wouldn't dream of telling a client what weights to lift, or stick needles in someone, or advise on a HRT dose. Staying in my lane is essential to my professional credibility and ethics and is a code very much shared by my community of nutritional therapists. I frequently refer potential clients on to other practitioners if I feel that I'm not the right fit or that their issues are beyond my remit (e.g. a history of cancer and eating disorders require extra training).
The bottom line
The menopausal transition is significant but it is one you can navigate well, with the right support.
Be sceptical of anything that promises dramatic results through a single product. Before you part with your money ask about qualifications and look for BANT or CNHC registration when seeking nutritional support. Choose practitioners who are transparent about what they know, and honest about what they don't.
And if something (and yes i’m looking at you NADH+ injections/huge creatine doses/anything that is “maxxed”) seems too good to be true it nearly always is! This old adage has never resonated more....and the noise in this space is only going to get louder. I'll keep cutting through it as best I can.