Savvy brands are realizing what American women have always known: she doesn’t stop using and buying beauty just because she reaches a certain age. Au contraire. Older buyers are generally more brand loyal and have more disposable income than their younger counterparts, yet they’re often besieged by bodily changes that can make buying effective products for them difficult, if not impossible.
From celebrity-inspired startups and indies to well-known mainstream brands, creating life stage-appropriate beauty and wellness products for the menopausal woman has become chic. What’s more, it’s good business.
To find out what women want in products during this time in life, The Benchmarking Company (TBC) conducted a 48 question online study in August 2021. TBC surveyed 2,023 American women about their menopausal changes, how they’re seeking relief, which beauty brands are speaking their language by offering products that work for them, and what they want next from your brand.
| Average respondent age: 51.4 years · 26% perimenopausal · 20% menopausal · 43% postmenopausal · 11% still within childbearing years Average age of entering menopause: 46.8 Work life: · 61% work outside the home (4% are business owners) · 15% retired · 19% homemaker · 5% student, not working Education: · 77% some college to doctoral degree Expanded demographics: · 65% HHI between $51K – $200K+ · 63% married · 35% have 2 children · 17% live in urban areas, 57% suburban, 26% rural · 85% Caucasian, 5% Black, 5% Hispanic, 5% Asian or other. |
She’s Got Issues
Seventy-two percent (72%) of peri- to post-menopausal women say they sometimes to always experience menopausal issues or symptoms that frustrate them, and they’re not shy about seeking help. Ninety-one percent (91%) report being likely or somewhat likely to talk openly about ways to combat symptoms and find targeted products to help, and 88% are encouraged by the fact that there is more social dialogue today about the impact and side effects related to menopause than there was 20 years ago.
Regardless of which stage of menopause she’s in, when it comes to the 411 on menopause related issues, symptoms, products or information, the top places she turns to for help in navigating these stages are:
- 69% Doctor
- 55% Internet
- 42% Friends
- 39% Family
- 10% Books/published materials
- 9% Social media
- 6% Naturopath/homeopath
Forty-four percent (44%) report purchasing a product to address her menopausal concerns stemming from a conversation or recommendation from a friend/family member.
Those frustrating physical and beauty-related concerns that she’s experiencing vary slightly by her menopausal stage[1].
| Perimenopausal | Menopausal | Postmenopausal |
| 83% experience “frustrating” menopausal symptoms | 90% experience “frustrating” menopausal symptoms | 57% still experience “frustrating” menopausal symptoms |
| 73% difficulty losing weight | 87% hot flashes | 78% hot flashes |
| 70% hot flashes | 76% night sweats | 73% difficulty losing weight |
| 69% night sweats | 75% difficulty losing weight | 69% night sweats |
| 66% irregular periods | 68% sleep pattern disruption | 62% sleep pattern disruption |
| 63% sleep pattern disruption | 58% decreased sex drive | 56% decreased sex drive |
| Beauty-related frustrations | Beauty-related frustrations | Beauty-related frustrations |
| 51% dehydrated skin | 51% dehydrated skin | 60% loss of skin elasticity |
| 50% loss of skin elasticity | 50% loss of skin elasticity | 58% more fine lines/wrinkles |
| 47% more fine lines/wrinkles | 47% more fine lines/wrinkles | 52% dehydrated skin |
| 45% hormonal breakouts | 45% hormonal acne breakouts | 52% sagging skin |
| 44% age/sun spots/skin discoloration | 44% age/sun spots/skin discoloration | 49% age/sun spots/skin discoloration |
Women also have sexual side effects in various stages of menopause, offering personal care brands an opportunity to provide products that meet her most intimate needs. Women in each of the three stages reported these issues:
- 55% Painful sex
- 55% Decreased sex drive
- 50% Vaginal dryness
- 24% Incontinence
- 16% Change in vaginal odor
- 10% Vaginal atrophy (thinning of the vaginal wall)
[1] Menopausal stages were defined at the beginning of the study to respondents as: Perimenopause: menstrual cycles become irregular, but they haven’t stopped; Menopause: when you’ll have your final menstrual period and have gone a year without one; Postmenopause: begins when your one year from your final period.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN GCI MAGAZINE HERE