A few weeks ago, I spent about a half hour talking to Naomi Watts about vaginal dryness and lube. It’s not what many people consider polite conversation, but Naomi Watts isn’t interested in having polite conversations. Quite the opposite—at the heart of the skincare and lifestyle brand she launched last year, called Stripes, is a conversation that still makes some people very uncomfortable: menopause.
Stripes manufactures and markets supplements, face creams, and intimate products for women in this life stage, but what Watts really wants to distribute globally is an attitude—one of understanding, respect, and commiseration for the more than two million women who will experience menopause this year in the United States alone. To accomplish this, Stripes introduced an online community called The Hot Spot, where women can connect with one another and receive health, wellness, and beauty content from the brand’s digital magazine, Adulted. “There used to be an awkwardness about talking about periods and then there was an awkwardness to speak about fertility issues, but as people started opening up, we got beyond that and now it’s much easier to discuss those things,” Watts tells Women’s Health. “I would hope the same thing happens for menopause, because it’s going to affect half the population.”
Watts, who entered menopause early and found few peers in her age group who could relate, has reason to be hopeful: The response to Stripes—from consumers, the industry, her Hollywood peers—has been “unanimously positive.” So positive, in fact, that the brand launched in Sephora stores and online this month, a retail partnership that will propel Stripes forward and introduce its products to a whole new customer base. “Until now, you might think of Sephora as focusing a lot on Gen Z, but I think the world is changing in terms how people feel about aging,” Watts says. “This conversation has to be open to all women—why not be ahead of it and educated, right?”
It’s perhaps what Watts wishes she were as a younger woman. Here, she shares what she learned along the way and how she—and Stripes—are trying to change things for the next generation.
Your skin may get very dehydrated during menopause
Like most good ideas, Stripes was born of Watts’ own personal experience with extremely dry skin during menopause. “I’m not unique; I’ve heard this same thing from so many other people and it’s the reason I got interested in skincare originally,” she says. “Your skin can get very sensitive due to the loss of estrogen.”
The issue was only compounded for Watts by the fact that, as a working actor, she was in and out of costume constantly, having layer after layer of film makeup painted on. “By the end of the day, my skin was just raw. Thus, the idea for a “scalp-to-vag” skincare brand that would address these symptoms was born. Watts cold-called Emeryville, California-based biotech company Amyris about a partnership and Stripes was the result.
The brand’s products are enriched with antioxidants and super-hydrators, including Stripes’ signature ingredient, ectoine, a natural amino acid produced by certain bacteria that helps to achieve the optimal water balance in skin. “Our vaginal SKUs are powerhouse sellers,” Watts says. “And then Power Move, which is our face serum, a hydrating and versatile product because it can be used on its own if you only want invest in one product for the face. I swear by it. It’s got five types hyaluronic acids in it, as well as the ectoine and squalene.”
Another big hit from the brand: The Fully Monty, an antioxidant-rich body oil with vitamin C to brighten and squalane and acai oil to silk-ify skin. “It’s perfect for when you have few minutes at the end of the day and you want to invest in yourself.”
These wellness practices can make menopause symptoms more bearable
Tossing and turning at during sleep due to night sweats and hot flashes can be a real challenge, but Watts has found sleep trackers like the Oura Smart Ring to be helpful. “I’m obsessed with tracking how well I’ve slept or how poorly I slept,” she says. “The first thing I do when I wake up is pick up my phone and see how I did. I’m constantly low on deep sleep, so it helps me make adjustments. Now, I snooze with the blackout blinds, and I try not to eat too late.” Bath time rituals are also a game-changer here: “I love soaking in the tub,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s the greatest thing that will prepare me for a good night’s sleep.”
Watts has also noticed that her body has changed with menopause, so she’s made alterations to her workout routine too. “I used to do a lot of high impact cardio, but now it’s mostly strength training or yoga. When you lose estrogen, it’s harder to maintain muscle mass, so I lift weights to help.”
Community makes menopause less challenging
Watts has addressed this with Stripes’ The Hot Spot, and it was born of the isolation she herself felt when she entered menopause. “I was on my own, and when you’re on your own trying to figure it out, you kind of spiral,” Watts say. “You don’t really know what’s going on with your mood or your physical body. Everything’s converging, and if you don’t have someone to talk to, it’s only going to feel that much worse.”
That’s because, as Watts found, the emotions surrounding menopause can be conflicting and challenging “It can bring up some fear and grief,” she shares. “You have all these emotional symptoms: Is this the end? Am I still relevant? Do I matter?” It’s why Watts believes advocating for yourself with family, friends, and coworkers is so important. “These conversations must be had with not just your friends, but with your partner and even your children. Once there’s truth in the room, it takes away the mystery and people know how to behave and what you need.”
Humor is a powerful tool
Vag of Honor, Oh My Glide, Crown Pleaser—the names of Stripes’ products say a lot about how her approach to menopause has evolved. “We wanted to be cheeky with the names—let’s make this as fun as possible,” Watts says. “It’s important to have a laugh as well because we’ve shed all the tears we need to now so let’s lean into some a little bit more fun. Humor is always the best way to access anything that’s slightly uncomfortable.”
Stripes isn’t stopping here
With plans to take the brand global—the UK and Canada first, and possibly Australia Europe next—and wants to be out there talking about the issues surrounding menopause. “I want to continue to broaden the conversation. I’ve done several panels and we’ve organized a few events ourselves. The panels really are geared toward education, with sleep experts, endocrinologists and gynecologists, and even experts to really break down the HRT discussion. It’s just so core to the brand.”
Brian Underwood is the beauty director at Women’s Health. He is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering beauty and lifestyle for several national media outlets and previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily. His work has appeared in Woman’s Day, Life & Style Weekly, Good Housekeeping, and many more. He also serves as a member of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and lives in New York City with his daughter.
