Change is hard, and while menopause is a natural process, it can be upsetting to lose a sense of control over what’s happening to your body. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, and Oprah Winfrey have all opened up about this phase of life and how important it is to talk about breaking the stigma around menopause. And we’re seeing the beauty industry start to follow suit: Womaness is a brand that’s leading the conversation and facilitating empowerment through products that restore some of that control, starting with its skincare line .

One of the first areas of your body in order to be affected by menopause (apart from your reproductive system! ) is your skin. “Estrogen and collagen are closely intertwined, ” board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology Geeta Yadav tells PEOPLE. “High estrogen levels often correlate to high collagen levels, and vice versa. Think about the “glow” we speak about when women are pregnant — that’s caused by high the amount of estrogen. As we age, both collagen and estrogen levels fall, causing changes to our skin. ”

Womaness co-founders Sally Mueller and Michelle Jacobs decided that there needed to be a company that addressed these issues head on. “My aha — or perhaps better phrased, ‘hot-flash’ moment for Womaness happened after an appointment I had at the women’s health center at the Mayo Clinic in 2018, ” Mueller tells PEOPLE. “My doctor and I were discussing vaginal dryness plus painful sex… two things I was all too familiar with, but I had no idea were common symptoms of menopause. ” She says the doctor sent her home with menopause products that felt “dusty and depressing. ”

“There was clearly a huge opportunity to educate women in their 40s in addition to 50s and provide them with high-powered, well-designed products that will would address major symptoms due in order to changing hormones — from dry skin head-to-toe (including your V-zone); hot flashes; mood; sleep (or lack thereof); the particular list goes on and on, ” she says. “When I was in New York a few months later, I relayed this story to be able to Michelle (a longtime friend) over cocktails, and the girl agreed it was due time for a menopause brand makeover. ”

“Both of us have dedicated our careers to speaking to and even supporting women at nearly every stage associated with her life — building brands, product assortments, together with campaigns for you to serve her as the lady moved through first job to marriage, pregnancy, to help kids, ” says Jacobs. “We touched her existence in every way and additionally at each milestone, along with one notable exception: perimenopause. This is very common, unfortunately. While this demographic has serious purchasing power and are the healthiest, wealthiest, not to mention most active generation in history, most marketers write off consumers at age 49. We know this from our own professional and personal experiences. ”

Thus typically the co-founders made this a priority and also created the spotlight with regard to this community of ladies. “We are here for this 50 million women inside menopause or suffering from menopausal symptoms, ” says Mueller. “Yes, 50 million. We always say menopause doesn’t discriminate; if you are usually a female, you will experience menopause at some point in your life. We’re reframing often the conversation about menopause coming from shame as well as stigma to celebration. Life doesn’t end just because your menstruation does. It’s time to focus on your incredible aspects of midlife. All of us call it menopositivity. ”

“We created Womaness in order to be both accessible (through our retail partnerships in Target, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and QVC) and affordable, with everything in the exact range under $40, ” says Jacobs.  

Whilst the brand carries an array of supplements and feminine care products, below, we’re focusing specifically on the best Womaness skincare products we think a person should know about to help you feel and look your best especially as you encounter changes related to menopause.

Take Our Word For It

Madison Yauger will be a staff writer for PEOPLE who’s tested hundreds involving lifestyle goods across all categories. With a background in news and lifestyle journalism, she has a wide network connected with expert sources. She’s previously covered many beauty topics across skin care, makeup, as well as hair. For this story, she spoke to typically the Womaness founders, a board-certified dermatologist, and thoroughly researched the brand plus each item.