I'm in My 50s and Here Are 9 Products I Swear By to Get Me Through Menopause

What's It For? enhancing and tracking sleep

Now more than ever, I need a good night’s rest to keep an even keel emotionally, be focused and fast at work and to keep up with my fitness routine. I use the Oura ring to measure my differing levels of sleep—it gives me biofeedback analysis of my optimum sleep time (8 hours) and reminds me a half hour before bed that I should start winding down. Note: I’m also testing the Whoop tracker, which is giving me even more intel on not only my sleep but also my stress levels.

• What's It For? before-bed relaxation

A seven-year study that followed 3,045 women during menopausal transition reported that the women found it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. I did too, until I started taking a big glass of water with magnesium in it before bed. (Yep, it’s the sleepy girl mocktail trend.) The magnesium relaxes me and makes my eyelids heavy without the hangover that wine can create, and with no next-day grogginess like I’ve experienced with melatonin. I like the berry flavor with a bit of juice and water.

• What's It For? muscle mass maintenance

As we get older, our muscle mass decreases, so our fitness regimens need to include weight training as well as cardiovascular fitness. My fitness coach asked me to get some ankle weights so that I could make my reps of leg lifts, fire hydrants and other muscle-building moves more productive. These come in 1-, 2- and 3-pound sizes, and I’m pretty happy with the two-pounders for now.

• What's It For? vaginal dryness

“According to several population studies, more than half of postmenopausal women aged over 51 years suffer from mild or severe vaginal dryness related to specific changes in menopausal hormonal regulation linked to the decreasing level of estrogen,” according to a 2019 report by the European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine. Without getting too detailed, I’ll just say that’s been my experience, and I have successfully counted on this water-based lube in both intimate play and as vaginal moisturizer. It’s not too sticky, has no irritating scent, silicones, parabens or phthalates, and it doesn’t stain. The active ingredients are hyaluronic and lactic acids and allantoin, which are the same skin-plumping and soothing agents I look for in my face and body lotions.

• What's It For? preventing hair loss

As much as I hate taking capsules, I’m all about gobbling therapeutic gummies. It’s like candy instead of medicine! So I am glad I found these sweet and soft gummy hair vitamins that address the effects of menopause on hair health. As the journal Biomedicines reported in 2023, “during menopause, the body goes through significant hormonal changes, particularly a decrease in estrogen levels. This hormonal shift can lead to various symptoms, including hair loss or thinning.” These Olly vitamins have really helped my hair. They contain keratin, biotin, amla and minerals, and after using them for a month I detected less hair loss and thicker hair growing in. Additionally, I’m convinced these vitamins are helping my hair grow longer than my hair did before I started taking them.

• What's It For? alertness, focus

My experience of menopause brain is basically a lighter version of pregnancy and breastfeeding brain—a sort of come-and-go fuzziness in my thinking and forgetfulness. I spoon a teaspoonful of this malty powder into my morning coffee and viola! I have an increased ability to concentrate on tasks at hand. I thought perhaps it was a placebo effect, due to the ace branding and charm of Moon Juice creator Amanda Chantal Bacon—and maybe it is! But I also know at least two other women in menopause who report the same increased productivity. The secret sauce here is a blend of adaptogen botanicals (lion’s mane, ginkgo, rhodiola, ashwagandha, astragalus and maca) which are believed to pick up the slack when our brain chemistry changes due to stress, aging or hormonal fluctuations.

• What's It For? a smoother, tighter nick

Nora Ephron was right, the crepey tortoise neck appearance of a woman who’s lived a life exposing her decolletage to the elements is…disappointing. (And it's not just Nora and me who noticed: For instance, one Brazilian study found that almost 70 percent of patients pointed to skin laxity as a symptom that worsened after menopause; 53 percent of post-menopausal patients complained of increased skin dryness.) In my case, saggy and dry skin is showing up most profoundly on my neck. I’ve achieved smoothing results after a month using the inventive roll-on tube of this serum which contains a hyaluronic acid derivative, a firming algae extract and antioxidant amla to instantly moisturize the neck and chest area.