After spending my career building brands and products that solve pain points for women in specific life stages–from marriage to motherhood–menopause was the next frontier. At least that’s what I discovered after talking with hundreds of women about their experiences. As I leaned in, I realized this was so much bigger than a product or service. While younger women were discussing periods and sex, infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum, all formerly “taboo” topics, no one was discussing the needs women were experiencing as they got older. 

Making the conversation culturally relevant is a big step toward stripping away the stigma, and this was an opportunity to introduce a cross-generational conversation around what it means to be a woman, at every stage of life. This was a chance to educate women about the years after postpartum, the experiences leading up to menopause, and the often overlooked time after menopause (good-bye periods)!

Just like every experience we go through as a woman, I believe we need to be able to speak about them openly and honestly, so that we can help normalize the topics. Creating a platform for women to do that is my mission with Hazel-luxe, innovative femme care for the ever-evolving woman. Here’s the steps I’ve taken with Hazel to disrupt the menopause market and create a product for the femme care industry.

1. Start with her story, never assume.

Instead of making assumptions about who our audience was based on stereotypes, my co-founder and I began by talking with her (the women). These women shared their life stories, pain points, brands they loved, brands they hated, things they were comfortable talking about, and things they thought no one else was experiencing. 

We learned that menopause represents 34 symptoms women can have from age 40-60, and several of those symptoms, like leaks, can continue into their 70s, 80s, and 90s. So we continued digging deeper and found that 1 in 3 women overall experience leakage, and that increases to 1 in 2 women over 50. 

2. Innovate and go against the status quo.

Through talking we also learned that products on the market just weren’t cutting it for these women. Women were limited to only using pads, liners, and adult diapers, or avoiding the aisle altogether (We can’t blame them!). They were constantly self-conscious. For example, walking in a plastic, bulky diaper wasn’t ideal at the office. Or how about having pads stuck to the side of your leg during HIIT class. Some women would rather quit! 

We knew they deserved better, so we asked women how we could make a better product. The bar was low because all they wanted was underwear. Not just any underwear but a chic brief they could wear under their leggings, undetected. Bonus if it included a control top and was super absorbent. 

We set out to do just that. We learned the global incontinence market is valued at $13B, and is the  fastest-growing category in personal care. There are only two legacy brands that control 100% of the market, but supply chains and manufacturing are based on their baby diaper categories. That’s why there’s been almost no innovation, and no wonder 77% of women hate the existing products on the shelves. 

To introduce a better product, we had to rethink everything! Not only the actual underwear but the manufacturing process. So we brought together material scientists and fashion designers, and spent two years developing new materials and technologies to create the High & Dry Brief – a super chic, disposable brief for leaks that absorbs up to 1.5 cups of liquid (that’s a bladder full). 

3. Elevate the category by creating a brand and product that resonates.

Despite women over 50 controlling 70% of disposable income, less than 5% of total marketing dollars are directed to this demographic. It’s not surprising then that 89% of women say they feel invisible when they turn 50. 

To build a brand and product that this category of women like, we involved them every step of the way. For us, that meant building Hazel alongside real women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. We formed a customer advisory board of 25 women and connected with hundreds more through the process. We conducted interviews, surveys, and focus groups, and shared our brand visuals, language, packaging, prototypes, and product designs to get feedback. We listened and we iterated.

We learned they wanted a fashion-forward brand that didn’t make them feel like something was wrong with them. And when it came to the product, we had them test it out by wearing the briefs while in spin class, at work meetings, playing tennis, running errands, and going about their everyday activities. We made adjustments to the fit, absorbent core, and overall look and feel until we got them just right. We also made them size inclusive as 40% of the market is a size XL or larger.

4. Break taboos and stereotypes

I want women to know the power of embracing everything that comes with being a woman. When we do that, we’re making aging aspirational. As women talk publicly about their periods and sexual wellness, infertility and postpartum experiences, and now menopause (and beyond!), we’re creating conversations around women’s health and experiences at every age. Through storytelling and representation, we’re showing women of all ages (and society) what it means to be an ever-evolving woman, and that they are anything but invisible. Best of all, we’re removing the stigma by taking this category out of the shadows and changing the narrative.

About the author: Aubrey Hubbell is the co-founder and Chief Design Officer of Hazel, a luxe, innovative femme care brand for the ever-evolving woman. Hazel empowers women with thoughtful, groundbreaking products – starting with the High & Dry Brief, a disposable brief for leaks. Aubrey is passionate about building brands and products that solve pain points for women in specific life stages – from marriage to motherhood to menopause and beyond. She received her B.F.A. in Digital Design from the University of Colorado in Denver. And studied Scandinavian design in Copenhagen, Denmark.