Naomi Watts cites ‘intolerable’ menopause skin symptoms as impetus for Stripes Beauty line

Naomi Watts said severe skin and scalp symptoms during early perimenopause prompted her to launch a personal-care company aimed at addressing menopause-related dryness and sensitivity.

Watts, 56, discussed her experience and the genesis of Stripes Beauty during an event at Credo Beauty in Manhattan, saying she suffered what she called “intolerable” itchy, aggravated and sensitive skin after losing estrogen. She said those symptoms—and the lack of clear information and products for women in perimenopause and menopause—motivated her to create a line that targets hydration across the body.

Watts said she entered menopause unusually early, beginning to experience changes in her mid-30s. After bloodwork at about 36 indicated she was “close to menopause,” she later became pregnant twice, but reported that after breastfeeding her second child she experienced “hardcore symptoms” that led her to start hormone replacement therapy. She told the audience she did not initially realize that the dryness and sensitivity she felt across her skin and scalp were related to hormonal changes.

“One of the main things that really was intolerable for me because of my work was itchy, aggravated, sensitive, raging skin,” Watts said. She described cycling through familiar products that had previously worked for her before concluding that many formulations no longer helped, and said she felt isolated by what she called an ageist industry.

Watts said she cold-pitched the idea for Stripes Beauty to a biotech company after deciding to take a risk on a business that addresses the specific needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women. The brand, she said, focuses on hydration and sensitive-skin formulations and markets items that include face creams and serums, a hair mask, supplements and an intimate hydrating gel nicknamed “Vag of Honor.”

Watts said the brand aims to “speak to the dry points, from scalp to vag,” and that its ingredients target hydration issues and sensitive skin. She framed the effort as a response to what she described as persistent cultural messaging that diminishes women after childbearing years, saying she wanted a product line and a conversation that offered guidance and reassurance.

At the Manhattan event, she acknowledged initial concerns about branding herself as a “menopausal lady” in Hollywood and said she feared potential career repercussions. “Agism is alive and well,” she said, but added that speaking out has not been “career suicide.” Watts encouraged women to seek information and support, and urged a kinder, more truthful conversation about perimenopause and menopause.

She offered practical advice for navigating midlife changes, summarizing what she called her “5 Ts”: timelines, teachers, tribe, tenderness and truth. She described the value of mentors and a supportive community, and urged women to be compassionate toward themselves during life transitions.

Watts’s move to create a menopause-focused brand comes as more public figures have discussed their own experiences with midlife transitions. Several high-profile actresses and entrepreneurs have recently spoken about perimenopause and menopause, and the subject has grown more visible in mainstream wellness and beauty markets.

Watts said she hoped the increasing visibility would reduce stigma and provide clearer information to women who may feel alone. She framed Stripes Beauty as part of that shift: a product line intended to address physiological changes tied to hormonal shifts and to reinforce that women remain active, attractive and valuable at midlife and beyond.

Watts’s remarks reflect a broader conversation in health and consumer sectors about the physiological effects of menopause, including estrogen-related changes that can reduce hydration in the skin and mucous membranes. Medical experts note that decreased estrogen levels can contribute to vaginal dryness, thinning skin, and changes in hair and scalp condition, and they recommend that women discuss symptoms and treatment options, including hormone replacement therapy, with their health care providers.

Watts said she hoped her brand and public discussion would encourage women to seek information and not accept dismissive messages about aging. "A woman should feel like she's still important," she said, emphasizing investment in self-care as one element of coping with midlife changes.