Here’s something that stopped us in our tracks: 6 in 10 women going through menopause don’t actually know that’s what’s happening to them. Not because they’re not paying attention. But because nobody gave them the full picture.
Wait, there are 48 symptoms?
When most people think about menopause, they think about hot flashes. And yes, hot flashes are real (very real). But there are actually 48 recognized signs of menopause — and many of them are the kind of things you’d never connect to your hormones.
Brain fog. Anxiety out of nowhere. Joint pain. Changes in your skin, your body odor, your sex drive. Sleep that suddenly gets worse in your forties. Sound familiar? For many women, these things show up quietly, without a label, without an explanation. And research tells us that, on average, women can only name five menopause signs. 39% can name fewer than three.
A 2023 study from University College London (Tariq et al., BMC Women’s Health) found that negative attitudes around menopause actively get in the way of women seeking information and support. When a topic feels taboo — or when women simply don’t have the language to describe what’s happening in their bodies — symptoms go unrecognized for months, sometimes years.
Perimenopause: the stage that catches everyone off guard
Here’s the thing about perimenopause: it can start in your late thirties. And it can last anywhere from one to ten years before your final period. So when mood shifts, sleep disruptions, or changes in libido start showing up in your forties, menopause might be the last thing on your mind.
A 2025 survey of 1,000 adults published in Medicina found that awareness of perimenopause — including its timing, symptoms, and duration — varies enormously, even among women going through it. Which means women are navigating one of the biggest hormonal transitions of their lives, often completely in the dark about what’s actually happening.
Fear and silence feed each other. When menopause feels scary and unknown, we’re less likely to talk about it, ask questions, or look for solutions. And that fear has real consequences — for how women feel about their bodies, how they navigate their health, and whether they ever find the support that could genuinely help.
The research is clear on what helps
A major 2024 global review published in BMC Public Health (Fang et al.) analyzed 321 studies covering more than 482,000 women worldwide. What they found was clear: menopausal symptoms are nearly universal, but the experience of them — and, crucially, whether women get the support they need — depends heavily on awareness, access, and culture.
The most common symptom globally? Joint and muscular discomfort, experienced by 65% of women. It’s not something we often associate with menopause — and that’s exactly the point.
Because when the conversation stays focused on hot flashes, we miss how menopause shows up across the whole body. In the way we move, the way we rest, the way we feel in our skin, and the way we experience intimacy. And when those shifts go unrecognized, it becomes harder to understand what’s changing — or how to support ourselves through it.
“So many menopause symptoms show up without a clear label, and when we don’t recognize what’s happening in our bodies, it becomes much harder to know how to support ourselves." Samantha Marshall, Head of Brand, Smile Makers Collection
More than half of want clearer answers
Here’s something that really stuck with us: 53% of women say they want clearer product education about how things can support their menopause experience. More than half. That’s not a niche request — that’s a massive unmet need.
That’s exactly why Smile Makers Collection partnered with Gen M — and why every product in our menopause edit carries the MTick symbol. The MTick isn’t just a logo. It means a product has been independently verified to support at least one of the 48 recognized signs of menopause. So when you see it, you know it’s for real.
You can find out more about the MTick and the Gen M Collective at gen-m.com — or explore our certified menopause range below.
What Smile Makers Collection is doing
Through our partnership with GenM, Smile Makers Collection is committed to making menopause more visible in the spaces where people shop, scroll, and search. That means product pages that name symptoms clearly. Content that educates without stigma. And a growing range of products that are independently verified to support one or more of the 48 signs.
Because when women have the language to name what’s happening, they can find the support they need. And that starts with making sure the information is actually there.
Discover our menopause edit.
