“RHONY ”Alum Cindy Barshop and Menopause Experts Share Their Survival Kits: Sex Serums, Hair Masks, Neck Fans and More

In honor of Menopause Awareness Day (October 18), menopause experts share the products they rely on to alleviate unpleasant, uncomfortable symptoms

Each day, about 6,000 women in the U.S. reach menopause, defined as 12 months without a period — and many more deal with the symptoms of perimenopause in the years leading up to that. Thankfully society, and the marketplace, are beginning to take notice. In honor of Menopause Awareness Day (Oct. 18), we turned to several women working in the menopause space to find out what they'd include in a "menopause survival kit."

Cindy Barshop, RHONY alumna and founder of VSPOT

Former Real Housewives of New York star Cindy Barshop, 59, launched VSPOT, an intimate spa for women focusing on sexual healthcare, in 2017. "I started menopause shortly after giving birth to my twins [now 12]," she says. "It was such a whirlwind of hormones, changes and emotions being both postpartum and perimenopausal. My greatest challenge was the vaginal dryness and change in libido — hence why VSPOT was created. I wanted a non-surgical solution that could help these changes so that I could then go enjoy being a new mother to my beautiful babies."

My Survival Kit
"The biggest challenge women face is a lack of education, resources and solutions surrounding menopause. Many don’t know where to turn for their menopausal symptoms. We should all be armed with more education and resources, but for products, here are some that I would absolutely recommend every woman take with them."

1. Good Sex: VSPOT developed Good Sex specifically to address vaginal dryness. It is clinically proven to outperform topical estrogen creams. VSPOTs Good Sex increases collagen and mucosal production. Moisturizers help prevent signs of aging such as vaginal atrophy and loss of elastin and collagen.

2. Hormone Replacement Therapy: Medication that replaces estrogen.

3. VSPOT Oh Serum: Increases natural lubrication and intensifies orgasms. Vaginal dryness and changes are hallmark menopausal symptoms. VSPOT’s OH Serum can help address your sensation and pleasure while increasing lubrication and arousal.

4. One of my go-to sources for information is Oprah’s Guide to Menopause.

5. Thinning hair is one of the biggest complaints from women going through menopause. Nutrafol's Women’s Balance is a daily hair growth supplement designed for women 45+ experiencing hair thinning due to hormonal changes and aging.

6. Equelle Menopause Multi-Symptom Relief: A supplement that uses S-equol, a plant-based ingredient derived from soy that safely and naturally mimics estrogen — relieving hot flashes, improving sleep, etc. It is a great non-hormonal solution for menopause symptoms.

Related: Celebrities Who've Talked About Menopause

Menopause the Musical Actress Teri Adams

For 17 years, Adams, 56, has played the role of “Iowa Housewife” in the national touring company of the hit show Menopause the Musical, which has been seen by 17 million people in 16 countries since its debut in 2001. She's reprising the role in the show's sequel, Menopause the Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’, which premiered this year. "I’m a 56-year-old actress with the misfortune of going through menopause for over a decade, starting at an early age as a result of breast cancer and a subsequent total hysterectomy," Adams says. "Luckily, I survived cancer, and I survived menopause. The hot flashes and "clammy" skin really affected me the most — feeling like an oven on the inside. It would just happen at random times, waking up and feeling like you have wet the bed only to discover you are just drenched in sweat. The beautiful thing about menopause is knowing you are not alone. There is a camaraderie, a sisterhood, amongst women that have experienced menopause and come out the other side."

 My Survival Kit:

1. A portable neck fan is like your own personal air conditioner! Great for unexpected hot flashes.

2. For sore muscles and for post-rehearsal aches and pains, I love the TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator.

3. Anything written by my favorite author, Jenny Lawson, will make me laugh out loud! It instantly puts things in perspective and improves my day.

4. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita: As my mother would say, “just put on a little lipstick!” This yummy shade is pretty neutral but makes me feel put together as I head out the door.

5. I am using a whole line of skincare by Obagi focused on aging skin, but the Daily Power Defense is a favorite. It feels so good on my face.

6. Chocolate (any kind). Good anytime, in many forms, but especially in the form of cake. Especially when I’m cranky.

Related: Meet the Woman Behind the Stigma-Breaking 'Menopause Cafe': 'Why Does Nobody Talk About This?' (Exclusive)

Sally Mueller and Michelle Jacobs, Co-Founders of Womaness

In 2021, friends Mueller, 59, and Jacobs, 51, launched Womaness, a line of creams, supplements and vibrators aimed at helping with menopausal symptoms and developed with doctors. Says Jacobs, “Menopause isn’t a terminal illness. You have every right to feel good.”

Our Survival Kit

“After almost three years of talking to women about how to deal with menopause, we’ve noticed a theme: Your toughest issues are what we call ‘the 4 S's of Menopause.’ It’s true that this phase of life brings almost every woman a concern (or two) around skin, sex, sleep, and stress — but we’re determined not to let them slow us down. Here are some things that have helped us cope.”

1.    Let's Neck: Our roll-on neck serum Let’s Neck hydrates and lifts aging skin.
2.    Asutra Magnesium Oil Spray with Capsaicin: A topical magnesium oil for the aches that can come with age (think restless legs, arthritis, headaches, or chronic muscle and joint pain). And Venus Williams is a co-owner and chief brand officer.
3.    Made with coconut oil, our Coco Bliss helps with dryness for ‘down there’.
4.    Although the PauseWell Fascia Stimulating Tool may look like a face gua sha, this stainless steel massager is non-porous, washable, tough and will last for a lifetime. You can cool and even freeze it, a game changer for puffy skin.
5.    Our cream The Works uses ingredients usually reserved for facial creams to help with dry, crepey skin. 
6.    Kristin van Ogtrop’s book Did I Say That Out Loud? : Van Ogtrop is the former editor-in-chief of Real Simple and she gives a hilarious take on middle age and the aging process.
7.    Every bit helps when it comes to getting better sleep in menopause! The ingenious design of the Loop Earplugs help do the trick.
8.    Industrial designer Ayse Birsle’s Design the Long Life You Love is a unique take on crafting the life you want as you age. Pro tip: Definitely get My Long Life  the book’s guided journal companion.
9.     The Innersense Hydrating Hair Mask: An organic, indulgent and restorative solution for changing or drier hair that needs repair and extra hydration.
10. Dryness all over in menopause can lead to more painful sex—and these stretchy, stackable, doctor-recommended Ohnut Depth-Limiting Rings rings can help.

Related: Author Jancee Dunn's 10 Tips For Making It Through Perimenopause — and the 'Good Surprises' It Brings

Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur

Dr. Ellen Marmur , 54, is a board-certified dermatologist with her own practice in New York City,Marmur Medical. She is also a professor with The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and founder of MMSkincare, a line of products for aging skin, which she launched in 2018. "Starting after 40 years old, women begin experiencing changes due to perimenopause. Fifty percent of women at 50 years old express concerns about skin and hair," says Dr. Marmur. "Thinning, shedding, and brittle hair occur during perimenopause and menopause. For skin, wrinkles, redness, acne, dryness, melasma, and hyperpigmentation are common skin concerns that can flare up during this time due to your changing hormones."

My Survival Kit:

1. Hormone Replacement Therapy: Get ahead of the 37 big changes in every system of your body from your brain to your skin — if your medical advisors agree.

2. Yves Durif brush and K18 Hair peptide: Keep your thick shiny hair with the right tools to style and support healthier hair.

3. MMSphere green LED: Preserves younger looking skin with the strongest LED science and its matching pro-aging peptide Revive serum for instantly silky, moisturized skin. This patented MMSkincare system addresses the 8 major skin changes in menopause: dryness, fine lines, flushing, dyspigmentation, sensitivity, breakouts, redness, and dullness.

4. WOOSH Beauty palette: Menopause makeup needs contour, coverage, and illuminance in natural tones. Learning to use their brushes is the key to restoring the look of balance and volume to the face and eyelids as menopause causes increased skin laxity and decreased bone structure. Sigh.

5. Plus, never forget your SPF! The MMSkincare Sheer Clear SPF50 provides daily complexion protection.

6. Dermaplaning razor: Venus makes a nice one to instantly remove those few unexpected hairs that grow during menopause from the unopposed testosterone. 
   

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