Arfa, the brand incubator was launched earlier this year in New York by former Glossier president and COO Henry Davis, former Glossier CTO Bryan Mahoney and former Glossier chief of staff Shabdha Chigurupati. Arfa is launching a brand called State Of, a line of beauty and wellness offerings created for perimenopausal and menopausal women who found themselves wanting and frustrated with limited wellness offerings.
Last year, an AARP survey noted that 70% of women 40 and older wanted to see more perimenopausal and menopausal beauty and personal grooming products that catered exclusively for these segments of women. The average age of women entering menopause in the US is 51, and most women begin to experience perimenopause symptoms in their 40s.
Keeping this in mind of large empty space of menopausal products in the market, several menopause wellness brands have debuted to address these needs. Corporations like Avon and Procter & Gamble are coming up with new age products for this segment of women. New start-ups have also shown interest and there are small but growing number of brands betting that this market is underserved and potentially lucrative.
A small start-up like Arfa’s business model recognises markets that are overlooked by the personal-care industry and then work with people who represent them. They work by enrolling members into their research group. These members across the country are given products to test and they provide feedback. 5% of arfa’s profits are reserved for these members who are referred as stakeholders for their contributions.
Apart from traditional beauty, consumer-goods corporations are entering the market, too. Earlier this year, Avon announced its own forthcoming line, Avon Adapt. Last year, Procter & Gamble’s start-up studio, P&G Ventures, designed Kindra in collaboration with the venture capital fund M13. A vaginal-dryness treatment, an applicator, as well as three supplements is a part of this menopause brand called Kindra.
The Greek beauty brand Korres also launched a White Pine Meno-Reverse line with a serum-moisturizer ($58) and a wrinkle plumping and age-spot concentrate ($78) for women who are facing menopause.
Beauty corporations are identifying these spaces of markets as having huge potential. These set of customer has more money than the younger customers that most [beauty brands] are focused on.
According to Kindra CEO Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, customers are enjoying these products because these treatments has helped them sleep better, enjoy their sex life again and get back to workouts like spin classes or yoga, which they previously couldn’t do. “It’s a real problem for women and one that nobody warns you about,” says Balsam-Schwaber, 49. “You spend about 40% of your life as a woman in menopause. You shouldn’t feel ‘less than.’ This is part of the natural progression of your body.”
