Experts Warn Against Celebrity-Endorsed Menopause Products, Urge Evidence-Based Approach

SAN FRANCISCO — As menopause becomes increasingly commercialized through celebrity endorsements and social media marketing, medical experts are urging clinicians to guide patients toward evidence-based treatments rather than unproven supplements and products.

During a plenary talk at ENDO 2025, Dr. Nanette Santoro, professor and E. Stewart Taylor Chair of OB/GYN at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and president-elect of the Endocrine Society, highlighted the importance of recognizing the menopause transition as a crucial period for assessing women’s health risks.

“There is a hazard in attributing everything that happens in life to menopause,” Santoro cautioned. She explained that the late menopause stage, characterized by 60 to 364 days of amenorrhea, typically involves prolonged periods of low estradiol and failure to produce progesterone.

These hormonal changes create a “hot spot” for accelerating typical menopause symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood disturbances, and sleep disruptions. As these symptoms persist, women often experience cardiometabolic changes, increasing their risk for metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and abdominal weight gain.

Santoro emphasized that clinicians must inquire about menses and perimenopausal symptoms early in midlife to effectively manage these risks. “If we miss that ‘early’ aging bump because we undertreat women in that age group and assume that it is too early for them to have symptoms, we throw away a critical time to identify and address some of these health risks, because they are emerging in their 40s,” she explained.

The menopause landscape has become increasingly complicated by what Santoro describes as “menopause in the age of disinformation.” She pointed to numerous celebrities marketing unproven remedies, including expensive estriol creams promising skin rejuvenation and various supplements with minimal scientific evidence supporting their efficacy.

“These are just some of the celebrities on the menopause bandwagon selling their cures,” Santoro said, specifically mentioning Sharon Malone’s $150 estriol cream that claims to increase skin radiance by 88%, TikTok influencer Mary Claire Haver’s supplement line, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand.

Another concerning trend is the movement to “delay” menopause as a potential key to longevity, which Santoro views skeptically. “Although this is a very important area of research, especially for women who have very early menopause, it is not at all clear that delaying the age of natural menopause is going to have a longevity benefit at all,” she said.

Santoro compared the current menopause marketing environment to the era of “Feminine Forever,” the controversial 1966 book by gynecologist Robert A. Wilson that promoted hormone therapy. “The marketing is very dramatic and it often begins with a story that menopause is the absolute worst thing ever,” she noted. “That if you take my hormone, my supplement, you’ll remain a sexy young filly. And unlike these other products, my supplement has no risks.”

A significant issue with these products is the lack of regulatory oversight. “If you produce a supplement, you are not required in any way to prove efficacy or safety,” Santoro explained. “You have no warning label and your proof of claim is not necessary; FDA will only investigate if there is evidence of harm. There is quite a lot of money to be made.”

To combat the flood of misinformation, Santoro urged healthcare providers to direct patients to evidence-based resources. “For those of you who care for patients in the menopause space, I urge you to redirect them to evidence-based information,” she said, noting that major medical organizations including The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, The Menopause Society, and the International Menopause Society all have nearly identical menopause management guidelines.

Clinicians can also refer patients to credible voices on social media, such as Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB/GYN and author of “The Vagina Bible,” and resources from the SWAN study, which provides fact sheets in multiple languages.

Santoro concluded by reminding clinicians that “not everything that happens in midlife is attributable to menopause,” and that the supposed benefits of postponing menopause to extend longevity remain unproven. By focusing on science-based approaches, healthcare providers can help women navigate this significant life transition while avoiding costly and potentially ineffective remedies.