MenoLabs News | Wed, Nov 25, 2020

The holiday season can be a difficult one for women going through the menopausal transition. Hot flashes, mood swings irregular periods, insomnia, you name it, menopause symptoms can be all over the place any time of the year, especially during stressful times. So if you want to give a little help to yourself, to your friends, or to your family, here is a list of great stocking stuffers to give women in menopause this year. 

Cooling Masks

Hot flashes can strike at any opportunity, and when it comes to the holidays, bundling up in sweaters, jackets, coats, scarves, gloves, and boxy blankets can easily trigger your hot flashes. In all these futile attempts to stay warm during the coldest time of the year, you can actually trick your hypothalamus into thinking your core body temperature is rising to potentially dangerous levels. This will cause your brain to trigger a hot flash and send sweat pouring from your skin. So when hot flashes linger around the corner, a cooling mask can help you keep cool. These pocket-sized masks go straight into the fridge and/or freezer. Once they’re cold enough, slap them on your forehead or over your eyes and help bring down your core body temperature a little bit. 

Hand-Held Fan

The warmth of the fire may be nice, but stand too close to it and you won’t just get burned. You’ll trigger a hot flash! When the heat is blasting in the house and you’d rather not take a brisk walk outside to cool off, a hand-held fan can be a saving grace in the middle of a snowstorm! Hand-held fans are easy to use and extremely portable! So give the gift of temperature control and make sure to stock up on hand-held fans for the year!

Cozy Slippers

Sometimes the best gift you can give is the gift of comfort. As women go through the menopausal transition, they may start to notice their joints become more sensitive, and joint pain can increase. This is because the body’s response to inflammation is affected by the change in sex hormones. For many women, the first thing they feel is swelling in their feet and ankles. Finding comfortable footwear can be tricky, so help her out this holiday season with some comfy and cozy slippers! The right pair of slippers can not only help her feel comfortable but it can also help alleviate some of the pressure on her feet.

A Nice Cup o’ Tea

When the stressful times of the year roll around, what better way to help relax and fuel the body with some delicious flavors than with a nice cup of tea? Caffeine-free teas, loose-leaf and bagged, are a great way to help provide some much-needed stress relief and help lower the chances of triggering certain menopausal symptoms. Caffeine can be a hot flash trigger, so instead of going for that usual English Breakfast tea, go for a caffeine-free option that offers the same delicious taste! There are some great options out there for you to choose from! 

Gift Cards For A New Wardrobe

Women’s bodies change multiple times throughout their lives, from puberty to pregnancy to menopause and beyond. That can make it difficult for women to find clothes that, not only fit them properly but last long enough too. So when a wardrobe crisis is in action, help out with a gift card to one of her favorite clothing stores! It’ll give her the opportunity to find clothes that are more comfortable to wear and more appealing to her sense of style! Everyone loves a shopping trip, so check out some of these gift cards today and sign up fast!

High-Quality Makeup

A woman’s skin can go through hell during the menopausal transition. The changes in sex hormones can cause the skin to become dry, prone to acne, inflamed, and stripped of vital nutrients. Luckily, the beauty industry has made some amazing advancements in makeup, and makeup products have been developed to help provide the skin with necessary nutrients and protect it from harsh irritants. The skin is the largest organ of the human body and it’s the one thing that protects us from the outside world. Taking care of it is important! So invest in some high-quality, skin protecting makeup!

Mineral-Rich Sunscreen

UV rays are the biggest threat to the skin. UV light can cause mutations in skin cells, which increases the risk of skin cancers, and other related illnesses. As women age and go through the menopausal transition the proteins in the skin can’t be produced as effectively and often break down. Protecting the skin and proteins within the skin is important to keeping skin healthy. What’s the best way that women can help protect their skin? Use sunscreen! There are many sunscreens on the market but we recommend vitamin and mineral-rich sunscreens to help supply the skin with the nutrients it needs to maintain itself! 

Blue-Light Filtering Glasses

Insomnia is a common sleep-deprivation condition, especially among women undergoing the menopausal transition. And while changes in the sex hormones are largely to blame for this occurrence, did you know that your phone, computer, and television screens could be adding to the problem? Electronic devices emit blue light, which can have actually lower the brain’s ability to synthesize and release sleep hormones like serotonin and melatonin. Lowering exposure to blue light can help the brain better regulate and synthesize sleep hormones and help the body prepare for sleep. So how can you do that? Blue-light filtering glasses! These glasses are designed to help reduce blue-light! Prescription-paired options are available so take a look at some of your options!

Fruity Biscotti

Everyone likes a little indulgence now and again, but doing it right can be the tricky part. Balance is crucial for women going through the menopausal transition. Balancing career and family, balancing stress and stress management, balancing diet and exercise. It can be a lot. So why not have a little bit of decadence in your life while still staying on track to keeping you menopausal symptoms at bay with a small pack of fruity biscotti? Biscotti are twice-baked Italian cookies made from fruits, nuts, and coated in a little chocolate. They’re not only delicious but the fruits that you can find in them are rich in antioxidants like cranberries and cherries!

Happy Holidays From Us To You!

However you spend the holiday season this year, wherever you are, we want to wish you all happy holidays and a spectacular new year! Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy!