Entrepreneur’s natural remedies out to break menopause taboo
A READING entrepreneur is out to break menopause taboos through a new range of natural remedies.
Katesgrove resident Marva Williams created Shhh…Menopause Wellness following her own experiences of the life stage.
Her products are designed to support and encourage woman who are going through the menopause, and help ease their physical and emotional health.
“The menopause made me really ill and, in 2019, I collapsed twice,” she explains.
“Doctors discovered I had a lack of magnesium and iron in my blood.
“Magnesium tablets were ineffective — I cannot digest and absorb it, because I am dairy and gluten intolerant.
“I was given lots of medication, including tramadol and antidepressants to manage my health, but I was spaced out all of the time.”
Ms Williams is the founder of natural skincare and personal care product brand Beauty Stable. She has been developing and making products for medical professionals since 2013, which are used by a range of practitioners including acupuncturists and physiotherapists.
“One of the practitioners I work with said that there must be a more natural solution, so I started playing with essential oils and developing products to help me,” she said.
“She tried them with her patients in her private practice during lockdown.
“The feedback was so good that I decided to launch them as a brand.”
Next week, Ms Williams will be running a pop-up stall of Shhh… Menopause Wellness in John Lewis’ Reading store.
The range includes bath salts, supplements and pillow sprays, and use a blend of essential oils and magnesium believed to hold therapeutic qualities for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.
“I also want to break the taboo around menopause and get conversations started,” she added.
“So many women feel as though they are the only ones experiencing their symptoms and keep quiet.
“Menopause is a rite of passage for women, we should embrace it, not hide it.”
Ms Williams hopes to launch a Shhh...Menopause Collective mobile app soon. Her John Lewis Reading pop-up follows successful stands at John Lewis branches at Brent Cross and Bluewater.
She will be in store from Monday, April 18 until Sunday, April 25.
■ For more information, visit: shhhmenopausewellness.com