"When I had a meltdown in Sainsbury’s at the age of 45 because they didn’t have the strawberry yoghurt that I wanted, I had no idea that it was actually down to perimenopause,” says MTick founder Heather Jackson, now age 56.
"It was a weird time. I’d sold my previous business, the kids had gone to uni, and I was finally free to start ticking things off my bucket list. I should have been excited and happy, but instead, I was experiencing daily heart palpitations and feeling utterly exhausted.
"Minor insignificant things in life became a big problem, and I was suffering from a bad shoulder ache. Over the next few years, I saw my doctor multiple times. He suggested it could be depression and even tested my thyroid, but nothing seemed to be the right diagnosis.
"‘The kids have gone and you’ve sold your business, maybe you’ve lost your purpose?’ one friend suggested. But I knew that wasn’t the case; working towards this moment had been my purpose.
“So why was I feeling this way?”
Finding the answer
"Speaking about it with my friend and eventual co-founder, Sam, she said, ‘I don’t think you’re depressed, you’re experiencing perimenopause symptoms. I’m going through it too.’
"Typing it into Google, I saw that everything I’d been facing was a sign of perimenopause. It made sense. Finally, I had answers, and now that I knew what it was, I thought I could get on with my life. Little did I know it wasn’t the case at all…
"I needed advice to help me with my signs, but there was hardly anything out there. Whether it was sourcing cooling bed sheets to help with the night sweats or haircare products to support my thinning hair, finding the right products was incredibly hard. Brands that I’d trusted my whole life were now letting me down.
"And when I searched the word menopause on the internet, it was underwhelming. There was little to no information. Surely I wasn’t the only woman going through this?
"‘We need to build a one-stop shop with items specifically for menopause,’ I told Sam. She agreed."
Making a change
"Thinking about it more, I realised that we needed to make menopause the new veganism. Just like the universal ‘V’ for vegan products, I wanted to create an ‘M’ symbol for menopause-friendly products.
"We commissioned an independent report, The Invisibility Report, to find out if women in the UK really needed help with this stage of their life. It turns out they did – a shocking 87% of menopausal women felt invisible and let down by society and brands.
"Sam and I decided we needed to do something about this. So, we created GenM, a movement dedicated to helping women as they go through menopause, ensuring that their experiences are better.
"I knew we had to take the fear out of the menopause and encourage women to thrive during this time.
"We started meeting with retailers, explaining that there was a commercial problem when it came to menopause-friendly products. During a conversation with Boots, I floated my idea of adding a symbol to products that have been verified as being menopause-friendly.
"Sketching out an M with a tick on it, I told them that this was the future, calling it the MTick. They loved the idea and agreed to test the symbol on thousands of their products.
"It was a huge success, and now, they have specific categories on their website showcasing menopause-friendly products."
A symbol of trust
"Since then, we’ve collaborated with hundreds of brands and retailers to showcase the MTick, the universal shopping symbol for menopause-friendly products – empowering women to search, source and shop with confidence, to find products that ease or relieve one or more of the 48 symptoms of menopause.
"Every single product that gets the MTick certification goes through a rigorous process first. We have a compliance team that will review the product against our MTick menopause-friendly criteria, created alongside Boots’ legal and pharmacy teams, to make sure the products have evidence to support how they can help support one or more of the multiple menopause signs.
"We also ensure our brand partners are in adherence with the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) to ensure that it’s accurate when products are marketed as menopause-friendly.
"Whether it’s cream for itchy skin or toothpaste for receding gums. Our symbol is one of real trust, and we’re encouraging retailers to lead differently, giving women the change that they need and deserve.
"The response from retailers and brands has been incredible – and it’s not hard to see why."
Shop MTick bestsellers
Snap-to-activate instant cooling gel packs
A bracelet that helps you cool down at the press of a button
Super Strength Omega-3, 6 and 9 capsule containing Evening Primrose Oil, Starflower Oil and Olive Oil
Daily-use night cream with lipids and ceramides, soy isoflavones and hydrating hyaluronic acid.
Designed for light bladder leaks and periods, these knickers absorb up to 40ml – equivalent to 8 panty liners – and are available in sizes S to XXXL.
This body wash is pH balanced so you really can use it everywhere, even in intimate areas.
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