When perimenopause hit us like a truck — surprise night sweats, mood swings, skin freaking out for no reason — we did what any rational women would do: we bought everything that promised relief. Creams. Sprays. Supplements. You name it.
But here’s what no one warned us about:
Some of those products actually made things worse.
That was our wake-up call — and the beginning of a deep dive into ingredients, hormones, and the sneaky ways some products can work against your body, right when you need support the most.
Your Changing Body Deserves Better
Once we started digging into the research, we learned something every midlife woman needs to know: your body becomes especially sensitive to the stuff you put on, in, and around it during perimenopause and menopause.
Thanks to fluctuating estrogen and a constantly shifting internal chemistry lab, we’re more vulnerable than ever to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) — ingredients that can mimic, block, or mess with our natural hormones.
Here’s what that can look like:
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🔥 Hot flashes and night sweats that actually get worse with certain ingredients
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😡 Mood swings amplified by hidden hormone disruptors
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😴 Sleep getting even shakier
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🧴 Skin suddenly reacting to products you've used for years
The Dirty Dozen: Ingredients We Avoid Like the Plague
We became ingredient-list detectives. Here's our hit list of top offenders to avoid during midlife:
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Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben): Mimic estrogen in the body
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Phthalates (often hidden under “fragrance”): Major hormone disruptors
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Triclosan: Can mess with thyroid function
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Chemical sunscreens (oxybenzone, avobenzone): Weak estrogens that confuse your body
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Synthetic fragrances: Can trigger hot flashes and contain other disruptors
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BHA and BHT: Common preservatives with hormonal impact
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Petrochemicals (mineral oil, petrolatum): Trap toxins and block your skin’s balance
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Synthetic dyes (FD&C, D&C): Add to your body’s toxic load
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Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15): Big skin irritants
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Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): Strips oils from already-dry skin
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Retinyl palmitate + daytime retinol: Can increase sun sensitivity during menopause
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Aluminum compounds: Found in antiperspirants and linked to estrogenic activity
Why Menopause Makes This Stuff a Bigger Deal
You might’ve handled drugstore products just fine before. But now?
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Your skin is thinner — thanks, estrogen — and more absorbent than ever
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Your liver is working overtime to process shifting hormones
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Your sensitivity is higher — ingredients that used to be “fine” suddenly aren’t
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Your hormone balance is delicate — and doesn’t need extra interference
Bottom line? What you put on your body matters just as much as what you put in it.
Our Clean Product Promise (With a Dose of Realness)
This is why at Shebang, clean ingredients aren’t just a nice-to-have — they’re a must. Every product that goes into our subscription box gets put through our “would we actually use this?” gauntlet.
Here’s our checklist:
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✅ Free from known hormone disruptors
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✅ Formulated for midlife bodies — not the one you had at 25
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✅ Actually effective (clean doesn’t mean useless)
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✅ Tested by us — real, sweaty, midlife women, not interns with flawless skin
Are we perfect? Nope. But we’re doing our damn best.
We vet every brand. We read every label. And we’re constantly learning and adjusting.
If it doesn’t feel safe, clean, and supportive for us, it doesn’t make the cut.
Easy Swaps That Make a Big Difference
Want to start making cleaner, hormone-friendly choices? Start here:
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💧 Switch to aluminum-free deodorant (we’ve tested a few that actually work)
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🌿 Ditch “fragrance” for natural, phthalate-free scents
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☀️ Use mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) instead of chemical ones
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🧼 Choose plant-based cleaning products to reduce daily exposure
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🧴 Go for skincare with simple, supportive ingredients (your skin will thank you)
You Deserve More Than “Just Deal With It”
For too long, women have been told to suffer through menopause and just be grateful if the products on the shelf don’t make it worse.
We’re over that.
At Shebang, we’re rewriting the story — with clean, effective products, real support, and zero shame. Because this transition doesn’t need to be so hard. And you deserve to feel good in your body again.
💌 Ready to make the switch?
Our monthly Shebang box delivers clean, symptom-supportive products tested and approved by women who get it. Plus education, community, and maybe a few surprises to make midlife feel a little less overwhelming.
[Join us here] and get your first box of hormone-friendly goodness.
Because your products shouldn’t be making your symptoms worse. And now? They won’t.
