The conversation around women’s health is no longer a niche topic reserved for medical journals or whispered concerns. It is now a cultural, commercial, and societal imperative. From hormonal shifts to menopause and mental wellbeing, women are asking for more—and finally, the industry is beginning to answer. During Cosmoprof Bologna, a panel of visionaries came together to explore how beauty and wellness brands can meaningfully respond to this momentum.

These forward-thinking women included Hannah Samano, the Founder & CEO of Unfabled, the UK’s fastest growing platform for women’s health and wellness; Heather Jackson, CEO and Co-Founder of GenM, the Menopause Partner for Brands and Home of the MTick, the universal shopping symbol for menopause-friendly products; Silvia Santinelli, Trade Marketing Manager for Jean Paul Mynè; and Irina Barbalova, the Global Lead for Health & Beauty at Euromonitor International, with over 15 years of industry expertise into the evolving health, beauty, and wellness landscape. 

The message was clear: today’s consumer doesn’t just want product. She wants relevance. She wants understanding. She wants solutions designed for her – not retrofitted, not guessed at, and certainly not pink-washed. The future of beauty will not be built without her at the centre.

As Irina Barbalova outlined in her opening, the time for women’s health to move from the periphery to the core of the beauty and wellness industries is long overdue. She pointed to four key pillars reshaping product and service development: physical health, nutritional needs, emotional wellbeing, and lifestyle empowerment.

Within these pillars lies an opportunity, one that touches everything from pain management and sleep quality to mood support and cognitive function. Beauty can no longer exist solely on the skin’s surface. It must become part of a wider ecosystem of care. This means addressing the full lifecycle of women’s health, from menstruation to menopause and beyond, with the same innovation and urgency that has historically been reserved for youth and appearance.

This consumer evolution is already being driven by the brands who are closest to their communities. Hannah Samano, of Unfabled, has created a platform that puts women’s wellness front and centre – literally. Her curated marketplace has built a loyal following by listening to real needs and translating them into evidence-backed solutions, including their own line of supplements that quickly became bestsellers at Boots.

What makes these new-generation brands different? According to Samano, it’s trust, agility, and a direct feedback loop with their audience. “Brands that are winning are those who build with – not for – their communities,” she said. “It’s about education, authenticity and showing up for women across every life stage.”

This isn’t simply a trend, it’s a total reset. Legacy brands are being challenged to meet women where they are, rather than where the market has traditionally kept them.

While beauty often serves as the entry point, it is only one facet of the experience. As Silvia Santinelli highlighted, personal care products are deeply tied to self-perception and confidence. To truly connect with women, brands must go beyond functional performance and embrace emotional resonance.

From ingredient transparency to communication tone, trust is the new luxury. “Beauty touches our identity,” said Santinelli. “But it’s the deeper understanding of what’s behind the ritual – hormonal health, lifestyle shifts, personal milestones – that creates lasting impact.”

Perhaps the most urgent (and overlooked) opportunity in women’s wellness is menopause. Heather Jackson of GenM, brought both statistics and passion to the stage. With over one billion women worldwide currently in menopause, this is a vast and underserved audience…and one with significant commercial power.

Jackson is pioneering a menopause-friendly symbol (MTick) that helps women identify products suited to their needs. Her mission is clear: end the misinformation, eradicate “meno-washing,” and deliver real, researched solutions with clarity and respect. “This isn’t a trend. It’s a life stage,” she said. “And it’s time we treated it as such.”

While the demand is here, and the market is shifting, longevity in this space will be won by those who put education and credibility at the heart of their strategy. Consumers expect brands to show up not only with answers, but with empathy.

“Real value lies in human marketing,” said Santinelli. “We are past the era of product push. This is about lifelong relationships built on knowledge and care.”

The panel agreed: brands must think in systems, not silos. It’s not just about skincare or supplements or tech – it’s about how these work together to create better daily outcomes for women. From AI-powered personalisation to holistic education hubs, the next generation of wellness is integrative by design.

As Hannah Samano reminded us, women weren’t required to be part of clinical trials until 1993. That legacy still lingers. But there is an opportunity now for brands to be part of the solution, especially those with direct access to data and insights from loyal communities.

Whether it’s through quizzes, purchase behaviour, or social listening, today’s consumers are offering their stories. Smart brands are listening, learning, and using that information to create more tailored, responsive product pipelines. “It’s not about making something for everyone,” said Samano. “It’s about making the right thing for the right woman, at the right time.”

From hormonal skincare and personalised supplementation to smart diagnostics and community-powered content, the landscape of beauty and wellness is being redrawn. And at the heart of it is a woman who is no longer content to be an afterthought.

She wants more. She expects more. And if the industry listens – truly listens – she will give her loyalty in return.

As Jackson said in closing: “If we support women to feel vibrant and healthy, everyone wins. When women thrive, the world thrives.”

The future is female, and she’s rewriting the rules – beautifully.