We're Not Here for One Day. We're Here Every Day.
Why I created Ooh La V®
On 18 October, the world pauses to talk about menopause. I love that. I really do.
But here’s the thing I want you to know: if you’re in the middle of this stage of life, you don’t get to pause.
You wake up at 3am and it’s still happening. You walk into a room and forget why you went there. Your brain, which has always been your trusty sidekick, suddenly seems to have other plans. You find yourself wondering what the hell is going on, and perhaps even questioning the person you’ve become.
You look in the mirror and wonder who rearranged your life while you were busy looking after everyone else.
I know, because I’ve been there.
That’s why I’m not here to celebrate menopause for one day. I’m here every day.
Where it started
I’ve spent nearly 30 years in natural health. I trained as a Medical Herbalist and spent 16 years as a Technical Manager at one of New Zealand’s largest supplement companies. I know what goes into a good formula, and I know what doesn’t belong in one.
But all that knowledge didn’t make me immune to the reality of menopause.
My own perimenopause journey came with some serious WTF moments. My focus, clarity and confidence took a hit, and the emotional rollercoaster was something else. I didn’t always understand what was happening to me, and I certainly didn’t have all the answers.
It was soul-destroying at times.
And through it all, I kept coming back to one question: why wasn’t there something that felt like it had been created for women like me?
With my background in natural health and formulation, I could see an opportunity to do things differently. But this wasn't just about the products. It was about how menopause was being talked about, and how women were made to feel during a stage of life that could turn everything upside down.
The women I knew were still building businesses, raising families, nurturing relationships, chasing dreams and having a bloody good laugh along the way. They were vibrant, capable women with so much life ahead of them. They weren't suddenly a different person because they were going through menopause.
So why did so much of the menopause space make it feel that way?
I couldn't shake the feeling that women deserved something better. And with the knowledge I had, I felt I could do something about it.
So I created something different
Ooh La V® wasn’t born because I spotted a gap in the market and thought it looked like a good business opportunity.
It was born because I lived the experience, knew the natural health industry, and believed we could do better.
I wanted to create thoughtfully formulated products that I’d be proud to put my name on. Products developed here in New Zealand, with carefully considered ingredients, a herbalist’s understanding of how they work together, and quality standards that matter to me.
For me, it was about bringing together science, formulation expertise and a genuine understanding of what women experience during this stage of life. Not simply throwing one or two ingredients into a capsule and calling it menopause support.
I also wanted women to have confidence in how the range works together, which is why Stack Assurance is part of how we approach our formulations.
And then there was the look and feel.
Why did menopause have to be so serious, clinical and beige?
Where was the personality? The colour? The fun? The reminder that we are still us?
So I went with hot pink, a little disco, plenty of attitude and a whole lot of heart.
Because menopause isn't something we should have to hide in the back of the cupboard. It's a significant chapter of life, and we deserve to walk into it feeling informed, supported and unapologetically ourselves.
That’s Ooh La V®.
Rock The Change®. Brighter Days™. Keepin’ It Cool™. Peach Perfect™. Sizzle & Spark™.
Five products, one big idea: menopause deserves better, and so do we.
Why I’m still here
Building a small, self-funded New Zealand business isn't always glamorous. There are long days, big decisions, challenges you never see coming and moments when you have to dig deep and remind yourself why you started.
But then there are the moments that make it all worthwhile.
Seeing Ooh La V® on pharmacy shelves for the first time. Seeing our products being picked up and purchased. Watching the range find its way into more retailers across New Zealand.
And knowing that something I created from my own experience is reaching other women who may be navigating their own version of this journey.
We're now in more than 100 retail locations across New Zealand, and I'm incredibly proud of that. I'm grateful to every retailer who has backed us, every customer who has chosen Ooh La V®, and every woman who has taken the time to share her story with me.
Because behind every product is a woman. A real woman, navigating real life, who deserves to feel seen and heard.
And that's what keeps me going.
Ooh La V® is a brand created specifically for menopause. It isn't a category we've added to an existing business. It isn't a trend we've jumped on.
Menopause isn't our department. It's our entire reason for being.
I'm not interested in showing up for one awareness day, posting a pink graphic and disappearing until next year.
This matters on 18 October. It matters on 19 October. It matters on the random Tuesday when you're exhausted, can't find the word you're looking for, or feel like you're trying to navigate a version of yourself you don't quite recognise.
That's why we're here.
To the woman reading this
If you're somewhere in the middle of this journey, I want you to know something.
You're not broken. You're not past it. And you're not alone.
You deserve to be heard, to have your questions taken seriously, and to find the right support for you. Talk to your friends. Ask questions. Find a healthcare professional you trust. And give yourself some grace, especially on the days when you feel like you've got absolutely none left to give.
Please remember that you still get to have fun. You still get to feel fabulous. You still get to dream big, change direction, discover new things about yourself and decide that your next chapter might just be your best one yet.
On World Menopause Day, share a post. Start a conversation. Tell a friend what you've been going through. You never know who might need to hear it.
And when the day is over?
We'll still be here.
Creating. Formulating. Talking about menopause. Championing women. And doing our bit to change the way this stage of life is seen, talked about and experienced.
Because this was never about one day for me. It was about making a difference for women going through something I know all too well.
And if Ooh La V® can help even one woman feel a little more understood, a little more confident, or a little more like herself again, then every late night, every challenge and every bit of hard work is worth it.
We're not here for one day. We're here every day.
Let's Rock The Change. Together. 💗🤘
Janeen xx
Founder & Chief MenoRockstar
Ooh La V®
Menopause Reimagined.
