Naomi Watts wants to normalize vaginal dryness, lube

Naomi Watts wants hormonal changes in adults to be as easy to discuss as puberty.

the Mulholland Drive star, 54, went to Instagram on Wednesday to share a former Johnson & Johnson ad she did when she was 15, asking, “When can I start using tampons?” Across the picture was an adult Watts asking : “When can I start using lube?”

She captioned the post: “What a dry January you had…dry AF…am I right? Why can we talk about periods and puberty with ease but when it comes to menopause and yes trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreatant .. I made this post to capture a woman’s hormonal bookends.” (It’s worth mentioning that a lot of people think we still have a long way to go when it comes to discussing puberty.)

The Oscar nominee wrote that she shared these pictures side-by-side to show what it would be like if we “approached the hormonal challenges of midlife with the same kind of boldness.”

“When it comes to the ‘adult version’ of hormonal changes, we’re pushed into the shadows of secrecy and shame … with a total lack of information, plus misinformation,” Watts shared. “Who knew we’d have to sneak a pump of the good stuff in front of a handkerchief?”

Noting the “stigma” surrounding lube, Watts added, “Some people are even made to feel like there’s something wrong with them because they like and/or need lube,” and that “it seems like there is either too wet or too dry for patriarchy.”

“Let’s get honest, let’s take menopause and yes, dry va-jay-jay’s, mainstream. without apologies! More than 1 billion people worldwide will be in menopause by 2025… That’s a whole lot dry,” she concluded.

Watts does more than spread awareness. In October 2022, she launched the wellness company stripeswhich combats problems associated with menopause, including dryness.

she said fashionista at the time of starting her business: “You probably remember when you were going through puberty and how much empathy your parents had for you at the time, because puberty was something we all understood and was well spent on us. [For menopause]we have to understand that this is a natural stage of life and everyone goes there, and those who don’t go there will be affected in one way or another, albeit indirectly.”

The story goes on

In the same month, she spoke with InStyle about the product line.

“We added hair and body products and then vaginal products because that’s also an area that’s suffering. One thing people say about menopause is that libido goes down, and of course it does a little bit because our hormones don’t affect our mood anymore,” Watts explained. “But that doesn’t mean we stop thinking about sex or stop wanting sex; we still want to. It just takes a little more organization and effort because women can be put off from sex when things get dry and it gets painful. But I think things were actually pretty good after menopause.”

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