If you’ve started noticing an M-Tick® appearing on products in shops or online, you might be wondering what it actually means.
Menopause is receiving more of the attention it deserves, which is a positive step. But with that visibility has come an ever-growing choice of menopause supplements, wellness products and nutritional support. And when lots of products are talking about menopause, working out which ones are genuinely relevant to your needs isn’t always easy.
That’s where the M-Tick comes in.
Created by GenM, the M-Tick is a shopping symbol and certification designed to make menopause-friendly products easier to identify. Rather than telling you what you should buy, it gives you another useful piece of information to help you make choices that feel right for you.
In this guide, we’ll explore what the M-Tick means, why it matters, what to look for when shopping for menopause support, and how different kinds of nutritional support can fit into your everyday wellbeing.
What is the M-Tick?
The M-Tick® is GenM’s universal shopping symbol and certification for menopause-friendly products.
To display the M-Tick, products must go through an independent certification process and demonstrate how they can support a specific menopause-related sign.
According to GenM, a product needs to meet at least one of three criteria. It may have authorised medicinal, cosmetic or health claims supported by robust scientific evidence; have clinical or user-trial evidence in menopausal women showing statistically significant results; or feature independently tested technology designed to support a menopause-related need.
GenM also assesses customer reviews as part of its certification process.
In other words, the M-Tick isn’t simply a menopause-themed logo added to packaging. It has criteria behind it.
Importantly, the M-Tick isn't designed to suggest that a product cures menopause - menopause is a natural life stage, not an illness that needs fixing. Instead, it can help make products relevant to different menopause needs easier to find.
Why does the M-Tick matter?
When someone says "menopause symptoms", hot flushes and night sweats might be the first things that come to mind.
But menopause can be much broader than that.
GenM recognises 48 signs associated with menopause, spanning areas such as sleep, mood, cognition, skin and hair, joints and muscles, energy and everyday physical wellbeing.
And no two experiences are exactly alike.
One person may be looking for support around tiredness and sleep, while someone else is more focused on changing skin, maintaining muscle strength or looking after their bones. Your priorities can change throughout perimenopause, menopause and beyond too.
That can make shopping for menopause support confusing.
The M-Tick provides a clearer signpost. Instead of expecting you to decipher every menopause claim on the shelf, it identifies products that have been independently assessed against GenM's menopause-friendly criteria.
It doesn't make the decision for you, but it can help you make a more informed one.
What should you look for in a menopause-friendly product?
An M-Tick can be a useful starting point, but good menopause nutrition is still about looking at your individual needs rather than searching for one product that promises to do everything.
Think about what you actually want support with. Is it energy? Sleep? Bone health? Skin? Muscle function? Stress and emotional wellbeing?
Then look at the ingredients and the evidence behind them. Check the amounts supplied, whether the nutritional or health claims are substantiated, and whether the product can realistically fit into your routine.
It's also worth remembering that supplements are exactly that: supplementary. Nutritious food, movement, resistance exercise, sleep, hydration and appropriate medical care can all form part of menopause wellbeing. Supplements are one option within that bigger picture, rather than something every woman needs.
Balance Tonic Menopause: M-Tick certified daily support
We're proud that Balance Tonic Menopause is independently M-Tick certified.
It was specifically formulated as a simple daily ritual for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, combining superfoods, botanicals and essential micronutrients.
Each serving contains 600mg KSM-66® Ashwagandha, alongside baobab, hibiscus, wild blueberry, maca root and iodine from seaweed, plus vitamins B6, B12, D and K2.
Rather than focusing on just one aspect of menopause wellbeing, the formula takes a broader approach.
Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Vitamins D and K contribute to the maintenance of normal bones, which becomes an increasingly important part of healthy ageing.
Iodine contributes to normal thyroid function and energy-yielding metabolism.
And KSM-66® Ashwagandha is included as a botanical traditionally used to support relaxation, emotional balance and general wellbeing.
With an effective dose of each of these ingredients in every serving, Balance Tonic can be mixed into water, juice, smoothies or yoghurt, making it an easy addition to an existing daily routine.
Best suited to: women looking for broad daily nutritional support through perimenopause and menopause, particularly around hormonal wellbeing, energy, bone health and emotional balance.
Explore Balance Tonic Menopause →
Night Reset: Supporting your evening routine
Sleep can become more challenging during the menopausal transition. Research has identified sleep disturbance as a common concern during perimenopause, although its causes are complex and can involve hormonal changes alongside vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats), mood, lifestyle and other factors.
Creating a consistent evening routine can therefore be an important part of overall menopause wellbeing.
Our Night Reset capsules combine magnesium bisglycinate with L-theanine, Affron® saffron, chamomile extract and zinc.
200mg Magnesium Bisglycinate provides gentle, well-absorbed form of magnesium that contributes to normal muscle function and the normal functioning of the nervous system. Selected for its quality and suitability for daily us
360mg L-theanine used to support relaxation and a sense of calm as part of a balanced routine.
30mg Affron® saffron is a high-quality saffron extract, studied for its role in supporting mood and emotional wellbeing.
250mg chamomile extract provides gentle botanical support, traditionally used to support relaxation.
The formula is designed to become part of the process of winding down before bed rather than acting as a sedative. Night Reset can be taken in the evening, around 30-60 minutes before bed.
Best suited to: building a calming evening ritual around relaxation, rest and overnight recovery.
Collagen during menopause: Supporting skin and connective tissue
Skin can be another noticeable area of change through menopause, going hand in hand with the natural aging process.
Oestrogen plays an important role in skin physiology, and research associates the menopausal transition with changes including reduced collagen content, hydration, elasticity and skin thickness.
That has helped make collagen for menopause an increasingly discussed area of nutrition.
Research into supplemental hydrolysed collagen isn't menopause-specific in every case, and collagen shouldn't be presented as a way to replace lost oestrogen. However, systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials have reported potential improvements in measures including skin hydration and elasticity with hydrolysed collagen supplementation, while also noting limitations and the need for further high-quality research.
Rheal offers two options depending on your preference.
Bovine Collagen
Rheal Bovine Collagen provides hydrolysed Types I and III collagen peptides sourced from European grass-fed cattle.
A serving provides 10g of hydrolysed collagen peptides plus 100mg vitamin C.
Vitamin C is particularly relevant here because it contributes to normal collagen formation to support the function of skin, bones and cartilage.
Types I and III collagen are found throughout structures including skin and connective tissue, making bovine collagen an option for those looking for broader everyday collagen support.
Best suited to: supporting a routine focused on skin, connective tissue and joint wellbeing.
Marine Collagen
Prefer a marine source? Rheal Marine Collagen offers an alternative way to add collagen peptides to your everyday nutrition.
Marine collagen is particularly associated with Type I collagen, an abundant collagen type in the skin.
It can be used as part of a daily routine focused on supporting skin and connective tissue alongside a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Best suited to: those who prefer a marine rather than bovine source of collagen.
Can you take collagen alongside Balance Tonic Menopause?
For women who want to support several aspects of their wellbeing at once, Balance Tonic Menopause and collagen can play different, complementary roles within a daily routine.
Balance Tonic provides micronutrients and botanicals selected around areas including hormonal activity, energy, bone health and emotional wellbeing, while Bovine or Marine Collagen can provide a separate source of collagen peptides.
That might look as simple as adding collagen to your morning coffee or smoothie and enjoying Balance Tonic at another point in your day.
The aim isn't to create a huge supplement routine. It's to choose support that makes sense for your priorities and is realistic enough to use consistently.
If you take medication, have an existing health condition, are receiving HRT or are unsure whether a supplement is appropriate for you, speak to your GP, pharmacist or another qualified healthcare professional.
Daily Hydration + Creatine: Muscle, performance and healthy ageing
Another ingredient receiving growing attention in women's health is creatine.
Rheal Daily Hydration + Creatine combines 3.4g creatine monohydrate per serving with electrolytes including sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, alongside vitamins C, D3 and K2.
Creatine has a well-established role in physical performance during successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. More recently, researchers have been investigating its potential role in women's health across the lifespan, including around and after menopause.
A 2021 review highlighted emerging evidence around creatine, skeletal muscle, strength and cognition in women. More recent research has continued to examine creatine specifically in perimenopausal and postmenopausal populations.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of trials in postmenopausal women found small improvements in lean mass and leg-press strength, particularly when creatine at doses of at least 5g per day was combined with resistance training.
Daily Hydration + Creatine also supplies 500mg sodium per serving, magnesium to contribute to electrolyte balance, vitamin C to help reduce tiredness and fatigue, and vitamin D to support normal muscle function and normal bones.
Best suited to: active women looking to support hydration and physical performance while making muscle health and healthy ageing part of their long-term routine.
How these products can work together
Menopause doesn't affect just one system in the body, so it makes sense that your approach to wellbeing doesn't have to focus on just one thing either.
You might choose Balance Tonic Menopause as your everyday nutritional foundation, add Bovine or Marine Collagen if skin and connective tissue are priorities, use Daily Hydration + Creatine around an active lifestyle, or build Night Reset into your evening routine when winding down is the focus.
You certainly don't need to use everything.
The most useful routine is one based on what you are experiencing, what your diet already provides and what fits comfortably into your life.
Think of menopause support as a toolkit rather than a checklist.
Choosing the right menopause support for you
One of the most important things to remember about menopause is that there is no universal experience.
Your menopause signs may be completely different from a friend's. They may change over time. And something that feels useful during perimenopause might not be what you prioritise several years later.
That is part of what makes the M-Tick useful.
The M-Tick doesn't tell you what you should buy. It gives you a clearer way to identify products that have undergone GenM's menopause-friendly certification process and may be relevant to a particular need.
From there, the choice remains yours.
Look for credible information. Consider the evidence. Think about the areas where you actually want support. And remember that supplements can sit alongside - rather than replace - the fundamentals of nourishing food, movement, sleep, hydration and appropriate healthcare.
Final thoughts: making menopause-friendly shopping simpler
Menopause can involve a lot of change, but finding reliable information and products shouldn't have to feel complicated.
Understanding what is happening in your body can help you make more informed decisions. And when you're shopping, symbols such as the M-Tick can make it easier to identify products that have been independently assessed against menopause-friendly criteria.
For us, that's what good menopause support should be about: more information, more transparency and more choice.
Because there isn't one "best supplement for menopause" that every woman needs.
There is simply the support that makes sense for you.
Explore Rheal's menopause support and build a routine that works for you.
Dolan, E., Gualano, B. and Rawson, E.S. (2021) ‘Beyond muscle: the effects of creatine supplementation on brain creatine, cognitive processing, and traumatic brain injury’, European Journal of Sport Science. [Note for editorial team: replace with the specific women’s-health creatine review below if preferred.]
Forbes, S.C., Candow, D.G., Krentz, J.R., Roberts, M.D. and Young, K.C. (2019) ‘Changes in fat mass following creatine supplementation and resistance training in adults ≥50 years of age: a meta-analysis’, Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 4(3).
Forbes, S.C., Candow, D.G., Ferreira, L.H.B. and Souza-Junior, T.P. (2021) ‘Effects of creatine supplementation on properties of muscle, bone, and brain function in older adults: a narrative review’, Journal of Dietary Supplements.
Forbes, S.C. et al. (2026) ‘Creatine monohydrate for lean mass, strength, and bone density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, [journal details to be confirmed at publication].
Leeners, B. et al. (2023) ‘The role of ovarian hormones in the pathophysiology of perimenopausal sleep disturbances: A systematic review’, Sleep Medicine Reviews, 67, 101710.
Pu, S-Y., Huang, Y-L., Pu, C-M., Kang, Y-N., Hoang, K.D., Chen, K-H. and Chen, C. (2023) ‘Effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Nutrients, 15(9), 2080.
Rzepecki, A.K., Murase, J.E., Juran, R., Fabi, S.G. and McLellan, B.N. (2019) ‘Estrogen-deficient skin: The role of topical therapy’, International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 5(2), pp. 85–90.
Thornton, M.J. (2020) ‘Menopause and the skin: Old favorites and new innovations in cosmeceuticals for estrogen-deficient skin’, Dermatology and Therapy, 10, pp. 53–69.
Torres, P.B., Dos Santos, A.P.M., Almeida, M.A.M.R. and Piccinin, M.P. (2019) ‘Revisiting the effects of menopause on the skin: Functional changes, clinical studies, in vitro models and therapeutic alternatives’, Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 185, 111193.
Smith-Ryan, A.E., Cabre, H.E., Eckerson, J.M. and Candow, D.G. (2021) ‘Creatine supplementation in women’s health: A lifespan perspective’, Nutrients, 13(3), 877.
