WE HEARD YOU
(AND YOUR OB/GYN)

At The Kindra Innovation Lab, we’re always learning.

Something vital we learned early on is that traditional vaginal applicators you find at your local drug store are unnecessarily invasive and wasteful. When we created our revolutionary vaginal lotion formula, we knew we had to find a better way for you to get meaningful relief where you actually need it. … Read More

So we invented an entirely new applicator, designed to provide hydration directly to your most sensitive area—just inside and around your vaginal opening (AKA: your introitus, if we’re being scientific). We continue to be proud of this groundbreaking accomplishment, created by women with your comfort as our highest priority.

But the thing about learning is it never stops. In our ongoing work with renowned, field-proven OB/GYNs and leading women’s health experts, as well as our steadfast commitment to listening to you, our Kindra community, we have learned something even more vital.

The very best applicator for The Daily Vaginal Lotion is simply you.

That’s right. Since you only apply lotion about an inch or less inside your vagina, a finger is all you need. In fact, what we’ve learned through listening to you and the experts is that fingertip application allows for better precision and results in even less product waste. As an added convenience, there’s nothing to sanitize between uses beyond simply washing your hands. And while medical-grade silicone is more sustainable than plastic, it’s not biodegradable, so putting less of it into the world is even better for our planet.

Now that we know all of this, it’s time to do something about it.

Listen, we’re not going to sell you something that you just don’t need. It’s time to say goodbye to our little applicator that could. It was an innovative leap in the right direction, because it helped us get right here—to an even more empowering and straightforward solution. You are all the applicator you need to get the relief you need, which is actually pretty awesome.

We realize some of you may miss the applicator, and we feel you. It’s been our baby! But the overwhelming customer feedback and clinical counsel is that finger application is not only a good option, but—in fact—the best option. And we want nothing but the best for you. Always.

Thanks for going on this journey with us. Here’s to learning, improving, and growing together.

It Is the Radical Act of Rest That Brings Out True Resilience

Today is International Women’s Day, and I can’t help thinking about how women and children bear a unique burden in troubled times.

While the world is watching Ukrainian women fighting for their families, fleeing their homes, making impossible choices, and struggling to survive, I’m reminded of working in Northern Ireland at the end of The Troubles when I was a teenager at what was called a “reconciliation center.” The idea was to bring families together from the embattled North and South of Ireland to essentially help people—war-torn and exhausted from the ongoing guerrilla violence—find common ground and greater compassion for one another. As I eagerly awaited the arrival of these families, bussed in from all over the country, I was not sure what to expect. When the doors opened, it was also not what I had imagined.

I will forever be in awe of the women and children who emerged from those buses. Whether from the North, South, East or West, the scene was always the same—weary faces of mothers and grandmothers with kids of every age in tow. The hardship and courage on their faces was like cold water splashed onto mine. It’s the same feeling I have now seeing those fleeing turmoil in Eastern Europe, including people of color and non-Ukrainian residents facing bias at the border as everyone tries to find a safe haven or get home.

Somewhere in the space between Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, there sits a massive, intersecting community of wildly underserved people struggling time and again to simply live in peace. The past few years have been challenging for everyone in the world, and—I’ll be honest—in many ways it feels like the suffering is never ending. And what can we really do about it? How can we continue to move forward as individuals, as families, as nations, and as a global community when there is constant turmoil and oppression everywhere you turn?

I don’t have all the answers, but I can tell you what I learned from the women of Ireland coming together on the fault lines of their divided homeland. Troubled times help us summon survival instincts and tremendous courage, but it is the radical act of rest that brings out true resilience. Once these women had settled into the reconciliation center and were able to take precious time and space to rest with their families, I saw those families from opposite sides of The Troubles sharing stories, laughing, playing, and giving each other such grace.

On this International Women’s Day, let’s #breakthebias and honestly ask ourselves:

How can I look beyond my own fears and entrenched biases to reach across to someone who might need support? Is that person really so different from me? How can I make sure I remain open minded to experiences, people, places, and paths toward reconciliation, cooperation, and peace—even in my own backyard?

I learn so much from you all every day, but one constant is that no one of us is having precisely the same experience in this great shared experience of menopause. Empathy and acceptance are a key part of journeying through challenging times while supporting one another. Realizing that you can never really know what’s happening with someone unless you listen with an open mind is so important, but it’s resting your body and soul that is essential to cultivating openness, understanding, and the resilience we all need when times get tough.

Please give yourself grace. Take time to rest and recharge (and if rest is hard-won, we’re here to help). Breathe deeply. Hug your loved ones tightly. I know we are all doing what we can to help heal this world of ours, but remember the healing starts within you.

I see you—brave, resilient, wonderful woman. You are not alone. We are Kindra.

Truly,

Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Kindra CEO

Reflections for the New Year: On Resilience in Free Fall

I hate roller coasters. A slow buildup to a sudden drop into the terrifying unknown. That feeling of falling from a great height. The overwhelming sensation of total loss of control. It may seem cliché, but as I usher my family into 2022, I feel like I am sitting on the top of a rollercoaster teetering on the ride of my life.

From the tremendous growth of Kindra to my husband’s entrepreneurial career taking off, from my parents gracefully aging into a retirement community to my kids on the precipice of their first kisses, this next year will be one for the books. Being a good leader, partner, daughter, and mom is going to be a big role in 2022—one that I am grateful and privileged to fill for my loved ones.

Then there’s the bigger picture. 2020 was going to be our year! Remember? 2021 was to be the year we got back to normal. It was going to be ok. New Year’s 2022 is… eerily quiet. Uncertain. With each passing year, I feel the pull to try and make time stand still. But really—with all this turmoil in the world, how could I want that? The last few years have been particularly tumultuous for the world, and I imagine we all may find ourselves wanting to pause and fast-forward all at once. I wish I could skip ahead to more certain times, but somehow stay like I am now—healthy, working hard, loving strong.

But we can’t bottle or manipulate time. So what do we do instead?

I speak to a lot of experts on all things change by virtue of my role at Kindra. They all talk about how finding yourself in new circumstances—good or bad—is naturally overwhelming. The uncertainty of facing and even walking toward something you’ve never experienced before is a major source of stress. It is the unknowing that makes it worse. I’ve come to the realization that these days ahead at the dawn of this new year are much like the journeys you all share with me as we navigate our changing bodies and spirits.

And just like that (😉), I knew how to unknowingly move forward.

I started by taking 3 days off. As the CEO of a rapidly growing startup, that’s no small feat. But I took real time just for me and mine, and I hope you were able to carve some out, too. Because the key to closing the books on 2021 and entering into the great unknown of 2022 is taking care of ourselves. From catching up on reading (highly recommend Untamed—I listened to the audiobook, then immediately devoured her podcast) and entertainment (Succession, anyone?!) to spending time sweating to my favorite music while working out (it’s honestly been a life saver) and perfecting my homemade green juice recipe (ginger and lime, friends), I’m intentionally taking time to refill my well, so I have something to bring to you all in 2022. We have so many exciting things in store!

We’re partnering with an incredible nutritionist to share expert guidance on how to bring your gut and hormonal health in sync. I can’t wait to introduce you to her! And we’ll be soothing our bodies inside and out with an all-new formula from the Kindra Innovation Lab that has personally done wonders for my paper-thin, dry skin everywhere! We’re honored to continue our mission to support your menopause journey in these ways and more in the year ahead.

You don’t spontaneously summon resilience in the face of unexpected or difficult circumstances; you have to cultivate it. In this time of reflection and anticipation for us all, I encourage you to truly prioritize your well-being, practice gratitude, and simply love yourself a little bit more. That’s what I’m resolved to do, and I hope you’ll join me. It will give us something to hold onto and ground us when circumstances beyond our control befall us. Together we can expect the unexpected and—whenever possible—allow ourselves to enjoy the ride.

You are not alone. We are Kindra.Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, there sits a massive, intersecting community of wildly underserved people struggling time and again to simply live in peace. The past few years have been challenging for everyone in the world, and—I’ll be honest—in many ways it feels like the suffering is never ending. And what can we really do about it? How can we continue to move forward as individuals, as families, as nations, and as a global community when there is constant turmoil and oppression everywhere you turn?

You are not alone. We are Kindra.

Truly,

Catherine

For All the Wonder Women—Then & Now—Let’s Get to Work

I’ve worked with a lot of ‘Wonder Women’ in my career, many of whom were about my age now when I was lucky enough to learn from them at the top of their game. But now that I’m standing where they once stood—a working mom in menopause building a business in the face of a global pandemic that just won’t quit—I wonder about their silent struggles. I wonder how they hid a hot flash or worked through brain fog while I marveled at their professional prowess and seeming ability to handle everything life threw at them with dignity and grace.

Women have made so many advancements in the workplace over the last century, and yet menopause lingers as this shameful secret. A perfectly natural shared experience half the population of the planet is somehow expected to hide from the other half and, worst of all, each other.

Imagine how freeing it would be if we all owned our experience with menopause instead. Imagine how empowering it would be if we got hit with a hot flash during a meeting and instead of attempting to ignore the copious sweat and discomfort, we could just pronounce it a "hot flash moment" and choose whether to plow through or simply pause the meeting and excuse ourselves until it passed. What if it was acceptable to be a woman working while in menopause? I wonder…

But it will take more than wondering.

We're not only imagining a long overdue future here at Kindra, we're here to make it happen. There are so many women working in industries and roles that did not allow them the privilege of working from home during the pandemic. And now as many that were able to work from home start to think about returning to the workplace, whether that's in real life, a hybrid arrangement, or simply the decision to stay firmly at home, it's time to address an issue that's laid dormant for too long. Women in their working prime are suffering in silence. It has to stop.

Let's bring our struggles into the light, offer each other support, celebrate our wins, and create a pathway for us all to feel understood, represented, and honored. Let’s get to work helping each other get to work.

Our first step towards doing just that is introducing our new Menopause in the Workplace Toolkit, complete with tips for navigating office culture as a menopausal woman or an empathetic colleague/manager, products and life hacks to help overcome your biggest productivity challenges, and restorative meditations for those moments when the best thing is just to take a moment for yourself before diving back in.

Wherever work may find you, whatever work you do, know that we see your struggles, we believe in you wholeheartedly, and we're working alongside you to make work better for us all.

I see you, Wonder Woman. You are not alone. You are Kindra.

Truly,

Catherine