Do natural remedies for menopause really work?

Drug-free ways to help ease the symptoms of menopause exist — and experts say they work. (Getty Images)

The misery of menopause symptoms (hot flash, anyone?) could drive anyone to drugs — of the prescription variety, that is. And, hey, there’s no shame in that. In fact, hormonal therapies (HT) are considered the gold standard for managing moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. Still, if you fall into the 80% of women who experience hot flashes, sleep disruptions, vaginal dryness and other menopause-related woes, natural treatments for menopause may hold some appeal — especially if hormonal therapies and other medication options aren’t suitable for you.

And, by the way, when we say “natural,” we’re not referring to the miracle teas and herbal supplements crowding your TikTok feed. Instead, we mean evidence-backed lifestyle strategies and non-medication approaches that experts recommend — practical measures that can offer real, temporary relief and keep you comfortable without a pharmacy run. Here, experts break down the natural menopause remedies that work — and how to use them safely and effectively.

When hormone therapy in menopause isn’t an option

Hormone therapy is fabulous at helping to ease vasomotor symptoms, aka hot flashes and night sweats, because it directly replaces lost estrogen, effectively stopping the root cause of your symptoms, says Dr. Jacqueline Lew, a board-certified ob-gyn at Northwestern Medicine in Evanston, Ill. When estrogen levels decline during the menopause transition, a cluster of temperature-regulating neurons in your brain goes haywire, making the hypothalamus — your body’s thermostat — overly sensitive. The result: sudden, unpredictable internal blasts of heat.

The problem? This type of hormone therapy is usually not recommended if you’ve ever had a stroke, heart attack, blood clots, liver disease, breast cancer or endometrial cancer, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). And some women simply prefer to avoid hormones altogether. That means a lot of women not only want, but truly need natural or non-hormonal menopause relief.

Best natural remedies for hot flashes

When you need natural menopause solutions, skip “influencer” advice and go straight to those who know: Breast cancer and menopause experts. After all, women with a history of hormone-sensitive cancers often can’t use hormone therapy, which means these clinicians have deep experience helping patients manage hot flashes without hormones. Breastcancer.org — founded by breast oncologist Dr. Marisa C. Weiss — distills much of that clinical guidance into practical, everyday strategies. Here’s what helps right away, plus other well-studied approaches that can reduce hot flashes over time:

Layer up. Dress in layers so you can shed clothing if you get too toasty.
Wear breathable fabrics: Avoid wool, synthetics and silk. Instead, opt for breathable fabrics like linen and rayon.
Drink ice water. Keep a bottle of ice water nearby and sip when a hot flash hits.
Lower the temp. Or get a small bedside, desk and/or handheld fan.
Sidestep triggers: Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, hot baths and spicy foods, which spur hot flashes.
Practice deep, slow breathing. When you feel a flash coming on, tap your inner zen. Slow, diaphragmatic breathing may help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes — although small, a 2022 study of 68 women found it made a meaningful difference.
Move your body. Whether you’re perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal, “exercise in any form improves stress, sleep and brain function,” says Dr. Holly Cummings, associate residency program director of obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which can make hot flashes feel more manageable. One caveat: A 2024 study found that sudden spikes in physical activity or body temperature can temporarily increase the odds of a hot flash. Ease into workouts and stick with cooler environments if flashes hit hard. (Learn the best exercises for menopause.)
Give cognitive behavioral therapy a try. CBT — a skills-based talk therapy that helps you reframe unhelpful thoughts and reactions — doesn’t actually reduce how many hot flashes you have, but a 2025 review found that CBT consistently helps women feel less bothered and less disrupted by hot flashes.
Consider acupuncture. In a large-scale 2024 randomized trial analysis, women who had acupuncture twice a week for 10 weeks saw real, lasting relief — about 64% had their hot flashes cut at least in half. Many also said they simply felt better in the weeks that followed.
Look into clinical hypnosis. This guided relaxation therapy has some of the strongest evidence for true hot-flash relief. In multiple trials, weekly sessions for about 4 to 6 weeks — often paired with simple self-hypnosis practice at home — reduced both the number and intensity of hot flashes, often by 50% or more. Women also slept better, felt less anxious and many maintained those benefits well beyond the final session.

Best natural remedies for menopause sleep

You know what new moms and menopausal women have in common? Ask either one how she’s sleeping, and you’ll get the very same death stare. At menopause, however, it’s not a teeny human keeping you up at night — it’s hormones.

When progesterone — a key hormone associated with sound sleep — nosedives during the menopause transition, problems with falling asleep, staying asleep and getting high-quality sleep abound.

Another hormonal sleep-sapper: night sweats. “These occur when the body becomes warm, you sweat, then you get cold due to the sweat,” says Lew. “The most troublesome time of these symptoms is overnight, because they inevitably cause sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness and fatigue.” Try these strategies to get some ZZZs:

Consider this type of CBT. The most effective insomnia treatment for menopause is all-natural cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). This short-term approach teaches you to change the thoughts and habits that sabotage your sleep. In a 2019 randomized clinical trial, postmenopausal women with chronic insomnia who completed six weekly CBT-I sessions had greater and longer-lasting sleep improvements than those who only received basic sleep-hygiene education.
Lower the temp. A cool bedroom can help ease nighttime hot flashes and promote slow-wave sleep, allowing you to get the most rest. Cummings says that for most people, 65-67 degrees is the ideal temperature for sleep, and going a bit lower — even down to around 60 degrees — may feel better if you’re prone to night sweats. A ceiling fan or portable fan can keep the air moving and help sweat evaporate, keeping you more comfortable throughout the night.
Book an acupuncture appointment. A 2025 report looking at over 900 perimenopausal women found that acupuncture significantly improved their insomnia — often matching or outperforming standard sleep medications on sleep quality and early-morning waking.
Pick “cool” sheets. Night sweaty? Make sure your sheets are made of a breathable fabric like percale cotton, Tencel, bamboo viscose or linen. For example, in one 2024 study, 100% linen outperformed 100% cotton by allowing more airflow and wicking moisture better — reducing heat-triggered awakenings.
Sleep in the dark. Using blackout curtains or a sleep mask boosts melatonin production, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle — and a hormone that declines in menopause

Best products to soothe hot flashes and sleep problems

Can a fan or a supplement put the fire out — or solve all your midlife sleep woes? No. But the right buys can help you feel better.

Cummings often recommends wearable cooling devices for fast relief, noting that neck wraps with cooling gel or app-connected wristbands that deliver a cooling sensation to the inner wrist can blunt a flash quickly. Consider items like the FlexiFreeze Cooling Collar for chill-on-demand comfort or the Embr Wave 2, which uses targeted cooling pulses to help counter hot flashes. Here are other options to help you keep your cool — literally and figuratively:

For more help easing symptoms, check out our best menopause diet guide and our expert-backed menopause sleep solutions.

Best natural remedies for menopause vaginal dryness

Another menopause symptom we could all do without? Vaginal dryness. (Thanks again, out-of-whack hormones.) This is part of the altogether unpleasant symptoms-bucket of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) that encompasses vaginal, vulvar and urinary symptoms, affecting 50% of women during menopause. Unlike hot flashes, which typically improve over time, GSM usually worsens without treatment, according to the Menopause Society. Here’s what can help:

Have sex, solo or otherwise. It promotes blood flow and secretion, which may improve vaginal health, according to the Menopause Society. Plus, a 2025 study in the journal Menopause found that women ages 40 to 79 who’d had sex within the past three months were significantly less likely to report daily vulvar discomfort — irritation, dryness, pain — even after accounting for age, hormone therapy use and menopausal status. It’s not proof of cause and effect, but it does reinforce that regular sexual activity may be a safe, accessible and surprisingly effective way to manage GSM. (Learn more about sex and menopause symptoms.)
Try an OTC vaginal moisturizer: Vaginal moisturizers are for regular, non-sex days to maintain hydration; lubricants are for during sex to reduce friction and pain. Regular use of moisturizers — we’re talking several times a week — can help maintain vaginal moisture and alleviate the daily symptoms of GSM. (Revaree Vaginal Inserts and Hydro Gyn are both recommended by Memorial Sloan Kettering.)
Use a lubricant during sex: Vaginal lubricants reduce discomfort and decrease painful friction during intercourse. While you can pick up water-, silicone- or oil-based lubes, Cummings recommends silicone-based options: “They provide better lubrication and are still safe for use with condoms,” she says. (Überlube and Replens Silky Smooth are two to try.)
Consider coconut oil. A 2023 study in Cureus found that using virgin coconut oil as a lubricant — applied inside the vagina right before sex — reduced vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse. Just know: oils degrade latex condoms and may increase your risk of vaginal infections.
Give aloe vera gel a go. Pure, 100% aloe vera can help hydrate dry vaginal tissue, but the strongest evidence comes from a vaginal aloe vera cream — not the typical gel. In a 2021 randomized controlled trial, postmenopausal women who used an aloe vera vaginal cream for six weeks saw improvements in vaginal atrophy symptoms that were on par with an estrogen cream. Only use products formulated for vaginal tissue, as general aloe gels may be too irritating for internal tissues. (Aloe Cadabra might be one to consider.)

Do natural remedies for menopause work as well as hormone therapy?

Prescription hormonal therapies (HT) replace the estrogen your body no longer makes, which is why they’re so effective for hot flashes and night sweats. Natural remedies can help ease symptoms, but they don’t directly address those hormonal changes. That said, several non-hormonal medications can help:

Brisdelle (paroxetine): This is a low-dose antidepressant that affects your body’s serotonin levels, which are believed to play a role in body temperature regulation, which is why it can help with hot flashes.
Lynkuet (elinzanetant): Women taking this non-hormonal med experienced a 74% decrease in bothersome hot flashes after 12 weeks, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. They reported better moods and better sleep too. (Learn more about this new menopause drug.)
Neurontin (gabapentin): This drug has been shown to ease hot flashes. Additionally, a report in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that it improves sleep quality and reduces middle–of–the–night wake-ups in menopausal women as well.
Veozah (fezolinetant): This non-hormonal hot-flash helper targets the receptors in your brain that help regulate your body temperature.

When natural remedies for menopause aren’t enough

When menopause symptoms leave you feeling not great, it’s always a good idea to talk to your care provider, whether you’re looking for a prescription or not. That’s because your ob-gyn or another health care provider can rule out other potential causes of your symptoms, says Lew. For example, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin deficiencies, vaginal infections and even anxiety or depression can mimic menopause symptoms.

If everything checks out and your symptoms indeed stem from menopause, your provider can help you tailor treatment — whether that’s sticking with natural measures, adding non-hormonal medication or considering hormone therapy based on your health history. (Can’t find a menopause specialist near you? Try an online menopause clinic.)

Meet our experts

Jacqueline Lew, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Northwestern Medicine in Evanston, Ill.
Holly Cummings, MD, associate residency program director of obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.