At first, Claudine Viquiera thought she was going crazy.
It was the middle of the pandemic. Life was stable—she had moved into a new home, her kids were doing well, and she wasn’t dealing with any major personal crises. Yet, something felt off. She was anxious, moody, and constantly on edge. At night, she found herself waking up drenched in sweat, unable to fall back asleep. Her body felt foreign, her mind clouded with brain fog, and even her once-reliable skincare routine stopped working for her.
“I was using La Mer for years, trying to justify to my husband that it was worth it,” she shares with a laugh. “But I started breaking out.” At first, she blamed the stress of isolation and the uncertainty of the times. But deep down, she knew it was something more. It wasn’t until she went six months without her period that she finally sought answers. A visit to the OB confirmed what she hadn’t fully considered—she was going through perimenopause.
At the time, Claudine was in her early 50s. “I didn’t know that it was perimenopause,” she admits—a sentiment shared by many women who only recognize menopause as the end of menstruation. But in reality, menopause is just one phase of a longer transition.
“So there’s perimenopause, which are the years leading to menopause. Menopause is actually just one event—it’s the very day when you haven’t had your period for a whole year. So, that day itself, that’s when you’re in menopause,” explains Claudine, who officially reached menopause at 55 in 2023. “Then, post-menopause comes after that.”
Looking back, she realized the signs had been creeping in for years—irritability, disrupted sleep, and changes she couldn’t explain. She had assumed menopause would come later or that her active lifestyle might delay it, but when it hit, it hit hard. The experience was humbling, showing her that menopause isn’t just a moment in time but a transition that can last for years, even decades for some women. The key, she found, was awareness and acceptance.
This realization led her to create Pro Age Beauty in 2023, an advocacy-based skincare and wellness brand designed for perimenopausal and menopausal women. “If someone had told me when I was 40 that I’d be on national TV or featured talking about menopause, I would’ve said, ‘No way,’” she tells The Beauty Edit.
In this sit-down interview in time for Women’s Month, she talks about her advocacy for women’s wellness, the realities of aging, and why it’s time to open up more conversations—because while some of us may not be so young anymore, we are still very much alive.
The Beauty Edit: What sparked the idea for Pro Age, and how did your own experiences shape its vision?
Ever since, among my group of friends, I’ve always been one of the most “vain.” They call me the beauty guru. We have this very close group of friends—we call ourselves “The Enablers.” So we’d talk about everything, and it’s not just about menopause or midlife in general. Because of them, I found that even though my transition through menopause was hard, it was easier compared to others because I had my community.
So we would just talk about it and I realized, “I need to look for the right products for us.” So at first, I was just thinking of getting products from different brands, and then trying them out to see if they work. But they didn’t seem enough. So that’s how it started. First, with my community of friends, and then our community on Facebook, and then the products.
Can you share how you developed the products specifically for older women?
During my research, I learned that the physical changes we experience have a hormonal trigger; it wasn’t environmental, unlike when we’re younger. So the way of addressing our concerns at an older age should be based on that premise—that my skin is changing hormonally, so the products I use should change and adapt with me. It’s as simple as saying there’s a milk formula for newborns, a milk formula for toddlers, and so on and so forth. There’s even one for old people—because our needs change.
I actually talked with several Korean manufacturers and just one of them really got my vision. All the others were like, “Oh okay, so you’re looking for an anti-aging product?” “No, no, it’s not anti-aging. It’s for this age.” So we studied it, and that’s how it came about.
But ProAge is more than just skincare, right?
Since I wanted Pro-Age to be a holistic brand, I had to have supplements. During menopause, it’s our hormones that fluctuate. Actually, it fluctuates in perimenopause, and then it starts going down in menopause. So, since it’s hormonal, we need to find something to replace the hormones.
Now, hormonal replacement therapy, or HRT, is the best. That’s a good standard. But you have to consider a lot of things and it can be expensive. The bottom line, not everyone would like to have HRT.
So that’s why I thought of our Meno Gummies after asking several OBs (obstetricians). They prescribe this particular [supplement], which is black cohosh herb. Black cohosh is an herb that’s been used for years in the States, precisely to control hormonal problems. There are also what we call phytoestrogens or plant estrogens, which replace or mimic the effect of estrogen in the body. (Meno Gummies are made with black cohosh root and soy isoflavones, which is a type of phytoestrogen.)
Why did you choose the name Pro Age?
I wanted to really go to the other side. Because anti-aging for me—I have nothing against it per se—but it gives this message that you’re not supposed to age. You should stop it. We can delay it, but we can’t really stop it. So pro-aging for me… it’s more of embracing aging and being very proactive about it. And the acceptance, like, “Okay, I’m going to grow old.”
Pro-aging also means doing things that will help you transition. Especially now, from an economic perspective, there’s what we call the ‘silver economy.’ In Asia, the birth rate is going down. So there are more and more people in the workforce who are in midlife and above. So we need to prolong our lives. That’s also pro-aging.
If you’re familiar with the Blue Zones (regions of the world where life spans are the longest), [the pursuit for longevity] is multifactorial. They have a lot of friends, they keep moving, all that. So that’s the essence of pro-aging.
Do you feel like the beauty industry has overlooked women over 40 or of a certain age?
Very much so. There’s a phenomenon, they call it the “Invisible Woman Syndrome.” And it’s very real. When you reach 40 and above, you start being invisible in the family, in the workplace, and even in the beauty industry. So yes, overlooked, but then at the same time to drive sales, the industry also tries to anchor [its messaging] on older women’s insecurities.
How do you think this impacts how women feel about themselves?
If you look at it, there’s a standard of beauty that was set by society. That was just set but it doesn’t mean that it’s set in stone. And it comes with the negative connotation that “I’m not supposed to grow old” and “I’m uglier when I’m older.” It’s ageism.
You actually have more things going for you when you’re older. You’re done taking care of the kids and climbing the corporate ladder. So you have more time to take care of yourself. You have more knowledge about things. It all adds up to you being more of a whole person than when you’re younger, when there were so many things happening.
Beyond skincare, how do you believe women can reclaim their power and confidence at this later stage in their lives?
It all depends on where you are in life at that moment. In my case, I’ve gained more knowledge and experience, but during the years spent caring for others—especially as a mom—I lost a part of myself and set aside my passions. Now is the perfect time to rediscover and pursue them. So what happens is there’s a second wind. I’m a good example of that.
When I was younger, I stopped practicing dentistry and I was helping my husband with his business. Then, in the middle of it, I wanted to be a makeup artist. But my husband needed me to help out. [At this later stage], you can still pursue it—whatever it was that you had to set aside for other people. Now, it’s about valuing yourself.
That’s the biggest challenge—to help women say, “Yes, I’m in perimenopause! “Yes, I’m in menopause!” “Yes, I’m post-menopausal.” With a smile, like, “I’m okay with it.”
What challenges have you faced in promoting this pro-aging message?
My ambassador is Suzi Abrera. She’s the brand ambassador of Pro Age. Prior to that, I had a shortlist of women whom I wanted to bring in to be part of our group of ambassadors. The hard part was—knowing that I know their age, they would say, “Bakit ako? Bakit, mukha na ba akong menopause?” (“Why me? Why, do I look menopausal?”)
On the other hand, since they’re celebrities, you can’t blame them for thinking that way because it goes hand in hand with their career. So that’s the biggest challenge—to help women say, “Yes, I’m in perimenopause!” “Yes, I’m in menopause!” “Yes, I’m post-menopausal.” With a smile, like, “I’m okay with it.”
So when I got Suzi, I was so happy that she got the vision. She’s game and all she wanted was to try the products for a whole month before she got on board. So luckily, she loved the products. So it’s also very authentic.
What advice would you give women in their 40s, 50s, or beyond who are struggling to embrace aging and the changes that come with it?
Just find out more about it. Find your community. Find women who will understand what you’re going through. To validate what you’re feeling. Basically, information is the most important part of going through the transition. The fear is coming from a place where you’re like, “I don’t know.” The fear of the unknown. But when you know more, you can do more.
And there’d be some women who’d say, “I didn’t experience that.” I want to say to them, “Okay, if you haven’t, don’t rub it on other women’s faces because for them, it’s very real and it can be debilitating for them.”
Another thing I want to tell women in their 40s and 50s is that a change of lifestyle is important. If you’re not living a healthy lifestyle, if you’re not eating well, and you’re not exercising, then it’s time for you to start.
How about for younger women?
For the younger ones—it’s a good time for them to read about menopause, too. Because I’ll bet that their moms are going through it now. Or someone they know is going through it. So [you can be more] empathetic about it and understand them more.
What does beauty mean to you today versus when you were younger?
Beauty for me today doesn’t just mean physical beauty. When they say “‘inner beauty,” it rings more true now to me and my friends. Because you are in a place where you know more about yourself, you’re more secure, and you can do more things. So that’s where the beauty would come. It’s no longer just the physical beauty.
Glow On With Pro Age Picks
Specifically and carefully formulated for women in their 40s and beyond, the Pro Age Beauty line isn’t just about skincare—it’s a nod to the wonders of womanhood. While most products are made in Korea, the Cool & Chic Cooling Mist (for hot flashes!) is locally produced, and the Meno Gummies are manufactured in China.
But beyond their formulations, the product names carry deeper meaning. “The Plump Me Up Cream—that’s my homage to my friends. They ‘plump me up,’ they encourage me. They’re the enablers,” Claudine shares. “No Dirty Secrets is about no longer hiding. Be Gentle With Me is a reminder to be gentle with yourself. Holy Grail is about finding your authentic self. That’s your holy grail.”
You can shop the whole Pro Age line through their website.
No Dirty Secrets Hydrating Facial Cleanser
P1,030, Pro Age Beauty
The Holy Grail Cica Toner
P1,130, Pro Age Beauty
Be Gentle With Me Bakuchiol Serum
P1,330, Pro Age Beauty
Plump Me Up Moisturizing Cica Face Cream
P1,230, Pro Age Beauty
Meno Gummies
P1,250, Pro Age Beauty
