Academy Award-winning actor, director, producer, entrepreneur, and women’s health advocate Halle Berry took the stage at the Create & Cultivate Festival in Los Angeles for a candid conversation about women’s health, self-advocacy, and the confidence that can come with aging.

“Menopause is not a bad thing when you know what to do,” Berry told the audience, emphasizing the importance of equipping women with accurate information and science-backed solutions rather than treating menopause as something they simply have to endure.

Reflecting on her own health journey, Berry shared, “I never felt more powerful than when I advocated for myself,” encouraging women to ask questions, seek answers, and demand better care. She described her current stage of life as her “zero fucks to give chapter,” adding that “choosing to love yourself is the greatest gift” and that, with age, “confidence grows.”

Berry also discussed her work with women’s intimate wellness company Joylux and the opportunity to develop innovative products around women’s real, historically overlooked needs. “What can we create in this space to solve this problem?” she recalled asking, explaining that the collaboration prioritizes meaningful, science-backed innovation—including Joylux’s pioneering red-light technology—over simply bringing more products to market.

“We put women’s true needs first,” Berry said. “I want to create products that we can be proud to display and that empower us.”

Her approach to product development is intentionally measured: rather than releasing a constant stream of products, Berry is focused on thoughtfully developing solutions that genuinely improve women’s lives and that she can proudly stand behind. As she told the audience, “This is what I do because I love myself and women.”

Images courtesy of Create & Cultivate