Hailey Bieber Turned Her PMDD Diagnosis Into Rhode's Biggest Philanthropic Bet
Rhode founder Hailey Bieber, 29, pledged $5 million over three years to the Foundation for Women's Health, citing a postpartum PMDD diagnosis after her son's birth. The brand posted $390 million in net sales in 2026.
At a glance
- The pledge
- $5 million over three years to the Foundation for Women's Health, with $1 million into an Evergreen Fund that invests in women's health diagnostics and therapeutics companies and recycles its returns into future research grants.
- The brand's scale
- Rhode posted $390 million in net sales in fiscal 2026, up more than 80% year over year. E.l.f. Beauty acquired Rhode in 2025 for up to $1 billion.
- The condition
- PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, affects up to 5% of women of childbearing age, per the Office on Women's Health. It causes severe depression, anxiety, and irritability in the two weeks before menstruation.
Rhode is best known for the glazed-donut skin aesthetic and its lip case, a $14 object that helped make the brand a $390 million business. On October 30, founder Hailey Bieber announced the brand's largest philanthropic commitment: $5 million over three years for women's health research.
The disclosure that drove the decision was personal. Bieber, 29, told WWD she was diagnosed with PMDD after the birth of her son Jack Blues in August 2024. PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is a hormonal condition affecting up to 5% of women of childbearing age, according to WLOS citing the Office on Women's Health. Its symptoms, which include severe depression, anxiety, and mood swings in the two weeks before menstruation, are distinct from standard premenstrual syndrome in severity.
After I had my son, I struggled with that a bit, and there's just not a lot of conversation or research around it.
The $5 million will go to the Foundation for Women's Health over three years. One million of that total establishes the Foundation's Evergreen Fund, a venture philanthropy structure that invests in women's health diagnostics and therapeutics companies and recycles its financial returns into future research. Billboard confirmed the same details from the WWD exclusive.
The Brand Behind the Pledge
Rhode was acquired by E.l.f. Beauty in 2025 in a deal valued at up to $1 billion. In fiscal 2026, the brand posted $390 million in net sales, up more than 80% year over year. Bieber has since taken a strategic advisory role at E.l.f. in addition to leading Rhode.
Rhode previously ran two smaller philanthropic programs. The Futures Fund committed $2 million to 10 organizations supporting mothers and caregivers between 2025 and 2026. During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the brand directed $1 million to affected families. The $5 million women's health pledge is the brand's largest single commitment.
This $5 million gift to Foundation for Women's Health messages very strongly to young women that the long-standing gender equity gap is not acceptable.
The Celebrity Health Pivot
Celebrity-brand health advocacy has followed a consistent pattern for the past decade. The founder discloses a personal condition, the brand backs it with a grant or a product line, and the founder's body becomes the brand's most compelling proof of concept. The list of precedents is long: Gwyneth Paltrow and wellness products at Goop, Chrissy Teigen and postpartum depression conversations, Kim Kardashian and body-inclusive framing at SKIMS. What is structurally different about Rhode's pledge is the Evergreen Fund, which cycles its financial returns back into future grants rather than expiring when the initial commitment is spent.
Five million dollars over three years is Rhode's largest philanthropic commitment in its history. By the math, it is roughly 1.3% of the brand's current annual net sales. E.l.f. Beauty, the parent company, commits 2% of net profits across all its brands. Rhode's pledge sits at the parent company's philanthropic floor, not above it. Bieber did not characterize the amount as a stretch. She framed it as a beginning.
Conversation, for me personally, makes me feel less alone.
The Foundation for Women's Health will announce its first grantees in 2027, with a focus on pregnancy and postpartum health, autoimmune conditions, endometriosis, and maternal health. Rhode is currently at Sephora in the US and Canada and recently expanded to the UK. E.l.f. has signaled plans to bring the brand to Asia.
Sources & further reading
- WWD: 'EXCLUSIVE: Hailey Bieber Opens Up About Women's Health as Rhode Commits $5 Million to Research,' Ryma Chikhoune, October 30, 2026
- WLOS: 'Hailey Bieber opens up on lonely journey with PMDD after birth of son,' Elizabeth Stanton, November 4, 2026
- Billboard: 'Hailey Bieber Details Emotional Rollercoaster of PMDD Diagnosis After Son Jack Blues Birth,' Gil Kaufman, November 4, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons: Hailey Baldwin at Billboard Music Awards 2018 (Eric Ita, CC BY 3.0)
