Creating the Perfect Intimate Cream
Claire Osterstock is an Australian Physiotherapist who focuses on managing pelvic floor problems, as part of her role she must advise her patients on which personal lubricants to use. She realised that the options she had available just weren’t good enough, almost all of them contained synthetic chemicals and preservatives that caused irritation, interfered with the sensitive vaginal tissue, and would lead her clients to having a burning and itching sensation. The name was also a problem to a lot of her clients, the word lubricant makes it sound like it’s a sexual product.
Olive and Bee Intimate Cream was Born!
All these problems prompted Claire to team up with a pharmacist and create an intimate cream that was body and skin-friendly. After trialling 26 different recipes, the perfect product had been created, Olive and Bee Intimate Cream.
Olive oil was chosen as the base as it is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and high in anti-oxidants which removes any need for chemical preservatives. Olive oil also has a low comedogenic rating (how likely it is to block your pores) which made it a better choice to other oils such as coconut oil. The olive oil was formulated with beeswax as it is a natural thickening agent and has anti-inflammatory properties. Both ingredients have a low water activity so don’t grow nasty bacteria or mould and also means they won’t interfere with your natural pH levels.
So why is it called an intimate cream and not a lubricant? Well, firstly, it has less of a sexual connotation, so women feel more comfortable purchasing. Secondly, the product has multiple uses, not just to aid intercourse. There are many different reasons women suffer from vaginal dryness such as menopause, breastfeeding or general skin problems. Olive and Bee is safe to use as a vaginal moisturiser, for moisturising sensitive mucosal tissue (if you are living with a prolapse), can be used to help insert a pessary, it also makes a great non-greasy massage oil. So you can see it is far more than just a personal lubricant.
Absolutely no chemicals, preservatives, flavours, colourings or additives!