The Press | ‘Taboo’ topic tackled by women who saw gap in the market

This article was written by Carly Gooch and published in The Press on August 5 2023. The original article can be read here.

A feminine product is giving women a new lease on life, inside and outside the bedroom - and the women behind it are embracing “smashing” through taboos.

Nu Intimate Balm co-founder Tessa Kain said no parts of the female anatomy should be off-limits when talking about her company’s new vaginal moisturiser.

Dry vagina was a “massive topic” that had “to be addressed”, she said.

“We are smashing through all these taboos and a reluctance from all sorts of people to address these issues.”

Founded by three women including gynaecologist Olivia Smart, pelvic health physiotherapist Niamh Clerkin and Kain, Nu Intimate Balm was “proud to be leading change in women’s sexual health”, Kain said.

Clerkin and Smart saw women in their clinics every day with vaginal dryness and discomfort, leading them to create a natural product to solve the problem.

The 100% New Zealand-made product contained extra virgin olive oil, beeswax and kānuka oil to provide “instant relief for vaginal dryness and can enhance sexual pleasure”, Kain said.

Dryness or discomfort could be caused by menopause, perimenopause, cancer treatments, medications, skin conditions or postpartum injury.

Women at any age or any stage of their lives could be affected by the condition, Kain said.

They often put up with it in silence, too embarrassed to broach the topic with their partner or medical experts.

“You can imagine going into the pharmacy and saying, ‘My vagina’s dry and suffering discomfort’ - not everyone would be able to do that.”

She said women who felt too uncomfortable to seek treatment could develop low self-esteem, become isolated, and lose closeness with their partner if intimacy was unbearable.

“Perhaps the partner feels the woman doesn’t want to have sex with them, but it’s not always the case - it could be it’s simply too painful.”

Kain’s story of how she became involved in the product stems from her business acumen and personal journey.

“I’m a 54-year-old menopausal woman who has had cancer so I combined my business experience with my own health experience.”

Personal lubricant products like KY-Jelly available on supermarket shelves and pharmacies were not specially created for women, Kain said.

“If you look at lubes, you’ll see they’re very male orientated, and not designed for the female genitalia - it might be coloured or flavoured.

“Nu Intimate Balm ... won’t upset the women’s biome or PH levels. It’s specifically designed for vaginal skin.”

That did not mean it could not be used anywhere else.

It could be used as an all-over body massage cream or on eyebrows, and was perfect to pack in a suitcase for an “instant moisturiser”, Kain said.

“Anywhere on any body, internal or external, it’s not going to do any harm.”

Already available in 12 stores across the country, the product was soon to be released in a leading pharmaceutical chain, which would be “great for women”, she said.

“It means you can just walk in and it will be right there [on the shelf].”

—The Press