Company's 2013 annual sales grew 43% over the previous year
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Not that long ago, sexual lubricants were purchased primarily by menopausal women trying to relieve vaginal dryness, itching and irritation. Today, the makers of intimate moisturizers and lubricants are appealing to a much younger market with a very different message: personal lubricants make sex more fun.
A national survey of American women, recently compiled by researchers with the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, found that among women ages 18 to 68, more than 62% have used sexual lubricants; and 25% have used one in the past month. What's more, among regular lubricant users, only 1 in 4 women reports using the product to relieve discomfort. Instead, 72% say they use a lubricant because it makes sex more pleasurable for them and their partner. And, finally, less than 2% of the women say they have experienced any adverse vaginal symptoms following lubricant use.
All these numbers suggest what industry figures prove: the sale of vaginal lubricants is growing. For Premiere Enterprises, maker of the oil-based lubricant Creme de la Femme, annual sales for 2013 grew 43% over the previous year. And 53% over 2011. According to Kate Vozoff, Premiere's director of Product Development, that increase reflects changing customer demographics. "Lubricants are no longer seen just as the solution to a medical problem," she says. "They've come into their own as a valuable enhancement to every woman's sex life."
As more women decide to use personal lubricants, the research suggests that they are doing so without input from their doctors. Among postmenopausal women, only 22% have talked with a health practitioner about vaginal symptoms since turning age 50. And even many younger women report that they feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about discussing lubricant use with their caregiver. This same reluctance may be the reason that only 36% of physicians say they have ever initiated a conversation with their patients about vaginal dryness or discomfort.
The question for many women today, Vozoff says, is not whether to use a lubricant but how to choose the best one. For example, water-based moisturizers are preferable when using latex condoms, because oil-based lubricants can deteriorate the latex. However, water-based lubricants feel wet and cold when applied and usually contain alcohol, which actually dries and irritates already-inflamed tissue. So for regular use, an oil-based lubricant may be the wiser choice (along with a lambskin or polyurethane condom). "But choose one, like Creme de la Femme, that's made from 100% pharmaceutical-grade oils," Vozoff warns. "Lower-grades can expose you to toxic additives." Finally, check labels to see if a lubricant contains glycerin because that is just another name for sugar, which can be dangerous to women with diabetes or other blood sugar variances.
One thing seems certain: lubricants are here to stay. And as the market grows, the challenge to consumers will be to get better informed about ingredients, benefits and risks.
Learn more about Creme de la Femme here:
Contact:
Liset Hurtado
310-837-9861