Anne, Sue and Vonny all 50 years since they started Uni
Yesterday, I was chatting to Vonny (my friend of many, many years) and she reminded me that with it being 2024, it was 50 years since we both commenced our Uni studies – Vonny studied Occupational Therapy and I studied Physiotherapy. Now I know how long I’ve been a physio, but it sort of shocked me that it was 50 years since I rocked up to UQ and started this amazing Physiotherapy journey.
So in honour of tomorrow being World Physiotherapy Day (September 8th, 2024) I am dedicating this blog to all the amazing Pelvic Health Physios around the world, who are tirelessly trying to improve the physical and psychosocial health of women who suffer with pelvic floor dysfunction. When I searched the theme for this year, I found that it was Back Pain, but as I had this blog on lubricants already finished, I decided that I would go with Lubricants, and Back Pain and Pelvic Health can be a topic for another day.
Why Lubricants?
Lubricants should be an essential in any woman’s toiletries bag or bedside table, regardless of age, hormonal status or whether they have a partner they share intimacy with. For some reason or other, we discuss perfumes, moisturizers, sunscreen products and have endless Tiktok videos on how to apply makeup, often whilst giving commentary on major world conflicts, but rarely speak out loud about the pros and cons of personal lubricants.
Is it possibly more of the shame and embarrassment associated with pelvic health perhaps? (There is none of that at Active Women’s Health. You can ask any of the pelvic health physiotherapists working with me at Active Women’s anything about sex, dealing with sexual pain, attaining pleasure, lubricants and vibrators. We are all professionals and won’t make you feel awkward for asking – in fact we encourage you to raise it with us).
There are many types of lubricants, but one of my favourites is Olive and Bee. It was developed by Claire Osterstock, a Women’s Health Physiotherapist (yay Physios again), who I have previously written about here. Funnily enough, we caught up with each other at the NCOI Conference in Brisbane in May and were story-swapping about our various 2024 Catastrophes (trying to out-do each other with health dramas – I believe it was a solid draw). When I was there, I asked Claire would she write me a blog about lubricants as she is a complete Font of Knowledge on the topic.
Here is her blog on lubricants and her thinking behind the ingredients making up the intimate moisturizer Olive and Bee:
Four pelvic health physios: Annie, Claire, Fiona and Moi at Claire’s Olive and Bee stand at NCOI
There has been a huge influx of personal lubricants and intimate care products on the market in recent years. So what goes with what? And what are the pros and cons? How do you choose?
Water-based lubricants are condom compatible. So are silicone lubricants. Together they make up over 95% of the 200+ personal lubricants I could find on the market. It seems that condoms are what personal lubricants were developed for, and they are usually marketed at males and young people. There are tons of brands to choose from, but most contain basically the same chemicals and preservatives. If you’re allergic to one water-based lubricant, you may find you are allergic to all of them!
Oil-based personal lubricants are new on the market – Olive & Bee Intimate Cream is the only 100% Australian made oil-based moisturizing and lubricating cream that I know about. Oils are not condom compatible, but are actually more hydrating on the skin than water (think lip balm vs water on cracked lips).
Not all oils are the same – some are “too thick” and more likely to clog pores, eg coconut oil. Olive Oil has a low comedogenic rating, which means it is a good absorbable oil on the skin.
Water based lubricants need to contain a preservative. Any cosmetic with water needs a preservative. Otherwise it would grow bacteria and mould. There can’t be a 100% natural water-based lubricant.
Oil based lubricants do not need a preservative, hence are good for people who are sensitive to these chemicals, or who would prefer to avoid them
Silicone lubricants are petrochemicals.
Water based and most oil-based products are fine to use with silicone (eg a pessary or dilator), but silicone lubricants will degrade silicone products such as a vibrator.
Why Olive & Bee is Fragrance Free
Olive and Bee Intimate Moisturising Cream
At Olive & Bee we deliberately chose NOT to add fragrance to our Olive & Bee Intimate Cream. We thought it would be good to explain some examples of why.
What Does Fragrance Do?
Fragrances are added to everything these days from cosmetics to candles to toilet cleaners! We often test the smell of a product before purchasing it, not thinking twice about the type of fragrance and what we are breathing in.
Did you know? That “Fragrance” is not usually just one substance? In fact, the term “fragrance” can hide up to 100 or more ingredients in one product term. These substances can be natural or synthetic, with the latter usually being the much cheaper choice for most products.
So, if we first talk about the term “natural fragrance”, you may be thinking about essential oils. Did you know, it takes up to 4,000 kilos of rose petals to make just 1 kilo of rose oil? This has a huge environmental and industrial impact. Also, with some fragrances being hormonal disruptors at high concentrations, you can probably see why this may not necessarily be good to put on our skin and mucous membranes with such high concentrations of fragranced oil.
The term “fragrance” or “parfum” in a cosmetic is usually an added chemical mixture. It becomes a trade secret, reducing the risk of a product being copied. You may be allergic to one of these chemicals, but finding out which one would be difficult!
If you have an allergy to fragrance, you’re not alone. It is estimated that 1-4% of the population is allergic to fragrances. The problem is four times more common in women than men. Taking this into account, we decided to keep our product Olive & Bee Intimate Cream as hypoallergenic as possible. Fragrance is not necessary and we quite like the natural smell of extra virgin olive oil and beeswax.
For further reading about the impact of fragrance, pick up a copy of “The Case Against Fragrance” by best-selling author Kate Grenville.
Many thanks Claire for writing such a comprehensive overview of your beautiful product Olive and Bee. When I was attending the international IUGA conference in The Hague in June 2023, I went to a Vulva Workshop and all the speakers were raving about your product and it made me feel a very proud Aussie, and especially since I have you on speed dial. To complement this bog, one day I must write a blog about why every woman needs a vibrator……
Happy World Physiotherapy Day 2024 to all my pelvic health physiotherapy colleagues – may we continue to support women and each other in this complex area of Women’s Health.
