The world is changing, and so are people’s attitudes towards sexual wellness and intimate care. In the past, these products were often relegated to the shadows or sold only in sex shops and drug stores, which only perpetuated the stigma surrounding them. However, that is no longer the case. These days, consumers are increasingly interested in pleasure tools that can help them experience intimacy in ways that were once impossible.
In fact, just last year, Well+Good predicted that the latest iteration of the pleasure revolution would see businesses featuring intimate-care products and sex toys front and center in their brick-and-mortar stores. And now, it seems that we were right: Maude, the inclusive intimate care line known for its understated, powerful vibrator, has become the first sexual-wellness company to sell its products in Sephora’s physical stores.
The move is a big win for bring sexual-wellness and intimate-care products out of the shadows, away from stigma, and into the hands of more people. Maude founder and CEO Éva Goicochea explains, “We’ve always believed that [the intimate care category] needed to be in a prestige retailer because when you only see it in sex shops and drugstores, it continues the discomfort and the commodification of the category.”
With Maude’s products available in over 260 Sephora locations, the in-store launch is a major step forward for accessibility to intimate care. Cindy Deily, Vice President of Skincare Merchandising at Sephora, has acknowledged that the sexual-wellness category is growing for the beauty retailer, and there’s more good news for consumers hungry for intimate-care products: According to market projections, the global sexual wellness market is expected to grow significantly over the next few years.
While work to destigmatize intimate-care and sexual-health products is not done, Maude’s inclusion in Sephora is a big step forward. Housing Maude’s products under that luxe umbrella helps bring intimate-care products into the mainstream and chips away the stigma associated with them. The in-store launch also presents an opportunity for a wide range of customers to find what they need in one place, a rarity in the sexual wellness industry.
Maude’s four in-store products at Sephora include a massage candle, lubricant, and two body wash products, which Goicochea says specifically bridge the gap between skin and body care that anyone can use.
The Burn Massage Candle in Scent No. 1 ($30) contains skin-softening jojoba oil, and it’s scented with amber, cedar leaf, clove, lemongrass, medjool date, and tonka bean. The Wash pH Balanced Body Wash and Bubble Bath in No. 0 ($22) is an unscented version of Maude’s ph-balanced body wash that can also be used in a soothing bubble bath. The Shine Ultra-Hydrating, Organic Aloe-Based Personal Lubricant ($18) is one of Maude’s core products, addressing dryness. The Wash pH Balanced Body Wash and Bubble Bath in No. 3 ($22) smells like eucalyptus, sandalwood, cassis, and Haitian vetiver.
Those looking for inclusive, high-quality intimate-care products can now find them easily at Sephora stores across the country, thanks to Maude’s groundbreaking partnership. As attitudes towards sexual wellness continue to evolve, it’s heartening to see major retailers getting on board and providing accessible, high-quality products to people of all backgrounds and lifestyles.
