Sexual wellness, pleasure, and fighting the social stigmas surrounding self-pleasure is at the forefront of conversation right now. It seems that young adults have taken the topic on by storm and are more open to express themselves, their wants, and their needs more than any generation before them. It’s time we have an open conversation and create a safe space for people to learn to be in touch with their bodies free from shame. 

We had the chance to chat with the founder of a new Australian sexual wellness brand called LBDO launching May 31 2021. Her name is Rachel Baker and like many during the start of the pandemic last year, she spent her time in lockdown reevaluating her priorities and where she wanted to spend her time and energy. She left her full-time role in Public Relations to enter her own business and delve into an industry she’s extremely passionate about, something that brought her purpose to pursue. Not only is she fighting social norms, but for the first time in Australia, LBDO will offer inclusive guided self-pleasure audios, which you’ll learn more about in our interview below. 

Tell us about your brand, and why LBDO? 

LBDO is a new Australian sexual wellness startup reimagining pleasure by elevating your bedroom essentials. Built on a foundation of inclusivity, safety and thoughtful design, we’re a female-owned, purpose-driven company creating timeless and uncomplicated pleasure products for everybody and everybody. 

And why the name? Some people pronounce it “LIBIDO” while others spell it out “L-B-D-O”. It doesn’t really matter. Like our pleasure products, the name was chosen to reflect the broad spectrum of sexual expression, and the fluid and dynamic nature of seeking and experiencing pleasure. I encourage you to say the name however it feels good for you!

Tell us about yourself and starting your business in the middle of COVID, the challenges, excitement, worries, etc. 

LBDO has really been a COVID baby, so as you can imagine, that’s come with a lot of challenges. I started working on the brand during our first lockdown in Victoria, and am now launching the business during the midst of the fourth Victorian lockdown, so it’s been all I know!

I’ve experienced significant challenges around production, shipping, delays and – along with everyone else – challenges to my mental health. Of course, the pandemic has and continues to be so devastating around the world. But one thing I think COVID has taught us all is to be really adaptive so I’ve tried to just roll with everything that has come my way. 

I’m so excited to be finally launching LBDO. I’ve been working so hard over the last year on this and I can’t wait to share it with you all!

Being a female lead business, what would your advice be to other young women inspired to leave their full-time jobs and follow their dreams/business goals?

I wouldn’t call myself an expert on this at all, as I’m only just beginning my business journey. But I’ll share a few little pieces of advice that I received when I was starting out and lessons I’ve learnt along the way:

Start by thinking about your ‘why’ and remember that no one is going to believe in you like you believe in yourself. It’s taken a lot of work (and ongoing therapy!) to learn to believe in myself and push past the fear and doubt that clouded my mind when I thought about starting a business. 

If it’s possible, start working on your business while you’ve got the safety net of an income. Before I left L’Oreal, I was spending my spare time working on the business after hours and on the weekend. Once it felt like I (and the business) was ready, I decided it was time to leave. I’m not going to lie, it’s been stressful so if you can juggle, then try to do that first.

When things go wrong or take an unexpected turn –  like a lockdown just before you’re about to launch (yes, that is my reality right now) – the best thing you can do is remind yourself why you wanted to start a business in the first place, bring your focus back and keep that drive going. It can feel really overwhelming starting something from nothing so definitely set small achievable goals every day and you’ll start to see the pieces of the puzzle come together. 

I’ve had to learn and teach myself nearly every aspect of the business. For me, being able to lean on or bounce ideas off people I know when I’m stuck has been so helpful and something I’m really grateful for. I’m so thankful to all the people that gave me their time and energy to help me when I needed it and I’d love to pay it forward. With that in mind, I’m really happy to chat to anyone who’s looking to start a business or ask me more about my experience creating LBDO. Feel free to send me an email or a DM and I’ll try to answer any questions as best I can!

And finally – not to sound preachy – but when you’ve got that voice at the back of your head telling you there is something bigger out there and pushing you to follow your dreams, listen to it. It’s there for a reason. Try and move past the self-doubt and fear of the unknown because we all have that.

You say you’re on a mission to break down stigmas and taboos around pleasure and intimacy, lots of brands are jumping on board with this sentiment (which is great) what makes you stand out above the rest?  

There’s no doubt that some amazing work has been done, over the last few years especially, to reshape the sex industry and the surrounding conversation. There are some incredible female-owned businesses that are reclaiming their place in the sexual wellness space; working toward better representations of sex in language and marketing material of different people and bodies. But, like with most of society’s many current challenges, there’s still so much work to be done.

That’s why LBDO is fully committed to creating and nurturing a safe space and community. We do this through our educational blog, The Talk, where we highlight and discuss issues across important topics such as health, sex and pleasure, history, feminism and contemporary politics to help provide greater context and understanding around sexual health in the 21st century. We have our guided self-pleasure audios to help guide people on how to get in touch and in sync with their bodies. And of course, we offer our products that are aimed at seeking and experiencing pleasure because, after all, we all deserve to feel good. 

What inspired you to create a sexual wellness brand?

I’m on a mission to create a safe space for people to learn to be in touch with their bodies free from shame, dumbed-down marketing, and with an experience that doesn’t feel sleazy or patronising. I wanted to take the giggles out of owning, gifting and talking about pleasure products. At LBDO, I wanted to create a sexual wellness brand with products that actually reflect you and your sexual experience. Beautiful, natural, vulnerable and unique. There is no correct way to do sex. Sex and pleasure is how you want to experience sex and pleasure. 

What toys are you offering?

We’re so excited to be launching with our first suite of products, The Essensuals range, designed to elevate your bedroom essentials. The range includes:

• Essensual Vibe is an external vibrator that’s designed in Australia for broad or targeted stimulation to suit your preference. We use the highest quality FDA approved medical-grade silicone, it’s ergonomic, USB rechargeable, ultra soft, quiet, waterproof, travel friendly and has 6 modes in total all controlled by one button for ease of use. RRP $149.95

• Essensual Lube is a 100% natural water based lubricant that’s made in Australia with Certified Organic hydrating Aloe Vera and native Australian Kakadu Plum and Quandong, both high in antioxidants, Vitamin E and C. With its fluid, long-lasting and silky texture, its pH balanced, fragrance free, vegan, cruelty free, paraben and glycerin free. RRP $29.95

• Essensual Oil is a 100% natural, luxurious multi-use massage and body oil to soften the skin and clear the mind. Made in Australia with a unique blend of nourishing native Australian Kakadu Plum Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil and Sandalwood Oil. It’s lightweight, non-greasy, formulated with Certified Organic ingredients, vegan, cruelty free and uses adaptogenic ingredients to provide a relaxing aroma and sensual experience. RRP $49.95

Can you tell us more about the guided audios? Do you have a sneak peek we can listen to?

Yes, it’s really exciting to be the first brand in Australia to offer inclusive guided self-pleasure audios. Think of them in a similar way to a guided meditation or guided run where the aim is to get you out of your head and more into your body. It’s your time to relax and unwind while you have someone guide you through the process of self-pleasure. The aim isn’t to be too descriptive as it is such a unique experience for everyone, so if there’s something that’s not working for you, that’s okay. It’s to be used as a guide.

We have different audio options depending on your preference; so there’s one for vulva-owners, with the option for it to be narrated by either Tera or Oliver. We also have guided audios for everybody, which uses non-gendered language and was created for those who prefer no specific reference to genitals. 

What’s your goal for the brand/where do you see it going/your ultimate dream for LBDO?

My goal for the brand is to be an industry leader and driving force for change in continuing to normalise the conversation around sex and pleasure. 

I’ve never wanted LBDO to exist for the sake of a sale. I’m creating a movement to remind everyone that sexual health and wellness is just as important as your physical and mental health. Sexual health is a key part of your self-care routine and there’s no shame in making time for things that feel good. Pleasure is a human right and we all deserve to feel good. 

But it’s also really important to me that this movement sparks wider change. So with every purchase, LBDO gives back to organisations close to my heart including tackling violence against women, sexual harassment against women and female economic empowerment. 

What was the thought process behind the design of the product?

I, like so many, was sick and tired of the same old hetronormative, pornographic view of sex that dominates the sex industry. So many of the products are so intimidating and depict a narrow view of sex. So I created LBDO to be a sexual wellness brand that actually reflects you and your experience of pleasure.

After interviewing and speaking with hundreds of women at the very beginning of my journey, it was clear that they too were longing for products that reflected them and that were worthy of a place on their nightstand. They wanted products that not only worked but that they looked and felt as beautiful and premium as the skincare and bed sheets they’d purchased.

So I decided to build a company that is both timeless and meaningful to people. This message became the core of our mission, to set a new industry standard of what your bedroom essentials should be and to create products that are thoughtfully crafted with the highest quality materials and natural Australian ingredients.

Finally, what would you like to add so Chattr readers are excited about LBDO and the launch?

LBDO is the first real sexual wellness brand that understands that pleasure is as fluid and dynamic as you are. I set out to create a safe space that was free from any shame and where people could be vulnerable. LBDO is for everybody; the comfortable, the curious and the confused. 

LBDO’s pleasure products, guided self-pleasure audios, and thorough and inclusive educational blog (‘The Talk’) have been designed to reflect your true self and not an aspirational version of what society says you should be in the bedroom. A radical promise to live a life led by pleasure!