Two Australian mates have quit their jobs after an “embarrassing” orgasm confession sparked a “genius” idea.
Claire Deeks, 24, was describing the “overwhelming joy” she’d experienced from an intimate sexual encounter while at dinner with a group of girlfriends.
However, she was “shocked” when two of her friends admitted they had “never” explored their own bodies and had no idea where the G-spot was.
Research shows between 10 to 15 per cent of women have never had an orgasm. This can be down to health issues, such as chronic illness or a medication side effect.
But mostly, it is caused by a lack of education and understanding of the body.
This surprising revelation left Claire “unsettled”, prompting her to do research into the taboos around sexual pleasure, eventually teaming up with her friend Luciana Burke, a qualified designer, to create sexual wellness brand My ilo.
After launching in December 2019 with an array of sex related products, business has boomed – allowing Claire to leave her job at a non-for-profit company and Luciana to give up her work as a property stylist to focus on the business full time.
The duo, from Margaret River, Western Australia, said they “never expected” the business to perform so well in just two years, and credit its success to “openly” discussing sexual pleasure and “not hiding away” from it.
“We set out on a mission to create well-designed, beautiful, and modern products,” Claire told news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary.
“These products are visually appealing with a creative flair that customers are proud to buy and display visibly and openly, rather than hiding away in their bedside tables.
“This was with the hope that friends will notice the addition to your room and a conversation surrounding self-pleasure and being sexually empowered will be ignited.”
My ilo, which stands for “I love orgasms”, also wants to help educate people on the health benefits of orgasms as it fights to “reshape the male dominated sexual wellness industry”.
“Of course orgasms feel amazing, but they also have countless positive physical effects, including reducing cortisol, alleviating pain, boosting fertility, increasing white blood cells which support your immune system, and supporting your sleep cycle,” Luciana said.
“When you are glowing on the inside, you are going to feel confident and empowered on the outside.”
These claims have been backed up in countless studies over the years, earning it the playful term of being described as the “ultimate self-care act”, something Claire and Luciana agree with wholeheartedly.
“Sex toys allow us to learn and explore our bodies,” Claire added.
“Understanding how your body works, empowers you to discover new ways to show love, care for yourself and feel comfortable in your own skin.
“We are not specialists in this field. Just two young women, wanting to connect with others who are excited to celebrate and talk about the joy of our bodies.”
The brand currently stocks 8 different toys that are made locally in Western Australia from a “silky-soft” medical silicone as well as an assortment of plant-based sex essentials including body oil and a “melt massage candle” which retails for $55.
“Our bestsellers are the My ilo Blended and the My ilo Egg,” Luciana explained, revealing the gadgets have different settings and have both completely “sold out” in the past.
The pair are also incredibly proud to offer customers the ability to recycle their sex toys, an initiative launched to ensure My ilo is as sustainable as possible.
“Sex toys are classified as bio waste in Australia as they are made from a combination of batteries, electronics, silicone, and plastic,” Luciana continued.
“Biowaste products are unable to be disposed of via general household waste and when they end up in landfill where they can take over 500 years to decompose.
“We are working with a local business to break down the components of the toys to make them into new, needed items. For example the silicone of the toys can be recycled to create the stoppers in car parks.”
The service is entirely free, open to all brands and participants get a gift card to use against their next My ilo purchase.
Similar recycling schemes overseas have been hard to get off the ground, with some finding it “icky” according to a recent Vice article – Claire and Luciana said Australians haven’t been as grossed out.
“We have never had to convince people to recycle their toys with us. Why would you not recycle your old toys if they are going to be rubbish anyway?
“We are excited the program has been a huge hit and that we can make a difference in this space.”
On social media, women have been raving about My ilo, with one Instagram user stating it was her “favourite pleasure brand”.
“The massage candle is a great date night idea. You burn, blow out, and drip onto your lover,” she wrote.
“The wax is all natural Shea butter, olive oil and coconut oil, and kinda just feels like warm coconut oil when it goes on.
“It drips onto you just warm, but not hot, as it has a low burning temp.”
While another happy customer declared: “It’s official. I’m obsessed.”
“Nobody has time for bad sex,” another agreed.
The sexual wellness industry has exploded globally in recent years and is now worth $24 billion, according to data from research firm Research And Markets.
It’s so popular, premium Australian retailer David Jones is venturing into the space for the first time in its nearly 200 year history, launching a Valentine’s pop-up offering intimate products this month.