and why your intimate health matters – with Sam Evans from Jo Divine sex toys
We don’t talk about sex and our intimate health enough, and so there becomes a stigma about it and women in particular can end up using products that are not healthy for the health of our vagina or vulva. So this week Sam and I start to open up that conversation.
About Sam
“I’m the co-founder of online sex toy retailer Jo Divine with my husband Paul. We only sell skin safe products and irritant free lubricants and vaginal moisturisers. As a former nurse, I am the sexual health and pleasure expert. I have written 100’s of practical sexual health and pleasure articles for our blog and in the press. I also featured on the radio, and in Sex, Myths and the menopause with Davina McCall and How To Have A Better Orgasm on Channel 5. We also work with many healthcare professionals to help their patients to regain their sexual function and reclaim their sex life. Whoever you are, whatever your age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or health issue, we believe sex is meant to be noisy, messy, embarrassing, consensual, pleasurable and most of all, fun “
Where is a good place for a new or timid customer to start?
Sam loves talking to customers and would encourage everyone to phone her and have a conversation. Her knowledge as a nurse, her personal experiences and her product knowledge helps her have conversations with clients that ensures they are getting the products, and often the help, that they need.
However not everyone is confident enough to pick up the phone, so the one product that we both believe could help everyone is intimate lubricant. Sam first started using the Yes lubricant and it transformed her experiences, and it is the brand that I use. (however they now have their own brand available which I am currently testing called Sutil)
How has your personal experience affected the products you stock?
Sam suffered from recurrent infections, UTI’s, thrush and BV which eventually developed into vaginismus. This is when your vaginal muscles contract when penetration is attempted, leading to painful and difficult sexual intercourse.
What Sam hadn’t realised until she discovered natural lubricant brand Yes, is that it was all down to the lubrication she and her partner was using. Sam comments that it was so sad that something they were using to try to ease her discomfort was actually the thing causing her symptoms. And the idea for Jo Divine was born.
What are skin safe products?
Many sexual lubricants and toys are made from products that we should not be putting anywhere near our vagina, let alone inside it. You should be checking the ingredients label of your lubricant just like you would the food you eat. The main ingredients to avoid are:
- glycerine – another name for sugar that feeds bad bacteria (in the same was as it does in our gut)
- parabens
- perfume – our vaginas have their own wonderfully natural aroma
- alcohol – drying (the opposite of what a lube should do)
- glycols
The same applies to sex toys; Sam is careful to make sure that all their toys are made from either glass, metal or ABS plastic, meaning they are safe for use both around the sensitive vulva area and insertion into the vagina.
Female Empowerment – why don’t you like that term?
Sam feels that the term has been dumbed down and shouldn’t apply to sex toys as enjoying sex is fun, not female empowerment. She prefers the term to be used for more serious issues such as female genitalia mutilation, child marriage, arranged marriage.
However, that is not to downplay the importance of having a website such as Jo Divine that is committed to improving the knowledge of their clients and providing them with safe products to increase their sexual pleasure and most importantly fun.
Quick fire!
- Favourite food – cheese, any kind. Or maybe breakfast with husband Pauls homemade bread and their home-made marmalade.
- Most Memorable meal – wedding meal, particularly the chocolate pudding
- What have you got for tea? today is a fasting day so probably soup
Sam’s links
My links
Exclusive to listeners discount 10% valid until the end of 2022 HILL2022 (valid on full price products)
Did this episode encourage you to open up conversations with your partner or your friends? Or maybe you have a question you’d like to ask – please feel free to message either myself or Sam, we want everyone to enjoy sex more xxx
Want to know more about ways to work with me?
I believe that every woman should feel confident and comfortable in their body, and when you work with me, I will give you the tools and support so you can create alignment and balance.
There are many ways that you can work with me:
In my fabulous free community on Facebook Fab Female Nutrition Club I offer lots of support and advice on female health and wellbeing. I love to cook and create recipes, so you will often find me in the group cooking live and sharing all the wonderful health benefits of the ingredients used to create the dishes.
Just three times a year I work with groups of ladies to transform their health and wellbeing. Appropriately called The Transformation Program they can help with many different issues and have had hugely impressive results – including up to 100% reduction in symptoms. If you suffer with IBS, fatigue, inflammation, hormonal imbalances or just want to spend some time concentrating on your health and wellbeing they are fabulous value and great fun.
If you feel like you need a more bespoke option, I also offer 1:1 coaching and support. Working with your specific needs creating nutritional protocols that support your health goals. This is a fully supported program that last 6 months. We take a full health history, then create and refine protocols so that you learn about your body and how to support it. I will be with you every step of the way, and may aim is that you feel empowered to continue with the changes forever. Find out more here.