From her opinion on sexual wellness to the advice she would give to others, Rachel Baker, founder and CEO of sexual wellness company LBDO, sat down with us to discuss the link between sexual pleasure and self-love.
Initially founded in Melbourne amidst the coronavirus pandemic, LBDO has since grown to become one of Australia’s most popular – and respected – sexual wellness brands. Selling everything from vibrators to vitamins, LBDO has secured itself as a wellness brand quite like no other.
Sharing her top tips plus a very open yet honest opinion on sexual wellness, Baker sat down with us to discuss the important role sexual pleasure plays in our journey to self-love.
How do you define sexual wellness, what does it mean to you?
“To me, I’ve always looked at sexual wellness in a holistic way; I invest in my emotional and physical well-being as well as my connections and relationships – both with myself and with others”.
“It’s important to me that I feel comfortable in my skin, I’m in touch with myself and my desires, I feel empowered, safe and connected to the community. This forms the foundations for my own sexual wellness journey, and what we try to highlight at LBDO”.
Sexual pleasure is now considered a core aspect of self-love, do you believe this to be true?
“I believe sexual pleasure and non-sexual pleasure are both important parts of self-love. There are enormous benefits associated with both sexual and non-sexual pleasure, including increased emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being – all contributing to a greater sense of self-love”.
“Pleasure is different for everybody so this can look different for everyone. As long as you’re prioritising yourself, feeling comfortable in your skin and more connected to yourself and your desires, your self-love ritual will take care of itself”.
Rachel Baker, Founder LBDO
What advice would you give to those new to exploring their own sexual wellness?
“Everyone is on their own journey. It’s important to remember that sex, and your relationship to it, is entirely personal. So, don't worry if it looks and feels different to other people's idea of pleasure and self-care – go at your own pace”.
“As a starting point, I always say it’s important to dedicate time to self-love and make it a priority. Whatever it is for you, make time for things that feel good. Some things that you might enjoy are having a date night with yourself, self-pleasuring, watching ethical porn, journaling, giving yourself a massage, running a bath, reading your favourite book, cooking, catching up with friends, reading erotic literature or spending time in nature. Whatever it is, invest in it and be intentional”.
“It’s also important to be educated. I encourage everyone to read, listen to podcasts, start to have open and honest conversations with the people around you, become familiar with your body and what feels good for you. There is nothing more powerful than further understanding and investing in yourself and your body”.
As an expert in this field, how do you prioritise (and care for) your own sexual wellness and self-love?
“It can be challenging running your own business, but I still make sure that I dedicate time to myself. It’s important to me to do things that make me feel good, such as spending quality time with family and friends, travelling, eating good food and spending time in nature”.
“These can all be hard to fit in sometimes when you’re busy with work, so for me it’s important to set boundaries for when you need to close the laptop and go and enjoy the other beautiful things in life”.
“Self-pleasure also plays a big part in my self-care routine. To connect with your body and mind and give yourself pleasure. There is nothing shameful about self-pleasure; if it feels good for you, incorporate sex toys into your practice”.
Rachel Baker, Founder LBDO
Despite self-pleasure now being recognised and celebrated as a form of self-love, what changes would you like to see the wellness industry make to further normalise and support this?
“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 normalising and celebrating sex and pleasure as important aspects of our overall health. But, like with most of society’s many current challenges, there’s still so much work to be done.”
“For me, I want the industry to continue to work toward representing sex and sexuality in a much broader and diverse way. I believe, as an industry, we need to all help foster a space for people to be able to access comprehensive and factual sex education so they would feel empowered to explore, discover and make informed decisions about their body and their relationships. It’s important that people can safely access products and information that shifts the conversation in a really positive and joyful way; teaching people that they have a right to experience pleasure – however they may like to experience it”.
03 Feb 2023
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