Personal Lubricants just weren’t working Claire Osterstock is an Australian Physiotherapist who focuses on managing pelvic floor problems, as part of her role she must advise her patients on which personal lubricants to use. She realised that the options she had available just weren’t good enough, almost all of them contained synthetic chemicals and preservatives that caused irritation, interfered with the sensitive vaginal tissue, and would lead her clients to having a burning and itching sensation. The name was also a problem to a lot of her clients, the word lubricant makes it sound like it’s a sexual product. Olive and Bee Intimate Cream was born! All these problems prompted Claire to team up with a pharmacist and create a problem which was friendly to the body and was named and marketed appropriately. It 26 different recipes but eventually they got there, and the perfect product had been created, Olive and Bee Intimate Cream. Olive oil was chosen as the base as it is naturally anti- bacterial, anti-fungal and high in anti-oxidants which removes any need for chemical preservatives. Olive oil also has a low comedogenic rating (how likely it is to block your pores) which made it a better choice to other oils such as coconut oil. The olive oil was formulated with beeswax as it is a natural thickening agent and has anti-inflammatory properties. Both ingredients have a low water activity so don’t grow nasty bacteria or mould and also means they won’t interfere with your natural pH levels.