What made you want to create Baûbo?  

“We both had corporate jobs before Baûbo. Bethsabee was a journalist. I was a key account manager. We were talking as friends and we both disliked our jobs at the time. Bethsabee came up with the idea for a product – a vulva balm to use after sex to relieve irritation. We had no clue how to make it.  

“She’s more of an ideas type of person. I have a business background. I immediately thought it was a good idea. We thought that there was nothing else like it on the market, but we had no idea how to do it.  

“We knew there were products out there to use during sex – to enhance pleasure or use as a lubricant. On the other side, there were medical products. There was nothing specifically for women to take of our vulvas that wasn’t related to sex or medication, so we decided to bring it to market.  

“We did market research and found that 99% of women and people with vulvas experienced irritation. That’s when we decided to go on the Baûbo adventure. Le Baume is the reason we launched Baûbo.”  

What challenges did you face at the start of your business journey?  

“We knew we wanted it to be sustainable with eco-responsible values, and we faced challenges for several reasons along the way: finding eco-friendly packaging, being two female founders – no one took us seriously – and it being a brand-new product that people didn’t understand. It took two years to find a 100% recyclable container. We were a pending B-Corp company from the start. Now we’re certified.  

“We had the idea for Le Baume in 2015, and we didn’t launch until 2019 when we both quit our corporate jobs to pursue Baûbo full-time, so it was four years in the making.”  

Tell us about Baûbo products 

“All our products are 100% organic and natural wherever possible. We have Le Baume which is the first 100% natural and 100% organic vulva balm to soothe sensitive, irritated vulvas for use after sex, during menopause or menstruation, or if you’re uncomfortable after wearing clothes or exercising.  

“We currently make two other balms, aside from our vulva balm, Le Baume: La Infini Baume (The Universal Balm) and Le Canon (The Gorgeous Balm). 

 “We didn’t want to be a mono-product brand or known in the sexual health space. We wanted to be a care company. We’re not a sex brand; we produce care products. Lots of people have complexes around their bodies and a lack of body positivity. We wanted bodies to be a positive thing, and encourage more people to touch themselves.  

“La Infini Baume is for the whole family. My co-founder Bethsabee has two children and she wants to use organic products on them. She found that the so-called organic products that existed actually had only 20% organic products in them.  

“The Gorgeous Balm tones and firms with traditional plants like kigelia. We always wanted to use all-natural formulations. In the 90s and early noughties, we didn’t care what we put on our bodies and chemical products were cheap.  

“Chemical formulations are based on natural ingredients. It’s often copied because it’s cheaper. Our Gorgeous Balm contains daisy to firms, and babassu and lemon water that helps to tone.  

“We’re also launching a new anal balm – the Q balm – that cares for hemorrhoids and pain after sex. We knew it was needed from speaking to our gay friends, but we were surprised how many women bought it too.  

“Our products are 100% made in France. The silk-screening of the jar is from Brittany. Printing is done in Paris. If we can’t source it in Paris, we will try to source our packaging as close to Paris as possible.”  

PULL-OUT QUOTE: “Our market research found that 99% of people with vulvas experience irritation. It affects people psychologically; it affects relationships and it affects daily life.”