Though sex-toy consumers are as varied as the items they buy, they are united by an interest in keeping their bodies sexy. By rounding out your store's selection with products that help consumers care for and groom their privates, you can create a client base that's primed for more play and more sales.
Shaving is the most common grooming method. A few basic tips can help your customers avoid problems like razor burn or ingrown hairs, which can keep them out of the bedroom-and your store.
Trim Hair First
Razors cut shorter
hair more evenly and without snagging. The Seiko S-Yard Shavy Femini, sold individually
and in shave kits through Donner Spring
Internet Retailers, is one of the most popular. It brings hair down to five-o'clock-shadow
length, which is ideal for shaving. Donner Spring offers an affiliate program for
online retailers not interested in keeping the trimmer or other products in
stock.
Canadian manufacturer BMS Enterprises includes a trimmer as part of a kit, along with its Ultimate Personal Shaver, which is sold in an attractive storage case.
Soften Hair with Hot Water
Advise customers to
soak in hot water, take a hot shower or apply a warm washcloth to the area.
This leaves hair softer, more easily cut by blades and less likely to break off
below skin level-one cause of ingrown hairs.
Use Shave Creams Made for the Privates
There are a variety
of shave creams intended for pubic hair, which often is coarser and thicker
than other hair. Traditional shaving products often leave skin feeling "squeaky
clean," which is fine for the face or leg but less than ideal for the delicate,
sensitive genital area. Most genital shave creams are thick and very slippery,
a more appropriate consistency for the nether regions.
Coochy Shave Cream from Classic Erotica, which was the first shaving lotion specifically made for pubic hair, is carried by most distributors in a variety of sizes and scents. Its brand-name following makes for easy sales and repeat customers. According to the company's website, "Coochy Shave helps to soften the hair, keep the razor sharp and, by lubricating your skin, prevents many nicks and cuts from happening."
Sliquid's Smooth Shaving Cream is a glycerin- and
paraben-free alternative for more sensitive consumers; those left-out chemicals
can exacerbate conditions that lead to yeast infections. It's available in four
scents-including unscented-and the 8-ounce bottle comes with a pump that is easy
to use and lock, a great up-selling point.
Use the
Right Tools
Advise your customers to use a sharp razor: Disposable razors, though
convenient, are never as sharp as higher-end varieties. After heating the blade
by running it under hot water, they should shave in the direction of the hair,
using as few strokes as possible because the odds of irritated skin increases
with the number of passes. For a super-close shave, they should reapply shaving
cream and shave once against the grain of the hair, though this act is the one most
likely to cause red bumps and/or ingrown hairs.
There also are several shavers designed for private parts. The Cleancut Shaver, made by Seiko and sold by Donner Spring Internet Retailers, features a fine-screened top. With hair trimmed short, this shaver can be used with little fear of cuts or nicks. Because it cuts hair down to skin level, it won't cause ingrown hairs or rashes, unlike traditional razors and some electric shavers that can cut hair to below skin level. Donner Spring's affiliate program allows online retailers to easily add the Cleancut Shaver to their sites.
Deak LLC has marketed its Body Bare shaver and trimmers since 1995, and has one of the most prominent affiliate programs in the market. Online-store owners can link web ads to Deak's PersonalShavers.com and receive a commission on all sales. For an even better response, include a review of the products with the link.
"Pussy-shavers sell, period," said Ian Denchasy, co-owner of Freddy and Eddy, a Los Angeles-based resource website and store focusing on couples. He said "well-placed banners throughout our site" bring in $400 to $600 in affiliate income from shaver sales each month.
Some Lotion a Day Will Keep Trouble Away
Adult-store
customers are the ideal market for stay-sexy products like creams that prevent ingrown
hairs. The topical cream Bikini Saver,
made popular by salons and spas, now has a spot in the adult marketplace. Relatively
inexpensive, this antibacterial, anti-inflammatory moisturizer helps soften the
skin to expose trapped hair and prevent future problems-especially when paired
with regular exfoliation of skin that traps hairs. Those who try Bikini Saver
will become repeat customers, and its low wholesale price and high value to the
customer make it a win-win item.
Some customers want to avoid the shaving issue altogether and look for other solutions: Point them to Ultra Hair Away, a cream that inhibits hair growth. According to its maker, Victoria Body Works, the cream is "so successful at getting rid of unwanted body hair, people are calling it ‘baldness in a bottle.'" The company describes the hair-remover as an all-natural cream that works by mimicking the process that causes baldness. Ultra Hair Away is available wholesale and can be sold through an affiliate program.
Genital Hair Can Be Fun, Too
Customers-and some
sex professionals-with a sense of humor won't be able to resist making shaving
more fun with genital-hair stencils. Body Bare includes several stencils with its
shave kit, and Just Kittyng has created
an entire line of "personal preening" products that can turn hair into art.
"The idea began as a quick quip to one of my friends, and as the words came out of my mouth, I realized what a great concept it was," Just Kittyng President Diane Paisley told ANB. "The response has been wonderful worldwide, and growth has been steady."
Just Kittyng's bikini-art kits are available in a variety of designs, and can be bought wholesale or sold through the company's affiliate program.
Keep Things Fresh
with Tasty Powders
Point customers to a tasty dust to use when the grooming is done. Unlike traditional
body powder, flavored dust will leave them fresh and lickable. Retailers in areas
with hot or humid climates can market these products as a sexy way to stay
fresh-and taste good.
One of the best known is Kama Sutra's Honey Dust, which is available by itself and in a variety of kits. This super-fine, silky powder made from real honey can be applied with the included feather duster. You can boost sales by educating customers about using Honey Dust as a personal powder and pointing out that it's included in many well-thought-out kits.
For customers wanting something more portable, direct them to Lickable Dust by Babeland: It comes in a slender shaker that's ready for travel. Topco made applying tasty dust a little more fun by selling it with the Incognito Tickling Dust Brush-useful and titillating. And for an elegant option, suggest one of the edible body powders from Private Label Potions which comes packaged in a crystal and silver shaker.
Read On
There are several books that can educate your customers on
genital grooming. The most on-topic book is "Hot Pink: The Girls' Guide to Primping,
Passion and Pubic Fashion," the result of more than five years of research
about everything from pubic-hair removal and hair styles to tips for taking
care of the nether regions. It is available as a downloadable e-book, so it would
be an easy add-on for any online retail store.
For a brick-and-mortar store, stock "Sex Disasters (And How to Survive Them)," a lighthearted book that, in addition to discussing genital-hair issues, is "a tongue-in-cheek-but factually accurate-guide to surviving those awkward moments," no matter where they may occur.
Cleis Press has two books that feature information on genital grooming: Violet Blue's "Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus" and "Ultimate Guide to Fellatio" each feature sections dedicated to the topic, as does "The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us."