“It all started with two women and their vaginas…”

A healthy vagina is one of the prerequisites of sexual pleasure, says Cyo Nystrom, co-founder and manager of Quim Rock. Unfortunately, the general view on vaginal health is still skewed, and even in today’s sex positivity trend, it only plays a very minor role. Quim Rock want to change that, and leading by example, they offer a range of high-quality products for a happy vagina, made from organic substances such as cannabis.

You define your brand as a ‘plant-based vaginal wellness company’ – can you tell us more about that?
Cyo Nystrom: We make products for the love of vaginas and pride ourselves on our commitment to using plant-based ingredients to provide relief and pleasure to those who need it most. For so long, we’ve been conditioned to use vaginal health products (douches, lubes, etc.) that actually can do more harm than good. At Quim Rock, we want to be part of the solution, not the problem and create products that create sustainable practices of self-care.

How did you get the idea for Quim Rock?
It all started with two women and their vaginas… But really, these products were born out of our own need for products that weren’t readily available to us. I struggled for years with a cycle of UTI-yeast infection and couldn’t find the proactive vaginal health solutions I needed. So I started making my own! As the Head of Sales at Meadow, I gained invaluable insight into the cannabis industry, working closely with the regulations board and forming important relationships within the cannabis community. I quickly saw that the need and desire for cannabis-based vaginal health products were there and I knew this was a product we had to bring to the masses. Rachel (my co-founder) and I joined forces to bring our home-creations to the community around us, and it’s all been a journey from there!

You state that your mission is to create awareness for the topic of vaginal health. Why has this topic gone under the radar for so long?
Vaginal health is a topic that people have historically been hesitant to discuss even with their closest friends / family members, as it has been riddled with shame. Vaginal health has been left out of conversations surrounding pleasure and sex positivity for too long, and the world is finally more ready to open up the dialogue. We hope that through products and candid conversation, we can help chip away at the shame that tends to haunt people with vaginas and create the opportunity to learn from one another in order to better care for ourselves.

Is there a correlation between ‘happier vaginas’ and better sex?
Yes! We see vaginal health as the precursor to pleasure, and it’s time that we treat it as the starting point in the pursuit of better sex. Nothing kills your sex drive like a UTI or yeast infection, which is why prioritising vaginal health feels like an obvious starting point for creating sex-focused products.

What can you tell us about your product range? What types of products do you offer, and which qualities set them apart from the competition?
Our goal is to offer products for the broad spectrum of vaginal health needs that are present from the first menses to the last fuck. At the moment, we have both aphrodisiac and post-sex products on the market. What sets us apart from others in our space (although not necessarily competitors – there is room for everyone!) is our holistic approach to vaginal wellness. Our plant-based products serve as proactive vaginal health supplements, not just focused on sex or pain relief, but intended to provide ongoing relief and vaginal health support.

What substances do you work with when creating your products?
We work with all-natural, plant-based ingredients in the creation of our products. We know how important using high-quality ingredients is and prioritise finding the best ingredients possible. Right now, our products are cannabi- based and include both THC and CBD product lines.

Cannabis or CBD has become a popular ingredient for this type of product. What does cannabis add to a product, what are its effects in this context? And does the inclusion of cannabis or CBD create more hurdles in the licensing process?
THC absorbed vaginally acts as a vasodilator, increasing blood flow to the area and increasing natural lubrication. Because of its amazing aphrodisiac benefits, we use THC in our libido-increasing products – our Night Moves Intimate Oil and Oh YES! Latex-Safe Serum. CBD tends to provide more pain relief and relaxation, which is why we’ve chosen it as an active ingredient in our Happy Clam Everyday Oil. The use of THC and CBD definitely creates licensing complications, but it’s exciting to be part of a burgeoning legal industry as it changes and grows.

Obviously, your products are geared towards women, but how exactly would you define your target audience?
We define our target audience as humans with vaginas and humans without vaginas who love vaginas. We have people of all kinds who find relief thanks to our products and we are here to serve a need for people of all ages / stages of life / genders. Our products are truly created for the love of vaginas!

How do you market your products? Which channels of distribution do you use?
We market our products as proactive plant-based vaginal wellness products. Our cannabis products are available throughout the state of California in licensed dispensaries and delivery services, and our help products are available for sale on our website, as well as through retailers across the country,

Are there plans to expand your distribution network? For instance, what about the European market – would you be interested in working with distributors to make your products available in that region?
Absolutely! The licensing process is fairly complicated, but we’re in the process of planning for out-of-state cannabis expansion and world-wide hemp expansion. Stay tuned! We’re working hard to get products to you.