Sex sells in ever more inventive ways. Now western women need help getting horny. This from The Times.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/libi ... -t3d3r0pcv

When the actress Gwyneth Paltrow launched a range of libido-enhancing herbal pills designed to support female desire, she wrote: “We’re not ashamed to say we want help shifting our sex drive into gear.” The tablets, which come in a pink jar with a picture of a woman’s lips, are sold on her website, Goop, for $55 (£43). “It’s not just about sex: it’s about supporting our pursuit of more pleasure, more often,” a description reads.

The actress, 49, launched the supplements, which among other ingredients contain fenugreek seed and saffron extract, under the name DTF, short for “down to f***”, last year. Her creation may be more than a Hollywood fad, however.

From Harrods to Holland & Barrett, libido-enhancing pills for women and men have become the latest health trend, as the sexual wellness movement expands beyond “sex tech”, such as vibrators.

Brands appear to be capitalising on shoppers keen to kickstart their sex lives after they stalled during lockdowns, with stress, the monotony of working from home and restrictions on dating all impacting intimacy.

One scientific paper by researchers in Canada and Iran, published by the journal BMC Public Health, found that coronavirus restrictions were linked to higher rates of sexual dysfunction and reduced sexual activity, particularly in women.

Holland & Barrett is selling “natural libido-boosting remedies”. Its Health & Her Intimacy food supplements, developed by nutritionists to support desire, include maca, an aphrodisiac.

Selfridges sells a bottle of 30 JSHealth capsules to help “hair and libido” for £30. Harrods offers a “libido enhancer” IV drip for £240 for 45 minutes at its in-store clinic. It also sells boxes of 32 caramel-flavoured syringes of liquid containing cordyceps mushrooms designed to heighten sex drive, at £1,100.
Such products typically contain plant-based ingredients, which some tests have shown can increase desire. A paper in the journal Phytotherapy Research in 2015 found that fenugreek could be a “useful treatment for increasing sexual arousal and desire”, after a study of 80 women aged 20 to 49. Research in 2019, published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, found that saffron could be effective in tackling sexual dysfunction among men and women.

Last month a new gummy called Libido was launched in America that offers separate formulations for men and women and claims to increase blood flow to genitals, boost testosterone and alleviate stress. The brand was co-founded by British businessman Henry Simonds, who lives with his wife, the author Coco Mellors, 32, in Los Angeles, with the gummies expected to be available on the UK market by the end of the year.

“Growing up, it wasn’t something that was talked about openly and it certainly didn’t feel connected to overall health and wellbeing,” Simonds, 35, said. “I’ve spent the last seven years working in and learning about nutrition, mental health, and sleep, all of which are linked to libido. Taking a libido supplement shouldn’t be any more taboo than taking a multivitamin.”

Simonds, the co-founder of the health supplements firm Asystem, worked with Maude, a sexual wellness brand that sells vibrators, to create the gummies. They contain ingredients such as fenugreek, pine bark from France, green tea extract, turmeric, broccoli, kale, zinc and magnesium.
While Viagra can enhance sexual performance for men it does not have an effect on arousal, a gap in the market to which more retailers are catering. Sam Goodman, assistant category manager at Holland & Barrett, said: “Sexual wellness is increasingly recognised as an important factor in our overall physical and mental health, and as such people are increasingly open to talking about and exploring it.”
The pharmacy, Boots, however, warned that there were many medical reasons for low libido and suggested herbs may not be the answer.

A spokeswoman said: “We do not currently sell specific supplements marketed for women’s libido. As everyone is different, there isn’t one solution for all. If women are struggling with their sex drive or feel distressed by their reduced libido, we would always advise them to speak to a pharmacist or GP.
“There are a number of factors that could cause a decrease in libido such as an underlying medical condition, tiredness or going through the menopause. During the menopause the lower levels of sex hormones can result in a reduced sex drive, among other symptoms.”
Boots does, however, have a dedicated sexual wellness section of its website. In the last three months alone, it sold more than 28,000 sex toys in the UK.

Selfridges sells a bottle of 30 JSHealth capsules to help “hair and libido” for £30. Harrods offers a “libido enhancer” IV drip for £240 for 45 minutes at its in-store clinic. It also sells boxes of 32 caramel-flavoured syringes of liquid containing cordyceps mushrooms designed to heighten sex drive, at £1,100.

Such products typically contain plant-based ingredients, which some tests have shown can increase desire. A paper in the journal Phytotherapy Research in 2015 found that fenugreek could be a “useful treatment for increasing sexual arousal and desire”, after a study of 80 women aged 20 to 49. Research in 2019, published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, found that saffron could be effective in tackling sexual dysfunction among men and women.

Seriously, how is this not fraud?

Having said that, is there anything in Holland & Barret other than cod liver oil and multi vitamins, that isn't complete tosh?

These have never helped me meet women.

atst wrote: ↑Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:51 am

Same photo.

Customer: I have a question about Viagra.
Pharmacist: Certainly sir, what would you like to know?
Customer: Is it true that I can get it over the counter?
Pharmacist: I think you would have to take two pills for that sir.