When you think of taking care of yourself, what comes to mind? When I answer for myself, I think of eating healthy, moving my body, and sometimes, doing my skincare and body care routine. Lauren Breuer and Paras Kansra are on a mission to expand that definition to include intimate care. As the co-founders of PRIVATES, they are trying to help people become more in tune with their bodies by prioritizing intimate hygiene without taboo or gender stereotypes. Here, they speak more about their inspirations, formulations, and future aspirations.
Tell me a little bit about your brand story. Why were you both inspired to start PRIVATES?
Lauren Breuer: “It really originated out of a personal pain point. We were looking for [intimate care products] on the market that worked for both men and women and we couldn’t find it. It was either super medical, or gendered, or super sexual and taboo to talk about. We couldn’t find anything on the market that was elevated, not cheesy. So we decided to just make it. Because Paras [Kansra, co-founder] would come to my place, I would go to his place and we would use different products for the same reason and we were like, “Why isn’t there something in the market that emulates what we want?” So we just decided to make it.”
And did either of you have a background in anything similar to this? Was there a big learning curve for you both?
Paras Kansra: “I come from a product design background and studied design, business, and management—so branding and design planning were really my focus. Lauren’s background is in production and supply chain, and she brought her expertise in sourcing ingredients and working with vendors who follow good practices. She handled finding the right suppliers and making sure the products were up to our standards, while I focused more on the branding side and building it into a lifestyle brand that’s inclusive of all genders.”
What did you find was most difficult to create? The Wash or the Wipes?
LB: “I would say the wash. Because that was our first product. So we had all the elements that we wanted, like we knew the ingredients we wanted but working with a team to actually produce it was a learning process. And also there were a lot of details involved. So there was a lot of back and forth as we tried to figure out what was best for our final product.”
You mentioned earlier about there being a gap in the market for non-gendered items. How did you make sure that your products would appeal to—and feel inclusive for—everyone?
LB: “Our branding [was really important]. We wanted to make sure it was very minimal. Because our competitors had a lot of colours that are specific to certain genders. And we found that creates such confusion between consumers and makes the entire topic more taboo. So we really didn’t want to do that. Also [our formulations] encompass the pH range of both men and women so that also makes it more inclusive.”
Can you tell me more about the formulation process, in general? I know all of your products are dermatologist tested too.
LB: “Yeah! So we work specifically with a chemist and we told them what we wanted and then we worked [collaboratively] with them to develop the product. It was a team effort. We’d go back and forth like, Okay this works. Or they would let us know that you need these certain ingredients to make a system effective, things like that.”
PK: “Yeah, we did testing for our wash because we were creating it from scratch. So we tested like 400 people and got their feedback, we did A/B testing with different formulations. So we created two different formulations and gave it out to people and had them try it and tweaked things from there. And then we also send our products to dermatologists to test it out and that’s how we got it approved. And we also got the Leaping Bunny certification, the Vegan and Cruelty-Free certification as well.”
Were there any brands as you were creating your own that really inspired you?
PK: “Yeah, I would say that a lot of body wash and face cream brands that we saw our customers using. Like Necessaries really does a good job of marketing that you should treat your body as your face, you know? Like don’t just take care of your face but also of your body. So we wanted to take that a step further. So now you take care of your body, face, and intimates [with the same level of care].”
Why is a brand like PRIVATES important? What do you think people need to know about intimate care in general that they may not understand right now?
LB: “Oh, you can get us on a tangent! But your intimates, in a non-sexual way, are so telling about your overall health. And when you neglect that, you’re neglecting a lot more than you think. But we’re just not taught to prioritize that, because it’s a weird thing to talk about. You know, you should keep it on the down low. But caring for your intimates is part of someone’s lifestyle.”
And as we wrap up, I would love to know where you see the brand going. What are your hopes for PRIVATES moving forward?
LB: “I think in terms of awareness, we want this to be so normal. Or maybe normal isn’t even the right word. Because we want you to not really think about it. Right now because it’s a new category and people are just learning about it, we want it to be like a matter of fact. That you do need to take care of your intimates.”
PK: “From a product standpoint, we started with the wash because it’s a gentle, everyday cleanser—something people can use regularly without irritation. But there’s a lot of opportunity beyond that, like intimate deodorant, shaving cream, and aftershave, without leaning into the whole “man-scaping” vibe. The goal was to start with a simple habit of daily cleansing, and then expand once people are familiar and comfortable with the idea of taking care of their intimate skin.”
Shop PRIVATES full range of products here.
