It's been long evident that a sexual wellness collection - formulated for women and from a woman's perspective - would require that we author significant writings across an array of interwoven subjects that all fall under the umbrella of women's sexuality.
We offer scientific explanations of the workings of our sexual bodies, describing the anatomy, biochemistry and microbiome that collaborate to comprise our sexual physiology. It's impossible to divorce our sexual bodies from all that envelopes our sexuality, and that too is explored in our published writings and art. We offer contemplative pieces on the nature of women's eroticism, on cultural implications and impressions on our senses of our sexual selves, on the emotional and social, psychological and spiritual matters that entwine with our sexual experiences and longings. We aspire to converse on all that is sexually intimate for women.
Curious Sexual Wellness is the result of many years of rumination, musing and research.
As a Clinical Herbalist with a storefront apothecary, some of my most meaningful conversations were with women who were struggling with the intersection of the physical, biochemical, psychological and relationship issues that confound sexual wellness and intimacy. Women coming to me were looking for answers to address the cascade of needs that deeply affect sexual health and intimate satisfaction.
One woman in particular moved me, as she appeared at the apothecary just before closing time with regularity. She had a chronic autoimmune condition that was associated with very dry, brittle intimate tissues, and she had developed a secondary problem of recurring bacterial vaginosis as a result. She had seen many doctors and other alternative practitioners, and was taking a range of pharmaceuticals and vaginal topical creams, but nothing was helpful for any duration of time. She was physically uncomfortable at all times, and sex had become painful to such a degree that she was fearful of sexual encounters. It shattered her confidence in herself as a woman, and interfered with her relationship with her husband in the complex and emotionally messy way that sexual issues can do. Her anxiety heightened, sense of self withered, and her marriage ended.
We spoke of things near to the heart. I spent time searching for products for her, and was astonished by the dearth of even rudimentary topical skincare for intimate wellness. I realized that the root of the lack of attention to our needs is cultural, and the history of the women’s hygiene product market is downright misogynist. The marketplace offers skincare for every imaginable specific need, yet, the idea of intimate skincare is still novel. And let’s be clear- the sexual lubricants that are available are not skincare, but designed for the purpose of enabling sexual access with little regard for consequences to women’s health. There are a few basic skincare products available now- an improvement, to be sure.
Now, Curious Sexual Wellness offers a premium intimate skincare collection that is expertly formulated to protect, nourish, restore and rejuvenate women’s intimate tissues. We rely exclusively on plant-sourced therapeutic oils and botanicals, and use sophisticated extraction techniques and delivery systems applied with a nuanced understanding of the unique landscape of a woman's intimate physiology/ biochemistry/ ecology.
Sexual wellness is intricate, and we cannot authentically address our physical health without integrating frank conversation about our sexuality into the conversation. Our forum addresses all topics relevant to a women’s sexual health and experience, and I invite you to feel welcome to ask any question that needs answering.
The female body is exquisitely complex. Please enjoy reading the story of each of our formulas, which serve as a bit of a tutorial on the remarkable nature of women’s intimate physiology, along with sexual literacy articles and thoughtful contemplations on relationships and the authoring of our own unique sexuality.
Elizabeth Moriarty
Herbalist, Formulator & Writer
Elizabeth Moriarty has studied phytochemistry, and formulated and produced botanical therapies for nearly 30 years. She is a practitioner of Western herbal medicine, with additional training and experience in the fundamentals of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) energetics and diagnostic systems; Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis; Human Microbiome Ecology; and Ethnobotany.
In addition to formulation skills, she has knowledge of both FDA/ DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act) and USDA NOP (National Organic Program) regulations and compliance requirements. She is also an IOIA (International Organic Inspectors Association) certified USDA National Organic Program processing inspector.
She is the former owner of New Moon Botanicals, HERBOLOGIE Apothecary & Clinic, and currently owns Luminary Medicine Company, offering custom formulation and manufacture of botanical supplements and nutrition products. She regularly writes and is interviewed on the subjects of cannabis therapeutics, women's sexual wellness, convalescence, longevity, and holistic approaches to autoimmunity and conditions of central sensitivity & pain.
She is currently the President of the Herbal Research Chapter of the American Herbalists Guild.
Soirsce Moriarty
Photography & Graphic Design
Soirsce is a classically trained painter and fine art photographer with a particular fascination with the beauty of the human form. She enrolled in art school as a full-time student at the age of fifteen, under the direction of renowned artist Craig Blietz, graduated at nineteen and moved to Shanghai, China. While there, she immersed herself in the technical and academic study of photography. The understanding of light, composition and posing earned during the rigors of her training as a painter profoundly influence her work as a photographer and are identifiable in her photos.
The owner of Artemis Photography, she began wedding photography in 2009, and her work has since been published in many print and online magazines such as Junebug Weddings, Artfully Wed, Le Magnifique Blog, and Something Turquoise. Lately, she’s also moved into film, package design and web design.
“I'm happiest when I'm engaged in capturing a story. For me, story telling is visual. My first teacher was Carol Sills, at Mud Lake Art School on the Sills family farm, and then at Peninsula Art School. I always proclaim my earliest life as the foundation of my life as an artist- it was pivotal. Carol doesn’t teach children how to draw or paint or build pottery. She doesn’t teach art as construction; rather, an experience, the act of engaging in the creative process, inspired by archetypal stories of the human condition. Disguised as children’s art classes, Carol actually shields children from conventional ideations of learning and working- even living- for the sake of praise, or a grade, or the artifact produced. Instead, she brings children into flow. It’s crucial. Carol is a diva. Later, Craig – a master artist and teacher- taught me to use the tools of my craft, and taught me to see from a classical perspective and wield a painterly hand, regardless of the media. I am in love with that moment, the telling of a story with image.”
Feminology
Dr. Ginger Nash & Dr. Tara Nayak
Drs. Ginger Nash and Tara Nayak started “Feminology: the art and science of female hormones” exactly one year ago. Together our expertise is focused on natural medicine and the myriad ways of supporting, rather than suppressing, the rhythms of women’s bodies. We have a combined 25+ years of clinical experience and work in education. Our primary aim is to help women better understand themselves and the working of their bodies, especially the subtle orchestra of our hormones. Hormones play a significant role in the way women feel and they interact with many other bodily systems, essentially balancing overall health and state of mind. Feminology is about exploring women’s health in the context of our culture. This means we acknowledge the effects that economic status, racial, gender and religious bias play in our health. The time has come for honest conversation about women’s lived experiences in their female bodies. Moreover, there is a lack of scientific information presented to women when faced with making choices about issues central to their health and well-being. We are working toward changing that every day!
Samantha Young
Contributing Writer
Scientist and educator, Samantha earned a Bachelors from UC San Diego in Biological Anthropology and a Masters from San Diego State University in Evolutionary Biology. She has a background in science research and education, with extensive experience writing about life science Biology, Environmental Science, Conservation) and social science ( Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology). She's written numerous grants, academic journal articles and designed science curriculum. She currently teaches college biology and anthropology, along with yoga, meditation and aerial arts. She writes on the topics of nutrition, health and the condition of well-being, providing articles that are expertly researched and explained with a trust in the intelligence of her reader. The diversity of her knowledge serves well in supporting pieces that offer both rigorously informative explanations of sexual physiology and thoughtful consideration of the experiences of the women of whom she writes.
Leonore Tjia
Contributing Writer
Leonore Tjia (pronounced “Chee-ah”) is a feminist sexuality educator who helps people create more presence, play, pleasure and power in the bedroom and beyond. As a trained practitioner of Internal Family Systems therapy, she assists people in recovering the parts of their sexual selves that have been exiled and repressed. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Leonore is an artist-healer whose work focuses on reawakening the raw life force and inner wildness that make us feel erotically alive. Find her, and more about her work and workshops at luminoussex.com
Elise Bish
Contributing Writer
Elise Bish is a conscious sexuality educator, herbalist, and Desire Catalyst. She believes that desire is our most powerful resource, and pleasure is an invaluable tool for healing and empowerment. Approaching desire holistically, she combines herbalism, embodiment practices, and conscious sexual skill building to help people cultivate an inspired relationship to their desire, their bodies, and their sexual selves. Find out more about her and her workshops, retreats, and private sessions here: www.EliseBish.com