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Struggling to get in the mood? A passion fruit-flavored gummy may be able to help.
Maude, the intimacy brand perhaps best known for its sleek vibrator that's sold out several times since 2019, has released its first supplement. Made in partnership with supplement brand Asystem, the aptly named Libido is a gummy formulated to enhance sexual arousal, stimulation, and function. It's available in 30-day supplies for women and men, and the brand recommends taking it daily to build arousal.
Libido contains plant-based antioxidants and ocean minerals that are meant to increase blood flow, boost testosterone, and relieve stress. Packaged in a refillable aluminum tin, the gluten- and gelatin-free gummy has no artificial colors or flavors. Many of the supplement's key ingredients, like amino acids L-citrulline and L-arginine, and French Maritime Pine Bark (an adaptogen in the women's formula) work to enhance nitric oxide, per the brand. Maude says that the molecule, which is naturally produced by the body, "plays a crucial role in sexual arousal" by relaxing muscle tissues so more blood flow reaches the genitals. According to Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD, an OBGYN based in New York, helping blood flow can "indirectly" help with sexual drive.
"Blood flow has more to do with vaginal dryness or pain, or that feeling of being hot and bothered once somebody gets turned on," she tells InStyle. "Correcting blood flow is not necessarily going to give you sexual thoughts, which has to do a lot with sexual drive and libido… [but] down the line [you may] have a better [sexual] experience or orgasm, or more vaginal lubrication, because blood flow is increased."
Shop now: $45; getmaude.com
Shop now: $45; getmaude.com
So, what can cause a low libido in the first place? Quite a lot of things, especially for women, according to Dr. Dweck. She stresses that libido — or your "horniness factor, in non-medical terms" — is complex, and that it's "somewhat normal" for it to fluctuate; she says that if you're experiencing a low libido, "it's not problematic as long as it's short term and not distressing." Dr. Dweck cites a number of factors that could potentially have an impact on one's libido, including hormones, COVID-19's effects on self-esteem, and how happy you are in your romantic relationship (just to name a few).
"Libido ebbs and flows throughout somebody's life, so if you're having a stressful day or month at work, your libido may be a little bit lower," she explains. "If you have an illness or are taking medication, your libido may be altered as a result of that… a lot goes into it, and libido doesn't remain steady every day of your life."
As with all supplements, if you decide to add Libido to your routine, make sure to check with your doctor before doing so. Maude states that results vary from person to person, but that you can expect to see a change in your sexual arousal within four to six weeks of taking the gummy daily.
The takeaway? Depending on your body's chemistry, Libido may help with your sex life in the long-term in conjunction with some work on your end. Dr. Dweck recommends exposure to things like reading romance or watching erotic videos in an effort to get "sexy thoughts on the brain," adding that date nights are important, too.
"Put everything else in your life aside in an effort to focus on sex and intimacy," she advises — whether that's with a partner or by yourself.
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