Twenty-three years ago, female rap star Khia had the world at her feet with the massive popularity of her sexually explicit hit song, “My Neck, My Back.”

Now, the song is having a renaissance of sorts in the intimate care space. It serves as the anthem of Dove’s new campaign in the promotion of its whole-body deodorant line, which targets vaginal health and cleanliness. The song was re-recorded by artist and producer Chika to illustrate how the brand’s anti-chafe sticks, cooling sprays and pH-balancing creams help women feel fresh.

“All my ladies roll your deo like this, when you move your body feel confident,” sings Chika. in the commercial before diving into the chorus as women of all shapes move and spray their Dove deodorant. “My neck, my back/my legs and pits all that.” 

WHOLE-BODY ODOR CONTROL

In the personal care space, “whole body deo” has been an umbrella buzzword to include not just the underarms, but every other crevice where bacteria can fester—under the breasts, inner thighs, the lower back, feet, toes, belly button and intimate areas.  

Dove’s dermatologist- and gynecologist-approved whole-body deodorant line provides 72-hour, non-irritating invisible body odor control in spray, roll-on and cream formats, for underarms, thighs and vagina, respectively. The line touts no stress or mess to eliminate odor-causing bacteria and absorb unwanted moisture for all-day freshness.  

“As a dermatologist, I am thrilled that collectively we have come out of the dark about body odor, and we all know that it’s not just our underarms that can catch us off guard with moments of olfactory unpleasantness,” Dr. Alicia Zalka, board certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University, told Happi.

Zalka recently jumped on the whole body-deo bandwagon with the addition of pH Balancing Skin Wash to her Surface Deep Line. Its star ingredient, glycolic acid, is the strongest member of the AHA family. In fact, its penetrative nature inspired the brand’s name. An ideal alternative to aluminum-based products, Surface Deep pH Balancing Skin Wash is powered by fruit-based glycolic acid and a formulation of antioxidants including vitamins A, C and E, and CoQ10 blended with botanical extracts and essential oils.

“Glycolic acid balances the skin’s pH by helping it maintain its ideal pH of 5.5. Our formula contains approximately 7% glycolic acid, which helps to prevent the skin pH from increasing to alkalinity,” said Dr. Zalka. “This acidic set point is called the skin’s acid mantle. This acid mantle acts as an invisible security guard keeping bad stuff out and good stuff in.”

Glycolic acid gently sweeps away elements that odor-causing bacteria feed on, keeping the skin exfoliated, smooth and bright with a reduced risk of ingrown hairs and pimples. In line with the whole-body deodorant trend, Larissa Jensen, global beauty industry advisor, Circana, said the current No. 1 mass skincare launch is Secret’s Whole-Body Deodorant in peach and vanilla blossom with $2.2 million in sales. As part of the launch, the brand partnered with US lingerie company Thirdlove during February. As part of a promotion, all purchases on Thirdlove.com received a free-full size Secret Whole Body deodorant product while supplies lasted. 

SALES FOR DOWN-THERE CARE 
Check out Circana’s intimate care sales data for total US multi-outlet (supermarkets, drugstores, mass market retailers, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains) for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 29, 2024.

In regards to the peach scent’s popularity, gourmand trend is showing no signs of slowing into 2025. 

“Consumers are willing to splurge on small, but sensorial items when it comes to beauty and of course, the food category is full of different experiences whether its fragrance, the actual taste, texture and visual aesthetic of food is really appealing to consumers,” shares New York City-based beauty trend tracker Spate Cofounder Yarden Horwitz. 

She said trending items on TikTok are driven by eligible for commission content in which the influencer can turn a profit via TikTok Shop.  

“The actual experience of putting on the product to enhance their Get Ready with Me tutorial makes the product more engaging as well as creates a sense of FOMO [fear of missing out] so that it helps the influencer gets more traction,” Horwitz explained. 

She encourages brands to ponder how the influencer can pitch their new product launch in the most sensorial way to drive consumer engagement. 

HAIR-RAISING CAMPAIGNS 

With the motto, “Good sex starts with better-for-you products,” The Honey Pot is an intimate care brand pushing boundaries when it comes to the senses. 

The plant-derived intimate care company offers gentle and effective products. But rather than chase trends, new product development revolves around customer needs.

“From the Honey Pot’s inception, we’ve always been committed to ingredients and formulations that are efficacious and safe,” said Honey Pot CEO Bea Dixon. “Vaginas deserve wellness like the rest of our bodies, so we decided to ground our commitment in science-backed research.”

Honey Pot, which recently earned Kind To Biome certification—highlights its commitment to creating safe, plant-derived products that support the body’s natural balance and wellness and prides itself on pH-balanced offerings which its invests heavily in given the link to the microbiome. 

“In recent years, a lot of conversation around the microbiome has been around supplements, but we noticed a gap when it came to vaginal and vulva health,” said Dixon. 

She was inspired to create Honey Pot after being diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. Using her late grandmother’s herbal remedies, she developed an effective formula. 

Honey Pot’s Intimacy Cleansing Wipes are 60% thicker and 40% larger than traditional wipes and formulated with aloe, chamomile and oats. It is said to be ideal for use post-intimacy. Its Prebiotic Intimate Wash is clinically proven to cleanse, soothe and maintain a healthy vaginal pH range. 

Other product ingredients that constitute the brand’s “secret sauce,” Dixon said, is apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, shea butter and plant materials. 

“Our products are designed to help support vaginal health during all life stages, ensuring humans with vaginas feel comfortable, confident and cared for,” she said.

Customer feedback is important. But the company ensures its products meet the highest standards through the Honey Pot Pulse Panel. The panel includes dermatologists, gynecologists and sexologists who provide professional product feedback based on their expertise, which promotes customer loyalty, Dixon noted.

This year, Honey Pot expands its product line to address a wider range of intimate care needs, particularly in the wellness space. The brand is also furthering its partnership with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream for a second consecutive year as their exclusive body-care partner. 

“These partnerships not only help us reach underserved markets but also allow us to amplify important wellness conversations in broader communities,” said Dixon.

Speaking of important wellness conversations, Kiehl’s is removing taboo from the hairy topic of intimate care by adding… more hair. In its new marketing campaign, “Pubic Display Type,” the personal care brand made font types entirely of real pubic hair in assorted colors to eradicate censorship around the topic of intimate care. In January, the brand released three bold visuals with eyebrow-raising headlines reading, “Pubic Hair don’t care,” “Apologies, we won’t show pubic hair ever again” and “Our photos of models with pubic hair were censored, so we removed the models.” The shocking visuals, which were shared across Kiehl’s digital platforms, aim to embrace diversity and destigmatize conversations about intimate care. 

In an interview with Happi, a spokesperson for Kiehl’s said the brand believes personal care is a vital part of overall well-being, and that by normalizing these conversations, the brand aims to create a world where people can discuss their needs openly, without shame or judgment. 

Pubic Display Type was prompted after the brand faced censorship in select store windows over its Personals campaign imagery. Rather than bow to retailer pressure, Kiehl’s decided to challenge standard ideals. The campaign was born out of art therapy and a philosophy to change the narrative by encouraging consumers to embrace their bodies and need for full-body self-care without shame. Pubic hair and skin deserve just as much care and attention as much as the rest of the “pretty” parts of their bodies, according to brand executives.

Kiehl’s says it remains committed to providing top-tier solutions and formulas that meet those needs. Bestsellers include the brand’s Ingrown Hair and Tone-Correcting Intimate Drops, which aid in the appearance of ingrown hairs, and Over & Under Cream-to-Powder Deodorant, which neutralizes odor and soothes discomfort in underarm, pubic and sensitive areas. The Ingrown Hair and Tone-Correcting Intimate Drops are formulated with an AHA blend of Gentle Mandelic, PHA and lactic acids. The drops also contain Astaxanthin and jojoba oil to promote cell turnover, counteract odor and improve skin texture. The cream-to-powder deodorant provides 96 hours of odor control and helps mitigate discomfort from friction, according to the brand. 

HONORING THE VAG

Another often taboo topic surrounding intimate care is menopause. To destigmatize the natural process, Oscar-winning actress Naomi Watts created menopausal beauty brand Stripes Beauty. Dialogue surrounding menopause are becoming more abundant. 

Per Mintel, 63% of UK adults desire more beauty products designed for their age or life stage, including menopause, with “a lot more consumers engaging in that conversation more broadly.”  

Watts said she was blindsided by her own physical, mental and emotional struggles with perimenopause in her late-30s. Armed with the knowledge about this eventuality every woman must face in their lives, Watts took matters into her own hands to educate women and offer a regimen of useful products that aid in their menopausal journeys with Stripes Beauty. 

In January, Watts debuted her inspirational book about her menopause journey, “Dare I Say It” to great fanfare. Promoted on national television including The Today Show and The Drew Barrymore Show, the memoir recounts Watts’ experience with menopause while serving up empowering advice. She channeled her spirit animal, fiercely wearing her “stripes,” taking control of her body and mind and accepting this transition by addressing her personal wellness and quality of life with healthy lifestyle changes.  

On World Menopause Day (October 18), Watts held an intimate soirée in New York City timed for the brand’s two-year anniversary with the theme “Honor the Vag.” The party displayed the brand’s best-selling products, including Vag of Honor, a hydrating and revitalizing gel formulated with hyaluronic acid and glycogen aimed to maintain daily hydration and Oh My Glide, an oil featuring a blend of squalane, bisabolol, coconut and avocado oil that works to restore moisture and improve skin’s elasticity. In a clinical study, 96% of subjects found the product provided comfort and moisture to their intimate area; 96% felt moisturized using the product; and 90% felt hydrated after using the product. 

“That’s why I created Stripes,” said Watts. “To build awareness and come up with solutions for skincare—scalp to vag. I hope women feel supported by the beauty industry. We are relevant, we matter.”