Figr (pronounced “figure”) is a new water-based lube made with native Australian ingredients. It’s made in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, with finger-lime and strawberry-gum extracts sourced in Byron Bay. Founders Eloise McCullough, 26, and Eloise O’Sullivan, 24, met five years ago working in corporate jobs. When Melbourne lockdown 1.0 happened, they knew it was time to start smashing the stigma that comes with reaching for a bottle of sticky lube.
“We were creating a product we wanted that didn’t exist at the time,” says O’Sullivan. “I’ve been incorporating it in all my lockdown life. It’s been such a massive change from how I used to use lube – it’s definitely more of a luxurious experience, because it’s in a lovely glass bottle.
“We both have experience of being on antidepressants, and that [can have] an effect on natural lubrication,” she tells Broadsheet. “So it’s fun to have a product you can trust that doesn’t give you yeast infections. It’s a product you want to have, rather than a plastic bottle found in the family-planning section at the chemist.”
McCullough says the pair really wanted to use native Australian botanicals, and they researched each ingredient to ensure the lubricant is pH balanced. “People are more conscious of what they’re using on their bodies,” she says.
“We want it to be next to your skincare on your bathroom shelves or on your nightstand,” adds O’Sullivan, who tells Broadsheet Figr is also about normalising the conversation around lube.
“Finger lime is high in vitamin E and C,” says O’Sullivan. “Vitamin E is known as the ‘sex vitamin’ – so we thought it would be amazing in lube. Strawberry gum also holds a lot of antibiotic and antifungal properties. We live in such a beautiful country with amazing native ingredients, so it would be such a miss not to incorporate them,” she says.
Figr’s early customers have been proud to share their experiences with the co-founders. “We got a message from a mumma-to-be in her third trimester who has lost her libido and was feeling quite uncomfortable, but she’s used the lube and now she’s back into it. Because we encourage that conversation, people are really open with us,” says McCullough.
Figr is fragrance-free and doesn’t have a sticky, gel-like residue. “It’s very slippery and it stays wet for a long time,” adds McCullough. It’s currently available online in two sizes: 80 millilitres for $35 or 20 millilitres for $20. Or, you can buy a bundle with both sizes for $50.
