Sachee Malhotra turns 30 this year. And she’s already begun her dream business — making women’s private business shame-free and fun! Her company, That Sassy Thing, is a one-stop-shop for women’s needs. Already the town’s talk for its sustainable, all-natural, and fun products, That Sassy Thing is TLC’s new favourite feminine hygiene and sex-care online store.
After studying Finance, Sachee worked in Advertising for five years and went on to complete her Masters in Brand Communication Strategy. She built D2C brands in India, the Middle East and the USA for two years. All the while simultaneously setting the foundation for her own brand: That Sassy Thing.
Tell me a bit about your journey towards making that sassy thing- not the brand itself- but how you got to a place where you are confident that this is what you’d like to give to the world?
Sachee:
That Sassy Thing started with the idea of normalising all bodies and body hair (hence the full-bodied, hairy women in our communication). I think I have somewhere been able to start a conversation about body and body hair positivity. I want to give women ownership of their bodies, and that’s why we launched the very bold but much-needed products for them. I want women to own their sexuality, and I think we’ve begun the journey as a brand. No matter what we manufacture in times to come, it will be for people with vaginas and making them feel great about themselves.
How would you characterise that sassy thing? Is it femme hygiene/ femme self-care?
Sachee:
That Sassy Thing is a female-focused, new age body brand designing all-natural, personal care products. Our formulas are suitable for women’s bodies (and vaginas). We want to make sex-care the new self-care.
What inspired you to create the brand?
Sachee:
My personal struggles with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) had a significant impact on my mental health. I was bullied in high school for being big and having excessive hair all over my body and face. At that point, I couldn’t share how I felt about it all with my close ones. It was such a hush-hush topic, and there was no normalisation when it came to women’s bodies. When I started accepting my body and myself, I realised that I wanted to share my story with the world, even if I could help one girl not go through what I did.
Apart from the mental stress, physically, I faced things like vaginal dryness, painful periods and sex. When I went to look for products that were safe and good for my body, I couldn’t find any.
Most sexual lubes are flavoured, goopy, sticky and contain artificial sweeteners. These throw off the vaginal pH and cause itches and rashes. These lube brands I looked at were run by men, making products aimed to please men (ref: flavoured lubes for blowjobs). I couldn’t understand how men could decide what’s suitable for people with vaginas. So I went to around 15 manufacturers until I found the one who understood my vision and the need to bring female-focused, all-natural products free of any harmful chemicals.
What kinda research and time did you invest in each of the products?
Sachee:
It took me two years to design, test and iterate products (basis feedback we got from our community). We got a formulation expert on board who specialised in making natural, plant-based personal care products. The idea was to understand what’s right and what’s not in terms of ingredients.
The research included an understanding of what was out there in the market. I spent my hard-earned ₹₹ and $$$ ordering products from across the globe—to learn from them, see what was right and not so good about it. We interviewed women to learn about why the current products they use are not working for them, what they disliked about them and what could be better.
For DTF, That Sassy Thing’s sexual lube, we heard most women wanting products that wouldn’t have strong fragrances/chemicals. They didn’t want to make that extra effort of washing the vagina or taking a shower post using a lube. So we figured the lube had to be non-sticky and not too goopy. Many people (including me) also experienced itches, rashes and UTIs after using flavoured lubes. So that had to be solved. Keeping it all-natural and pH compatible was the key.
For Bush, That Sassy Thing’s pubic hair oil, we interviewed women about the products they used to nourish their pubic area. And what they used post waxing, shaving or trimming to ease the redness and bumps.
We learned that no single product was specifically designed to keep the pubic area and the sensitive skin around in mind. Using regular almond oil, coconut oil, or cold creams caused them itches and rashes. We also saw a growing trend in more and more womxn owning their body hair (and later more so coz of the lockdown restricting parlour visits).
Bush acts as a multi-purpose body oil with anti-inflammatory properties. It contains hemp oil and soothing clary sage oil, chamomile, and lavender oils, which nourish the hair skin. It also acts as a great way to detangle curly pubes (for people who’ve decided to own their bush).
Soothing Stick, That Sassy Thing’s period cramp care roll-on, the period care products in the market were not up to the mark. They included painkillers that were not healthy in the long run, along with competitive brands making period roll-ons our community. We didn’t find it useful. We decided to add healing hemp seed oil to ours (along with geranium, lavender and wheat germ oils). Hemp is known to have anti-inflammatory properties that help ease bloating and soothe muscular cramps. Essential oils support to balance the mood—perfect PMS pick-me-up if you ask me.
The research process for the lube was the most fun (and at times exhausting.) I asked my husband to have sex under pressure so many times (haha). We tried some 50 odd variants of the lube until we arrived at our lovely DTF.
Product testing involved first testing them out on myself for a couple of months and then giving them to our community, friends and family. We also got 2 of our products dermatologically tested safe.
Which one, if you had to pick one, is your favourite that sassy thing product to use?
Sachee:
Bush (pubic hair oil)—hands down. The idea is unique, and so is the need. It’s high time vaginal care was a core part of self-care. If we nourish the hair on our head, then why do we neglect the pubic area? It should be a part of self-care too. As I mentioned above, many women used coconut oil or cold creams, post-wax and shave. And I learnt that shaving and waxing as a category is not thought out holistically.
Bush smells amazing. I was in love with the calming fragrance the moment we got the samples. The texture is gorgeous, too (many women use it as a post-shower oil, and some have replaced it with their body moisturiser again!).
All of That Sassy Thing’s products are also super fun to market. I love conceptualising campaigns around them. BUSH is the first of its kind pubic hair and skin oil in India. There is a huge need to educate people around sex-care and sexual-hygiene. It’s funny when the first reaction I get is ‘WTF?!’ until they know more and want to try the product.
What have been the challenges you’ve faced as a woman entrepreneur?
Sachee:
One too many. To start with, finding the right manufacturing partner was a mammoth task. Most manufacturers did not understand (and some were not willing to understand) my vision to design products that put people with vaginas first. I remember this one guy used to shut me down completely whenever I asked hard questions. He would say things like “Madam, Google has all answers” and abruptly end calls. And another person told me that lube needs to have a flavour and fragrance (since I insisted on doing an unflavoured one). According to him, the mood is only set when you can smell a room full of strawberries. And I went like, “what?!?!”
Thankfully after multiple tries and not giving up, we finally found the perfect manufacturer.
And the challenges specific to That Sassy Thing’s wares?
Sachee:
Starting a business in the pandemic was really hard—right from sourcing to product testing and packaging, everything was on hold for a while. But we got through it.
When we launched, I was so excited and ready to take over the world with our fantastic all-natural lube, pubic hair oil, and period cramp care roll-on. Then life (rather social media) threw a massive curveball at me. When we tried to advertise them on Facebook, one ad after the other got rejected. Our ad account was banned (goodbye ad credits). We faced an even more significant business challenge—Facebook (and Instagram) don’t allow us to advertise our products to aim at female pleasure. HOWEVER, you can advertise viagra and condoms. Ugh.
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What advice would you give young women entrepreneurs?
Sachee:
As women, we need to fight harder to convince people of our ideas and what we want to do and make them take us seriously. Doubly so, when we want to be a boss and run our own business, and not do something like ‘a a hobby’ (which sucks, but it’s true). We have to continually prove ourselves, and I think in a way that has made me more committed and sure of what I am doing.
Believe in yourself. It’s okay to not know things, as long as you’re willing to learn. Be persistent, and don’t let small setbacks discourage you. Put yourself out there as much as you can; the worst that can happen is rejection. Not a big deal. Be Shameless. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. You will hear many ‘NOs’, and that’s okay. You hang in there, be patient and wait for that one, YES.
Was there any pushback from family when they learned you wanted to make a brand of lube etc.? How did you address that, if yes?
Haha yes. My mom was in shock for a while; she obviously thought, “log kya kahenge (what will people think)” or “why THESE (scandalous) products only?” With time she accepted that her stubborn daughter is not going to listen to anyone.
During the process, I made a conscious effort to involve my parents in product testing (making them touch and feel all the lubes—on their hands), educated them and discussed failures and wins.
My husband is totally crazy. He keeps WhatsApping my social media campaign brainstorming to the family group. At first, my parents would be scandalised, but I guess they’re learning to live with it. Plus, a lot of womxn in our family and circle have come and told my mom they’re proud of me, so I think the shame lessens that way. And I believe change cannot happen overnight, it’s a process, and it’s essential to treat it as one. I think my mom and I had come a long way since the first time I screamed V-A-G-I-N-A when we went to watch the play ‘Vagina Monologues’ by Eve Ensler, and she gave me the dirtiest stare. She’s now (kinda) okay with me saying the word in front of my dad.
But my dad has been so very supportive, which was a pleasant surprise. He gets really excited about each and everything we’re doing. He would also be the first to share all our posts, coverages, etc., in his WhatsApp groups and LinkedIn.
What’s been fulfilling about making your own brand?
Sachee:
It always makes my day when our customers DM/email me and tell me how much and why they love our products, or just things like they never thought about their bodies the way they do now, or prioritised pleasure, for that matter.
It’s so rewarding to see women love not only our products but also our purpose. And yes, I believe we are solving a real problem and helping womxn realise that ‘pain is not part of the package’ and that they shouldn’t feel ashamed in experiencing pleasure. I feel super happy when I see more women owning their sexuality, their body hair and having honest conversations about it all.
Recently a customer told me how happy they were to finally see a woman-owned Indian brand making vagina-friendly lube. They didn’t have to wait to stock up on it during their travels abroad.
Those messages really light you up, especially when you’re having a hard day and doubting yourself. So keep those comin’ ladies. 🙂
I’m super kicked about the fact that I can have conversations around sex and pleasure, in a room full of family, friends, in places that would consider Sex-ed a taboo.
I love branding and communications. I have worked on building other people’s brands and felt super passionate about it. So, bringing my own baby to life has been even more special.
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