Ep #196: Vaginal Dryness & Lubricants with Deborah Porteous

Dry, irritated, and every lubricant burns or makes a mess? You're not alone. 91% of women say their libido changes in menopause.Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, author of Nourishing Menopause, 7x published menopause researcher and menopause educator, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with Deborah Porteous, co-founder of The Pleasure Pods Company, who hit vaginal dryness in her early 50s and couldn't find a single product that didn't irritate her, ran everywhere, or ruined the sheets. So she and her partner Brian spent two years with a formulator and a team of plant scientists building something better: a 100% plant-based solid that melts at body temperature. This is the honest, slightly cheeky conversation about dryness, painful sex, and pleasure that most of us never got to have.Topics:Why vaginal dryness hits almost 40% of women in perimenopause and menopause, and why it's nothing to be embarrassed aboutThe difference between a lubricant, a vaginal moisturizer, and vaginal estrogen, and why it's not either/orWhat's inside Pleasure Pods and why the solid format mattersHow women are using the pods beyond intimacy: massage oil, face, dry skin, even travelWhy sexual wellness products for women are still so hard to advertise, and what that stigma costs usChapters:0:00 How a solid-to-liquid lubricant works (cold open demo)1:10 Libido in menopause: what almost 1,400 women told our survey5:00 Meet Deborah Porteous and the story behind Pleasure Pods9:30 Talking vaginal dryness on a pitch stage: the CHFA launchpad story13:00 Why so many lubricants burn, itch, or irritate after 5018:00 Mango, cocoa, and kokum butter: what's actually in the formula23:30 How to use it: palms, warm massage oil, face, and dry skin29:00 Lubricant vs vaginal moisturizer vs vaginal estrogen35:00 Cutting a pod into pieces for overnight vaginal moisture39:30 The stigma of marketing women's sexual wellness products44:00 Deborah's panel podcast and where to buy Pleasure PodsLearn more about Pleasure Pods here: https://thepleasurepods.com/Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n1odK1pPdV8Send us Fan Mail ======Morphus: Menopause Reimagined💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4xaREJK Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk 📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO  ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0VFOLLOW US: TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphusInstagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonskyFacebook: /wearemorphusDISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.