This Entrepreneur Is Bringing Self-Care to Your Vulva

What’s cooler than being cool? Private Packs: aka ice (and heat) packs for your vulva.

Anyone who knows the woes of vaginal or vulvar pain knows that when you need relief, you NEED relief.  Full stop. No cap. Or whatever the kids are saying these days.

When Suzanne Sinatra found herself in immense pain after a Brazilian wax gone sideways, she knew her vulva deserved better than frozen peas. Read more about her story and journey through entrepreneurship, cancer, and transforming the vaginal wellness industry with Private Packs below!

Hi, Suzanne! Thanks for being such a boss. Can you tell us, what exactly are Private Packs?

Private Packs are a wearable, discreet, cozy solution that provides heat and cold therapy that immediately relaxes and relieves swelling, inflammation, itching and general pain that happens down from issues such as pre and post-sex, yeast infections, vaginal dryness, and vaginal childbirth to name a few.

Hot Mama Private Pack

Who are they for and how do they work?

Private Packs are for vulva owners regardless of how you identify. Private Packs comes in two temperatures and is simple to use.

1. Place COOL LADY in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours before each use.

2. HOT MAMA is simple as well. Click the metal disk inside of the pad and it will instantly start getting warm.

3. Insert either pad into the provided protective sleeve and place the covered pad with the care label facing your underwear in the middle section of your underwear and start using.

4. After 20 minutes remove from your underwear.

5. Machine or hand wash the sleeve and hang dry.

6. Rinse each pad under running lukewarm water and use hand soap.

7. Once HOT MAMA has cooled you have to place it in rolling hot water to melt the crystals to use again. Boil for 5-15 minutes to ensure that every crystal is melted. Remove from the water and allow it to cool off completely before using it again.

8. When not in use, store both in the fridge.

What inspired you to start the company?

Private Packs was initially a selfish solution for me. I had a Brazilian wax accident that left me with a 2nd-degree burn. However, when I shared with my girlfriends what happened to me they, in turn, shared with me their vag pain stories: painful sex, vaginal tears, yeast infections and each of sat on either frozen peas, frozen maxi pads or hot water bottles. All three of these options were bulky, messy, and needed a hand to hold it in place. It was then I realized I was on to something with my solution.

Once you had the idea for Private Packs, how did you get started?

First, I spoke to women to get an idea of what features and benefits they would like in a product like this. Next, I created a 3D mold of the design and I toted that around for 2 years until I could find a manufacturer to create the gel packs. Then I had product testers actually use the product and feedback on what changes I should make and it worked because I changed over 50% of the product from the original concept.

From idea to campaign launch, what have been your greatest challenges and lessons learned along the way?

My greatest challenge has been dealing with depression and a major health crisis. My first bout with depression started when I was 13 years old so it is a daily struggle. Then when I was diagnosed with cancer my world came to a screeching halt. I was in the hospital every day and the side effects of chemotherapy were horrendous and painful. The lessons I’ve learned is that I am way more resilient than I thought and that Private Packs is more to me than a company, but my mission to impact women’s health.

By the nature of your work, you talk about vaginas a lot. How would you recommend people become more comfortable saying the word “vagina” and taking their vaginal discomfort and pain seriously (or that of their partner’s if applicable)?

I think it has to be a personal conscious decision to change your vocabulary and being mindful of it. I use to say vajajay or who ha but I learned that from the women in my family and Oprah. In my 40s I decided to start using the proper name for it when I speak about her. Sometimes I have to use “pet names” on my communications like our website or social media because I recognize that some people are not comfortable with saying vagina or vulva, and that’s ok.

What does “vaginal wellness” mean to you?

Vaginal wellness means being mindfully engaged with your vagina’s health. For example: regularly looking at it in the mirror, checking the ingredients in ALL your bath products, keeping it moisturized with 100% pure aloe, jojoba, or almond oil, wearing cotton or no underwear, not using baby powder, and peeing after sex. It sounds like a lot, but a happy vagina = a happy life. Have you ever had an off vagina? OMG! It’s painful. When my vag is off it makes me sad and dysfunctional.

Taking rest as an entrepreneur isn’t easy. What do you do for self-care?

I’ve started to take more baths instead of showers. I go to bed before midnight and my phone sleeps in the kitchen. I make time to have phone calls with my friends like MIA!!!

What does the future of Private Packs look like? Will we see any products for penises down the line?

We have several designs that will be released for other intimate body parts. And yes, we will do a pack for penises. Penises have pain as well: post-surgery, knee below the belt, zipper accidents and more.

How can the person reading this support you?

Send me an email (suzanne[at]privatepacks[dot]com) and share with me how you feel about your vagina or what you are going through. If you could use a Private Pack please buy it during our campaign on Indiegogo.

Looking for an ergonomic and economical solution to your vulvar pain woes? Indiego-GO GET YOUR PRIVATE PACKS TODAY!

Must be looooooove on the braaaaain 🧠. Or was that s£x? 👀🤭 Our brains are our largest s£x organs and sometimes they get a little sad, hyperactive, anxious, or overwhelmed. You won’t always be in the mood for s£x and that’s okay! Keep communication with your partner open and ongoing, check in with yourself and your mental health, and lean on the support of a trusted therapist or doctor if you need some extra guidance. 🫶🏽 Anything you would add?

I mean 😏

It is not wrong nor should it feel shameful to ✨seek pleasure.✨ I think those of us who grew up more religious were taught that you should always be in service of others and giving of yourself rather than concerned with our own needs or passions. While it is wonderful to be generous with giving (and can in fact be a source of pleasure), it should be equally encouraged to pursue your own pleasure — it whatever form it may take! It may feel self-indulgent, but why is that a bad thing? Pleasure boosts our mental health. It helps us cope with a difficult world, with anxiety, depression, and stress. It makes us feel good! It gives us something to look forward to. Pleasure helps us connect with others and with ourselves. Pleasure (as long as it is not at the expense of someone else’s safety or well-being) should be a priority, for our joy and for our health. It really is so important! Where do you find pleasure? I personally love a good massage… 💆🏽‍♀️

It’s time for a talk, friend. Let’s be clear, you nor your partner ever has to do *anything* you’re not comfortable with. That said, if it’s something you enjoy and that’s pleasurable to you, it’s okay to ask your partner for it! They can say no, but if they invalidate your pleasure, much less expect you to do something they won’t do?? The ball is then in your court to decide if this is the partner for you. You deserve someone who cares about and prioritizes your pleasure. Who is thrilled to be acquainted with your body, all of it! S-x can be vulnerable to talk about, but when you do…it’s so much better. 👅 included. Ask your partner what their hesitations are and have a *conversation.* Maybe they’re nervous, intimidated, or struggling with shame. Maybe they’re down to try other things you would enjoy and build up to it. The point is, it shouldn’t just be automatically dismissed. You can decide what’s right for you and what makes you feel aroused, validated, and appreciated. Whatever you do, don’t internalize their rejection. Your body is beautiful, desirable, and definitely worthy of pleasure. 😋🥰

A UK study published in the International Urogynecology Journal found that only 46% of participants correctly identified that a female has 3 holes in the external genitalia. 😬 Not great. We’re taught so desperately little about our bodies and so discouraged from exploring them that we don’t even know what we’ve got going on down there! Understanding your own anatomy (and getting educated on your partner’s anatomy) can boost pleasure 1000x!! So take a mirror, use your hands, and get comfy exploring! 🪞🕵🏽‍♀️ And if you really want to get informed (and inspired 😉), head to our website for our basics on pleasure and anatomy. What do you think? Could YOU correctly label a diagram of what lies beneath?

Modern sex essentials

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