Sisters Isabelle and Ava Daza launch own brand, podcast to normalize conversations about sex, pleasure

Even though conversations about sex and pleasure are becoming more normal in certain parts of Asia, other communities still deem talking about such topics taboo.

Here to change the landscape of conversations surrounding sex and pleasure in the Philippines, sisters Isabelle and Ava Daza recently launched Jellytime, a sexual wellness brand with a vision of creating a safe space for pleasure.

Jellytime produced a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and pH-balanced, all-natural water-based personal lubricant for its first product.

To talk more about Jellytime and its future plans, GMA News Online sat down with its founders Belle and Ava. Read on for our whole conversation.

How did the idea of Jellytime come about?

Ava: I really wanted to create my own lubricant after I had a couple [of] conversations with my sister Isabelle and cousin Martine. I asked my sister and some friends to try some lubricants in the market, and they were hesitant at first, but eventually, all came back asking for more.

My sister Belle in particular was looking for a clean lubricant because she was saying she doesn't want to just put anything in her body without knowing what it's made out of, and that's when we started talking about making our own. I've always liked the space of sexual wellness, but it was always just an idea.

What's the inspiration behind pushing this brand in the Philippine market?

Ava and Belle: We just felt that the Filipinos were ready for a sexual wellness brand that was empowering. We [noticed] more and more people [are] opening up to the idea that sexual health is key [to] people's overall well-being, and that really motivated us to start doing some research on how we could enter the sexual wellness space.

How do you think this product would appeal to the public in a country that is still semi-conservative in terms of talking about sex freely?

Ava: Growing up, I've always felt this, but in the past couple of years, we [noticed] the rigid views on sex and pleasure were slowing loosening up, and more people in our generation were just curious more than anything.

Ava and Belle: We really wanted to encourage people to view sex and pleasure in a different light, because that's how we grew up and we noticed it was so empowering to be informed about these things. True enough, when we [launched] our podcast, The Sexytime Podcast, we received a lot of feedback from people saying they've [needed] this sort of avenue for all their questions about sex and sexuality!

You recently launched your podcast "sexy time." Can you tell us more about it? Why did you focus on these topics?

Ava: Our podcast was, in fact, our first step in the sexual wellness world. It was really nerve-wracking to launch a podcast about sex in the context of the Philippines, but it helps that I'm doing it with my sister whom I'm really close to and we have the support of our family. We basically come in as two sisters who want to learn more about sex, sexuality, and pleasure, so we interview key opinion leads, "sexperts," family, and friends about different topics all related to sex and pleasure.

The world of sexual health is so broad, so we really wanted to get more in-depth in these discussions and learn from people who know more than us. For us, education is key to making informed decisions, and if we could only spread this in our community, we truly believe this would positively impact our society and the way people regard themselves.

What is your main goal with Jellytime?

Ava and Belle: For Jellytime, our main goal is to let people know that every body deserves pleasure. It's nothing to be ashamed of, contrary to what we were taught growing up. Why should we apologize for feeling good? Our tagline in Jellytime is "Sex-care is self-care and Everybody and every body deserves pleasure."

What's the most challenging part of building Jellytime as a brand?

Ava: It's the uncertainty of how the whole brand would be received. I mean, if we were to get technical, the permits were definitely a challenging part for us because it isn't a regular product like cosmetics. This is classified as a medical device which means the screening process was a lot more in-depth.

In the coming years, what's next for the brand? Any other product you've been eyeing to create?

Ava and Belle: We have a lot in store for the brand! Make sure you stay tuned!

—MGP, GMA News