A lady in the bedroom? Alexandra Dunhill on CBD and intimacy

Having secured a foot in the door in the world of wellbeing, Alexandra Dunhill, the great-granddaughter of the luxury goods brand founder, Alfred Dunhill, is launching her own range of CBD intimacy products.

After seeing how much CBD was helping her son Piers, Alexandra Dunhill became “fascinated” with the cannabis plant. 

“Growing up Piers suffered from anxiety. He had trouble concentrating and was at times a challenging child. ” says the mother-of-three. 

“We’d been to a few different doctors who tried him on various medications, none of which worked for him.”

Alexandra discovered CBD through her son, Piers Dunhill

After school, Piers moved to Los Angeles and began working at a cannabis publication. It was whilst visiting him in 2017, that Alexandra was first introduced to the potential health and wellbeing benefits of CBD.

“I noticed the difference in Piers and how much CBD was helping his anxiety, general health and therefore I started on this journey,”  she says.

“It was very early days, but I attended various conferences and events over there and wanted to share this amazing experience back at home in the UK.”

After spending time sourcing the right manufacturer and suppliers and perfecting her branding, her CBD wellness range Lady A, launched at the end of 2019.

Following in her great-grandfather’s footsteps, Lady A is a cut above. 

Where Alfred Dunhill designed luxury menswear and accessories, Alexandra has created a luxury, female-focused range of tinctures, gel capsules, balms and vapes, that she would be proud to pull out of her handbag or display on the dressing table. 

She wanted the brand to be void of any stigma still associated with cannabis and ultimately aim to help people live a happier, healthier and balanced life whatever their age or background. And there is no reason why men can’t use the range too.

“I noticed there was a gap in the market, a lot of brands were very masculine and sports-focused,” she explains.

Alexandra has been taking CBD herself since returning from America saying she has never liked taking pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary. 

The Lady A wellness range

“I’m quite an active person and believe if you can find a natural route to health issues that works for you all the better.”

When people comment on how well she looks she always puts it down to CBD, believing it may even have helped prepare her body to beat coronavirus last year.

“I’ve been taking it for quite a long time and people always comment that I look so well and calm, so it must affect your overall balance,” she says. 

“I caught Covid last year and didn’t even know I had it. I never know if it’s just being healthy or maybe it’s the CBD.”

Increasing numbers of women are finding that CBD is helpful for complaints such as stress and anxiety, period pain and stomach cramps, as well as regulating hormone levels and managing some of the symptoms of menopause. 

In particular, women living with endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions report it helps relieve pain, inflammation and painful sex. 

Alexandra is looking to launch cosmetics

 The latest addition to Lady A, launching this spring, is an intimacy range called After Dusk – including a CBD lubricant, massage oil and silk eye-mask – designed to be “fun and a little bit sexy” while also having potential benefits for both partners in the bedroom. 

“Sex is an important part of life and overall wellbeing. As a female focussed wellness brand this is an area that I couldn’t ignore,” says Alexandra.

The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD are thought to help if there is any discomfort and pain during sex, as well as increasing blood flow and sensitivity in the area. 

A few drops of CBD oil beforehand may also reduce any anxiety and aid relaxation so the whole experience is more enjoyable for everyone. 

 “Intimacy can be quite a barrier for some, so I wanted to create products that people may find helpful,” she adds.

“The range has been designed to look beautiful, discrete and not embarrassing to have lying around or to receive as a gift.”

The business is still very much a family affair, with all helping out to get things off the ground and the children haven’t been too embarrassed by their mother bringing out an intimacy line.

Lady A launched in Selfridges last year and is stocked in it’s new in-store dedicated wellbeing space which opened on 26 April. 

Alexandra is currently looking at extending the cosmetics range further, she adds: “Covid has probably helped with the popularity of the wellness industry, we’re all stressed and worried and the pandemic has given us more time to concentrate on our wellbeing.”

Follow Lady A on Instagram and visit ladya.health 

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