Sexual wellness trends to look out for in the coming year

Photo collage of three black and white close-up images of a woman's hand dragging across her wet skin. In the background, there is a photograph of an ice bath, with large ice cubes glittering in the sun.

Sexual health is good health

(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

published 26 April 2024

Over the past few years, the sexual wellness industry has taken on a new life, moving more candid conversations about sex into the mainstream. The pandemic, in particular, was a turning point for sexual products. In 2020, beauty retailer Cult Beauty revealed that the search term "sexual wellness" jumped 850% on its site. The trend has continued to spread since then. Recently, major retailers like Sephora, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom have embraced the trend by carrying products like oils, toys and lubricants alongside their usual fare. Here, a few of the sexual wellness trends sexperts expect to dominate this year.

Sexual products with all-natural ingredients

The push for more organic and natural ingredients in the products we use has also hit the sexual wellness industry. That shift includes sexual products such as oils, lubricants or wipes used in intimate areas. A number of "revolutionary, female-led companies are leading the charge in redefining sexual wellness," working to give consumers "our pick of intimate goods that deliver on clean ingredients as much as they do pleasure," said The Every Girl.

These days, there are a lot more options for all-natural products. Still, some consumers do not realize that the "vulva and vagina are very absorbent and made from the same mucosal lining as your mouth," meaning "anything and everything you put on it absorbs into your body," Kiana Reeves, the somatic sex educator, pelvic health practitioner and Chief Content Officer at sexual wellness brand Foria, said. "That's why it's super important to not just use natural products, but they also really need to be organic." The Every Girl said that ingredients like "glycerin, nonoxynol-9, petroleum, propylene glycol, parabens and chlorhexidine gluconate" should be avoided. "There's nothing sexy about added toxins."

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Hot and cold therapies were all the hype last year, and Reeves predicted the trend would make its way into the bedroom in 2024. "Using therapies like saunas, baths and cold plunges can have amazing health benefits and can potentially support your sex life as well," Reeves said to Hypebae. Temperature play can benefit your circulation and blood flow and could "bring some serious heat to your bedroom," she said. You may not have access to a sauna in your bedroom, but household items like heating pads, warm washcloths and ice can come in handy when experimenting with temperature.

Taking time to be sexual is on par with pampering yourself and exercising regularly, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness' Self-Care Inventory. There was a rise in attention to health and self-care during the pandemic, and "sexual wellness fits right in," Brittany Lo, the CEO and founder of intimate care brand Beia, told The Every Girl. Taking care of your sexual wellness has many health benefits. For example, "orgasms can help you sleep better, boost your mood and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles," Lo said. She predicts that we can expect a "shift in focus from sexual wellness being indulgent to an everyday practice."

For its 2024 sex trends report, sexual wellness brand Lovehoney's in-house experts highlighted the prioritization of sexual wellness through one's "sexual wellness ecosystem," a holistic approach to self-care that "recognizes that a healthy and satisfying sex life is intertwined with mental, emotional and physical well-being." An example: "pleasure mapping" is an emerging trend that can help people build relationships with their bodies. The practice involves intentionally exploring where on your body you experience pleasure, using toys or manual stimulation and taking note of the sensations. "The goal is to be intentional, so you really want to listen and pay attention to your body," sex educator Javay Frye-Nekrasova said in the report.

The travel industry is also getting in on the sexual wellness trend. "It's well-known that getting away from the grind of daily life helps us tap into our sexuality," Dr. Karen Gurney, the clinical psychologist, psychosexologist and author of "Mind The Gap: The Truth About Desire And How To Futureproof Your Sex Life," said to Condé Nast Traveler. Whether it is a DIY vacation where you spend time reconnecting with your sexuality or an expert-run format that incorporates coaching, erotic massage and discussions about sexual wellness, traveling can help make sexual wellness even more enjoyable.

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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.