Could you please introduce yourselves? 

Hedieh: My name is Dr. Hedieh Asadi and I am a medical doctor and one of DeoDoc’s co-founders.

Hasti: My name is Hasti Asadi and I have a background in business. I am also one of the DeoDoc co-founders and Hedieh’s younger sister.

Where are you based and how are you dealing with the current pandemic?

Hasti: We are based in Stockholm, Sweden. This is where we started our brand and where all of our products are made.  

Hedieh: Sweden never had a formal lock down, so life has been more or less the same for us. There are added precautions and we are of course more careful in daily life than before. 

When and how did you decide to start this experience together as sisters? Was it a long-standing project?

Hedieh: We started DeoDoc as we ourselves experienced problems when using the existing feminine care products on the market. I also saw this issue among my patients. We then teamed up with our third co-founder, a professor of OB/GYN, Dr. Gunvor to research and develop a safe product offering. 

What was your biggest challenge developing Deodoc intimate cosmetics ?

Hedieh: Our biggest challenge is the lack of knowledge about the female anatomy that currently exists. Many myths and misconceptions about the intimate area are mainstream and we are working to dispel them. 

How does your intimate skincare line differentiate from the mass-market products?

Hedieh: We are the first and only intimate skin care brand founded and run by women doctors that still work clinically with patients. We create products that either are missing from the market or need to be changed.

Deodoc aims at educating women on their own intimacy. Did you receive this education growing-up or is this something that you’ve missed?

Hedieh: Absolutely not, this is something both of us never received properly.  I gained most of my knowledge when I started medical school.

Hasti: I began learning from Hedieh and at 30 years old, I am still learning from her. 

What are the 3 worst wrong statements you've heard by women around their intimacy?

Hasti: Most people refer to the entire female anatomy as the vagina as they think the vagina and vulva are the same thing. The vagina is just the internal canal while the vulva is the external region. 

Hedieh: We also see this myth when women say that the vulva is self-cleansing. While the vagina is self-cleansing, the vulva is not. The vulva has sweat glands that empty into hair follicles where urine can get stuck and create a bacterial build-up. The vulva can be washed, but only with a wash that has a pH of 5 (and it also cannot contain allergens, organic ingredients and essential oils). Another myth is that ‘It does not matter if you choose a silicone-based or water-based lubricant’. Studies actually show that silicone based lubricants are the best for vaginal health. Water-based lubricants are not good for the vagina as they contain preservatives to kill bacterial growth within the formula which can also kill the good bacteria in your vagina when used. This can lead to infections or set off the pH balance.

You’ve developed a podcast called « the Vagina Dialogue ». What are the main topics and how does it work? 

Hedieh: There are so many questions about the intimate area, in Sweden alone, we have more than 100,000 Google searches per month related to intimate questions. As doctors, we have the information and we want to share our knowledge with women everywhere. 

Hasti: We also find that this is a direct way to connect with our audience as they can request us to speak about what they want to learn about. 

What is your top anecdote since the creation of DeoDoc 7 years ago? 

Hasti: When we do mailers and giftings, we always send chocolate vulva lollipops, but the best part is that our dad hand makes them for us. 

Any projects for the following months?  

Hedieh: We are very excited for our launch in France with you of course. We also have so many new and exciting products planned.

Hasti: Stay tuned!