Aerable For Vaginal Health

Aerable, a women’s underwear brand focused on providing vaginal health, is planning to exhibit at the Curve show in New York in early February. BODY discussed the product with Ghadeer Abu Qulbain, one of the owners, a couple of weeks before the show. “I co-founded Aerable with my twin sister because we had our fair share of women’s health challenges that were a direct result of non-healthy underwear. When we started socializing the idea with friends and family, we realized the issue is pervasive.” 

The company website explains that the unique materiel used “combines soft, breathable micro modal fabric from the beech tree with organic and sustainably sourced chitosan,” a product derived from chitin, a substance commonly found in the cell walls of crustaceans, fungi, and some algae, microorganisms, and invertebrate animals. “This powerful combination has strong scientific evidence to tackle the all-too-common issue of infections by limiting the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi, maintaining a balanced vaginal microbiome.”

Qulbain noted that there are “plenty of attractive intimate wear options, in terms of branding and design, ”but emphasized that “most of the materials behind the most loved products are not catering to the microbiome balance in women’s sensitive parts. Some of them even do a lot of harm by exposing female bodies to synthetics and forever chemicals that pose a lot of health risks, some understood and some aren’t.”

“We decided to create a brand that leverages our best understanding of fabric engineering and material science to develop a new fabric blend using chitosan, a biopolymer derived from transformed marine waste that has naturally potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti fungal properties. Chitosan’s antimicrobial properties have been extensively validated in the research literature and has been shown to be safe for human consumption.”

She continued: “Our unique differentiator is the fabric lining and an intimate apparel design that is body inclusive, breathable, moisture wicking (i.e. moisture releasing as opposed to moisture absorbing or retaining), and most importantly protective against known disease-causing bacteria and fungi.”

The brand’s scientific data “has been backed by tests run by the SGS lab facility that tested the Chitozen lining technology. It came back with the proof that Chitosan indeed inhibits the growth of the bad bacteria and fungi.” She explained that the microbes targeted are: Gardnerella vaginalis: (the main cause of bacterial vaginosis and a key factor in serious UTI’s); Staphylococcus aureus (the mysterious colonizer of female genitals with unexpected outbreaks); Escherichia coli (a commonly found bacteria that triggers inflammation with overgrowth); and Candida albicans (overgrowth of this hard-to-stop fungus is the leading cause of vaginal thrush).

Qulbain said that the target customer is women age 25 to 40, and that the company is selling DTC off of its own website. “We have not started discussions around wholesale distribution, but we are happy to explore opportunities and share some ideas.”

Only one silhouette is available currently, a bikini in sizes S to XL. Colors are “Nude, Black, White and seasonal shades like Blue and Light Purple.” She added that “our packaging is 100% recyclable and our items are packaged in carton boxes. We will be offering a different kind of packaging for retail stores when needed.” Current retail price on the website is $27 Canadian per pair.-- Ted Vayos