By Carolyn Susman
Note to men: Ask any woman. Sometimes it's just hard to light her fire.
Even the healthiest, perkiest lady can be plagued by a low libido or vaginal dryness, killers in the pleasure department.
Add to that the increasing numbers who are on antidepressants, which can drain your sexual desire down the toilet, and you have a ready-made audience for feminine sexual enhancement products.
And single women who are into the do-it-yourself mode of sexuality?
They, too, would appreciate a little help in that department.
So, when a 72-year-old divorcée picked up a hormone-free sexual arousal oil at a book-signing party recently, she put it to good use.
"It's a nice feeling. It's much nicer than without," said the Boca Raton, Fla., woman who didn't want her name used.
She was referring to Zestra, the party favor at a Palm Beach, Fla., book luncheon that, she says, works.
She liked the effect of this product so much that she purchased it when her freebie ran out. (Cost: $24.95, available at most drugstores or online at zestraforwomen.com.)
But this is a crowded market. And Zestra is by no means the only nonhormonal enhancement product available for women.
There are prescription products available -- different forms of estrogen, for example -- but they're not considered good for long-term use. Women fear possible breast cancer unless estrogen is used other than orally.
And the testosterone patch for libido? It is still awaiting FDA approval.
Next: Cynics on Zestra >
