In 1969, amidst war and societal rifts, the era of flower power and free love emerged, along with Kama Sutra — a company that set out on a mission to bring people together by enhancing intimacy.
Kama Sutra’s story begins with the creation of Oil of Love, a foreplay oil that gently warms on the skin. Launched before a cosmetics category existed in the adult retail market, the debut of Oil of Love established Kama Sutra as an industry pioneer — and the company has stood the test of time by creating an approachable collection of sensual products that evoke romance and intimate pleasure.
We have continued to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of our customers while staying true to our core — it’s a great victory for us.
Inspired by the book “The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana,” Kama Sutra founder Joe Bolstad created a brand that’s focused on enhancing intimate relationships through the exploration of the senses.
Fifty years later, Kama Sutra is staying true to its philosophy, introducing new generations to the sensual power of stimulating the senses through its seductive, decadent assortment of massage oils, body soufflé creams, gels and more. The company continues to refine its products and introduce new ones, while expanding its retail presence across numerous channels. While Kama Sutra started in specialty shops in the ’70s before entering adult retail in the ’80s and ’90s, the brand is now sold internationally in more than 50 countries, in major drugstore chains and other mainstream retailers, while continuing to thrive in adult stores.
XBIZ sat down with Marla Lee, president of The Kama Sutra Company, to find out more about the company’s history and how it’s evolved and grown exponentially.
XBIZ: Tell us about Kama Sutra’s history.
Marla Lee: In the late ’60s, Kama Sutra co-founders Joe Bolstad and Hal Hauser attended a pretty wild Hollywood Hills party. As the story goes, the guests at the party were raiding the kitchen for vegetable oil, or anything that might be slippery … and things got naughty! Inspired by that night, they came up with a product they first described as “Love Oil.” They wanted to create a product that was slippery like vegetable oil but also smelled good and tasted good and was also easy to clean up and water-soluble. As they were working with chemists here in Los Angeles on the formula, they were warned that one of the proposed ingredients would have a warming effect on the skin — which they knew would actually be a benefit.
They debuted Oil of Love at the L.A. Gift Show in 1970 and it was a big success; no one had ever seen anything like it before.
At the time there was no cosmetic category in the adult industry. We basically started the category. The challenge was, Joe and Hal had come up with this amazing idea for a romance product, but they didn’t really think about where or how they could sell it. They didn’t think it through. At the time, sex products were completely taboo. They were so grateful to be welcomed by the adult industry, which at the time was basically just head shops. As the adult industry grew and developed, Kama Sutra was welcomed by adult distributor leaders, like the late Larry Garland of Eldorado. For that, we will always be grateful.
XBIZ: What inspired the company’s name?
Lee: While Joe and Hal were working on the Oil of Love formula, they knew they needed a brand name to build a story around. They wanted something meaningful. Joe was browsing in a local bookstore in West L.A. called “The Bodhi Tree” and he picked up a book called “The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana.” Most people think the Kama Sutra is just a book of sex positions, thanks to modern interpretations. But the original book is actually an ancient guide to love and relationships. The book’s philosophy was completely aligned with what they were trying to resonate with — they wanted to bring people together and create more love in the world.
XBIZ: What’s something that has stayed constant for Kama Sutra throughout the last 50 years?
Lee: Our Oil of Love formula has never changed. It’s been the same since we first created it 50 years ago. We’ve always sourced our ingredients here in the U.S. and have made our products right here in California. A lot of companies sell out and start manufacturing in China because it’s cheaper. We’ve always stayed true to our formulas and manufacturing processes, kept it authentic. All of the products we developed since Oil of Love have always had the focus of bringing people together. We have always strived to find ways to keep couples together and interested, to help them find pleasure in each other.
XBIZ: What’s the most notable change or difference between then and now for Kama Sutra as a company?
Lee: Greater awareness for the uniqueness of people and how we can embrace and bring all types of people together through intimacy and the five senses — specifically touch, taste and smell. In the 1960s you couldn’t even say you were gay, you had to pretend you were straight and I think that’s so sad. Now, Kama Sutra has an awareness for all types of couples and how we can help bring them together through sensual experiences. We are continuing to create products that help you get in touch with your senses. Even with our first product, Oil of Love, we were focusing on that — smell good, taste good, feel good. We have always been aware of this, wanting to focus on all of the different aspects of intimacy whether it be alone or with a partner.
XBIZ: What has been one of your greatest triumphs/accomplishments?
Lee: Our greatest accomplishment is staying relevant after five decades. I think that’s hard to do. So many companies have come and gone over that time. We’ve survived recessions. It’s difficult to stay in business for five decades and stay relevant. We have continued to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of our customers while staying true to our core — it’s a great victory for us.
XBIZ: What do you have planned for the 50th anniversary?
Lee: Our focus is on thanking our distributors, retailers, partners and customers who have supported us. We want to recognize those who have helped us over these 50 years. Without their support we wouldn’t be where we are today. We are going to be focusing on the classic products that started the brand as well as some special edition items, Kama Sutra swag and merchandising materials to celebrate.
