Inside The Sensual World Of BRUXA
Subtle and seductive
By Yana Van Der Byl | 11th June 2025Born from ancestral wisdom, erotic nostalgia, and a little SBS-after-midnight education, BRUXA is a love letter to the body. We sat down with BRUXA’s founder, Madelene Kadziela – part sensual sorceress, part science nerd – to talk about reclaiming ritual, rewriting the rules of self-care, and why pleasure might just be the most powerful wellness tool of all.
What inspired the fusion of ritual, sensuality, and wellness in BRUXA’s philosophyBRUXA was created from a desire to intentionally return to the body, not as something to maintain, but something to revere. I grew up with my Nonna, who made her own beauty balms using what she grew in her garden. From her, I learned that care could be sacred. A ritual, rooted in nature and guided by ancestral wisdom. But a big part of the inspiration was also, in part, my own sensitivity to the world around me. Scent, sound, texture, atmosphere: these have always shaped how I experience intimacy.
Your products feel like art – both visually and sensorially. How does storytelling influence your product creationEvery product holds two stories: the one behind its creation, and the one that helps the wearer tell. The first is often instinctual. Sometimes it begins in the lab, a new bioactive ingredient that inspires a formulation, like Algica or moisture-retaining betaine, that does something so good for the body it feels almost alchemical. And then there’s the second story: how the product makes you feel. A woman who proudly displays her “sex toy” as sculpture isn’t just decorating, she’s making a rebellious statement. That her desire is not hidden, not shameful. Our new product (yet to be released – infused with pheromones) was inspired by a classic erotica film where the seducer is a woman. Each piece is a portal into a story, evocative, sensorial, and entirely your own.
How do ancient rituals and modern science inform your formulationsWe sit at the intersection of the intuitive and the clinical. Our head chemist Marta and I often joke that we make love potions in a lab, but there’s truth to that. Many of our formulations begin with a thread of ancestral wisdom: the way black sesame oil was used in Ayurveda, how sandalwood was burned to calm the nervous system, or how kelp has long been prized for its healing properties. From there, we move into the clinical, researching each ingredient through a scientific lens to ensure it meets the highest dermatological standards. The name BRUXA translates to witch – a nod to the women who came before us. The healers. The midwives. The alchemists who understood the language of the earth and used nature to nourish & restore. For us, modern science doesn’t replace the old ways, it refines them.
In a saturated wellness space, how does BRUXA carve out its own identityWe’re not here to blend in, we’re here to seduce. BRUXA leans into feeling. Into pleasure. Into mystery. We don’t sell shame. We don’t preach purity. And we certainly don’t cater to the male gaze. BRUXA doesn’t come wrapped in pink plastic, clinical jargon, or youth-obsessed messaging. Our version of sensuality is darker, older, more lived-in. It’s a slow burn, not a fast sell.
What does sensual care mean to you, and how do you hope people feel when using your productsTo me, sensual care is about tuning into your body without guilt or agenda. It’s not about fixing yourself, it’s about feeling yourself. Claiming pleasure as something that’s yours, without apology. I want people to feel powerful when they use BRUXA. Like an artist with a carefully curated set of brushes. Our products are designed to serve both form and function. A BRUXA oil or object isn’t something to be tucked away in a drawer, it’s something to display. To be proud of. A statement.
Imagery: @bruxaoffical
