Vulva and Vagina Beauty
People worry that their vagina isn’t perfect – and yet the perfect vagina is as mythical as a dragon or a unicorn.
That doesn’t stop brands from selling the idea of the perfect vagina.They use language like ‘rejuvenate’, ‘brighten’ and ‘extra juicy’ (whatever that means) to sell vaginal products. Some have started to use more wellness-focused words, like ‘goddess’ and spiritual terms like ‘yoni’, but the end-goal is the same: sell unnecessary products.
The truth is, vaginas don’t need cleaning and changing to be well groomed - they’re great as they are and they clean themselves. Vulvas and the vulval area (your external bits) can be cleaned with warm water, or if you like, mild, unscented soap.
When it comes to vulvas and vaginas, it’s important to know what’s OK to do when it’s done with care.
Here are some well-known ‘pampering treatments’ for vulvas (spoiler alert: they’re all unnecessary).
Pubic hair removal:
Some people remove their pubic hair and some people don’t. Either way is fine, as long as they don’t feel pressured to do so. There’s no need to remove pubic hair for hygiene reasons – it’s just about personal choice.
Vagacials:
Like a facial, but for a vagina. The vajacial could lead to side effects like skin irritation and infection.
Skin bleaching:
Labia skin tone differs from person to person, and it’s normal for the labia to be darker than skin elsewhere on the body. Vaginal bleaching, or lightening the appearance of the vulva is unnecessary and may cause vaginal burns and scarring.
Labiaplasty:
An operation to make the labia minora smaller. Occasionally labiaplasty is medically necessary, like repairing a labia torn during childbirth.
However, in recent years people have decided to have the procedure because they’re self-conscious about their vulva’s appearance, possibly due to unrealistic expectations set by porn, leading people to feel that they have to change their bodies to be acceptable.
The vagina doesn’t need ‘self-care’ products because it already cleans and takes care of itself very well.
However, you might come across things that suggest otherwise. Here’s what to look out for:
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Vajuvenation:Vaginal rejuvenation covers a few non-invasive procedures, including laser and temperature controlled radio frequency, to ‘tighten’ and ‘lift’ the skin of the vulva and vagina. These techniques can sometimes be used for medical reasons, like vaginal atrophy and genitourinary syndrome of menopause. There may well be side effects of burning and scarring.
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Yoni eggsEgg-shaped stones, said to have wondrous properties when inserted in the vagina. There’s no evidence of their benefits and they can actually cause pelvic floor tension and possible muscle pain or spasms.
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Vagina + vulva oilsMarketed as self-care products but can actually be harmful by potentially changing the vagina’s pH level and therefore upsetting the bacterial balance of the vagina, and possibly causing infections.
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Vagina Steaming:Sitting over a bowl of steam to ‘cleanse’ the vagina. There are no proven benefits and the steam could affect the healthy balance of the vagina’s bacteria and pH, leading to possible infections. It could also cause burns.
Canesten Thrush External Cream 2% w/w cream contains clotrimazole. Always read the label.
