Recently I was back home visiting family when my mother said she had something to give me. She explained, in great detail, that what she was about to hand me was extremely difficult to find. The coveted item, of which she gave me three, was Vagisil’s OMV No-Sweat Wipettes.
The packaging is small and compact, alluding to its level of discreetness, while displaying bright colors and a confetti-designed wrapper as if to say “I don’t care that you look at my wipes, I’m proud of them!” The wipes promise a “gentle cleanse without irritation” and they insist they’re “pH balanced,” though there is no information about what that actually means. Lastly, the wipes are fragrant with a “vanilla clementine” scent. Other products in the OMV line have scents like “light mixed berry” or “juicy watermelon.”
They do say big things come in small packages and nothing is as big as the myth of vulvar/vaginal freshness. Gynecologist and advocate of truth, Dr. Jen Gunter is the first to tell you that no, you’re vulva does not smell, and if it does seem off, to contact your doctor instead of store shelves. Gunter’s blog, The Vajenda, is her home base for revealing facts and standing up for science. In a recent post, “Merchants of Shame,” she denounces the varying companies that peddle:
“An array of washes, wipes, sprays, suppositories, powders, deodorants, vaginal steams, tiny bags of herbs, and douches that claim to do one or more (sometimes all) of the following: prevent or treat odor, balance the vaginal pH, clean, detox, or achieve that elusive goal of feminine freshness.”
As a woman today, I’ve fallen into the trap of easy, refreshing wipes, but I’m left with similar questions to Gunter. What does “freshness” even mean and who’s definition are we going off of? Furthermore, when did cleanliness become synonymous with artificial fragrances? Since when does my vulva need to smell like a creamsicle for me to be “fresh”?
What is often overlooked is the fact that these washes and wipes sell a vague sense of nothing and often do more harm than good. With broad claims like being “natural” and “pH balanced,” the marketers succeed at making the product seem safe, perhaps even environmentally friendly too, when in reality they’re usually neither.
Dr. Gunter stresses that these products miss the point and market false claims. The vagina doesn’t need any help cleaning, it self-cleans. It also doesn’t need help balancing its pH. The vagina’s pH level is usually between 3.8 and 4.5, meaning it is pretty acidic (the lower the number, the more acidic). This pH level is controlled by Lactobacilli bacteria, a good “friendly” bacteria that inhibit the growth and kills off other, bad bacteria. By inserting cleansing products that claim to support the pH balance, Gunter explains kills the lactobacilli and other healthy bacteria which, in turn, raises the pH, making the vagina less acidic.
But it isn’t just these products. It’s the general concept of cleaning one’s vagina that is the problem. In the multiple studies Gunter uses, it’s clear that attempts at intravaginal cleaning, even with water, disrupt the vaginal ecosystem. These products likely kill the protective bacteria and damage the mucus, increasing the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections. Without little humor, Gunter says “Think of intravaginal cleaning as cigarettes for the vagina.”
On top of simply marketing to a non-existent issue, these products often confuse the terms vulva and vagina, which leads to improper use and are potentially more harmful. As Gunter points out in a different article, “Douches, which are meant to be used internally in the vagina are very harmful and need warning labels, but vulvar products which are meant to be used externally don’t.” In this loophole of language, these products with vague promises remain in the market.
If you do feel the need for a quick and actual gentle cleanse, Gunter suggests some safer alternatives like using an unscented facial cleanser like CeraVe, Eucerin, or Cetaphil.
Check out the Sexual Health Alliance’s blog, Nymphomedia, where this article was originally posted.
Shit We’re Loving: EXPERIENCE
Shelby’s Pick: Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Dr. Emily Nagoski
I sent a photo of this book to our group Slack, demanding everyone read it. Responding to the title, Sydney lamented that she doesn’t have a sex life” so this book isn’t necessary for her.
This book isn’t our SWL: Read because reading it is an experience. If you have a vulva, you will have a reaction to this book. You will be inflamed by the generations of lies and assault on our bodies that have gone undiscussed, untreated, straight-up ignored. The years of gaslighting women in the medical—especially gynocological—world is more than upsetting—it’s infuriating. Here are just some of the many facts that will cause your jaw to fall to the floor, no matter how “sexually positive” you may find yourself.
Everyone’s genitals are made of the same parts, just organized in different ways. No two alike.
Your brain has a sexual “accelerator” that responds to “sex-related” stimulation (things you see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or imagine that your brain has learned to associate with sexual arousal). Your brain also has sexual “brakes” that respond to any and all “potential threats” (things you see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or imagine that your brain interprets as a good reason to not have sex right now). These can be things like fear of STIs, unwanted pregnancy, body-image myths, and more. What’s perhaps both frustrating and beautiful is every single person varies in their brakes and accelerators. And your accelerators/brakes can change with age, situation, from partner to partner, and more.
Your brain’s perception of a sensation is context dependant. When you’re stressed out, your brain interprets everything as a potential threat--even sex with your love.
Wanting, Liking, and Learning are all separate functions in the brain. You can want without liking (craving), you can anticipate without wanting (dread), or any other combination. Again, all of these contexts can change and fluctuate.
Three main messages given to women by our society: The Moral Message (or you’re damaged goods), the Medical Message (you're diseased or broken), and the Media Message (you’re inadequate).
“No girl is born hating her body or feeling ashamed of her sexuality. You had to learn that. No girl is born worried she’ll be judged if someone finds out what kind of sex she enjoys. You had to learn that. You have to learn, as well, that it is safe to be loved, safe to be your authentic self, safe to be sexual with another person, or even safe to be on your own.”
All Bookshop.org links are affiliate links.
Show Your Support: Native Land Digital
We are on stolen land. You and I, right here, right now, are on land that was never ours to take. Yet, many don’t know this. Even less care. But learning—and acknowledging—is half the battle and Native Land Digital aims to have everyone take that first step. Native Land Digital is a free, online tool to learn of the original Indigenous territories in a specific area. The project, which started in 2015 as Native-Land.ca, strives to “create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources” like their comprehensive and interactive map and the Territory Acknowledgement Guide.
Land is sacred and, as Native Land Digital stresses, it is not easy to draw lines that divide land into chunks that delineate who “owns” a different part of it. In reality, land is “not something to be exploited and ‘owned,’ but something to be honored and treasured.” To honor the sacredness of the spaces we’ve built our lives on, the spaces we often take for granted, we acknowledge and extend our hearts to the land’s original owners and to Mother Earth herself, for bearing the weight of humanity.
Shelby and Lizzy acknowledge the Kaskaskia, Myaamia, and Hopewell land they live on. Shelby also acknowledges the Shawandasse Tula people and their land.
Sydney acknowledges the Munseen Lenape and Wappinger land she lives on.
Aimée acknowledges the Merrick land she lives on.
Kayla acknowledges the Kiikaapoi, Jumanos, Wichita, and Tawakoni land she lives on.
Blaze acknowledges the Ramaytush, Ohlone, and Muwekma land she lives on.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
Spend some one-on-one time with my vulva. She’s mine, I’m hers, and she’s perfect the way she is—smells and all. You’re beautiful.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: