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 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.
by Shelby Lueders