Kourtney Kardashian recently stepped into this spotlight with a cat-themed marketing campaign designed to convince us that we need to treat our vaginas like a candy store. (HercringeLemme Purr gummies, which are ingested orally, are supposed to support the health of the vagina and make it taste sweeter.)Miracle cures for vaginal imbalances can essentially go unchecked and are still mostly snake oil, Sycuro says. We dont have regulatory bodies that mandate [they] have evidence.The vast majority of creams, sprays and douches are great marketing, and terrible for womens health, because they disrupt the normal balance, adds Money.Our experts blanket recommendations: Stop watching TikTok videos, leave your crotch alone to self-clean (like an oven!) and dont let Gwyneth Paltrow or reality TV stars convince you to put anything up there, jade egg or otherwise.Don’t bother withProbiotic supplements ingested to increase beneficial bacteria in the vaginaThe clinical trials havent been a smashing success yet, says Sycuromeaning anything selling itself as a vaginal microbiome health miracle pill, or claiming to make our private parts fresher, is premature.Do considerBoric acid suppository to balance vaginal acidityThis is one treatment in which Money sees some value, though with a few caveats. Boric acid actually can be quite good as a suppressant of yeast infections and recurrent bacterial vaginosis, she says. But, she emphasizes, you need to seek a professional diagnosis rather than just a Google search resultand get a prescription rather than going DIY.Definitely skipVaginal steaming with herb-infused waterAt this point, you might have a hunch that this is a no-no. Though people use vaginal steaming to allegedly tighten and freshen up the area, overheating your genitals can help bacteria thrive, leading to infections. The cells of the skin on your face [are] dead and hard, and you want to slough them off. But the ones on the surface of the vagina are softer and partially alive […] and vaginal steaming can definitely change how protective and healthy that tissue is, says Sycuro.Please don’t tryYogurtYes, patients do ask Money about smearing yogurt directly into the vagina as a natural probiotic. Her response? Its a great food. Eat it for breakfast and leave it at that.Next: A Field Guide to Your Vaginal Microbiome
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