It’s crazy, I know, but according to a variety of internet forums and blogs, it’s the hip new way to….make your lady parts tingly and fresh???
Yes, those are the supposed benefits being espoused by internet-“doctors”, but is there any merit to it?
“Using Vicks VapoRub on the vagina would not only be uncomfortable but also has the potential to cause damage and disrupt the natural flora of the vagina,” declares Dr. Vanessa Mackay, a gynaecologist and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
“And you don’t need to wash your vagina – it self-cleans,” she added, “If you have any concerns about odor you need to contact your doctor.”
Despite warnings from health experts, the trend caught on and some women began hailing the benefits, ranging from sexual stimulation of their clitorises to supposedly curing vaginal thrush (a yeast infection).
However, it seems the exact opposite will happen, since the vagina is “self-cleaning”. As Dr Mackay puts it:
“It [the vagina] contains good bacteria, which are there to protect it from infections.
“Disturbing the natural flora through extensive cleaning can lead to infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush, and inflammation.
“Use plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area around the vagina [the vulva], not inside it, gently every day.”
Indeed, using the vapor rub down below could actually lead to infections.
But it’s not just women jumping on the bandwagon—men, too, can supposedly feel the benefits of Vicks’ on their penises.
It’s certainly not the first time a bizarre (and dangerous) substance has ended up where it’s not supposed to.
How about the time one unfortunate lady got mint-scented shower gel on her genitalia and ended up regretting it big time.
As she described it in her own words:
“I’d like to take you back to around 6.45am this morning, when I stepped into my bath, and found that my usual, rather innocuous bottle of shower gel (Waitrose essentials, Rose) had run out.
“A tad irritating, but fortuitously, I had a solution close to hand. A brand new, unopened bottle of your very own Mint and Tea Tree Shower Gel.
“I washed my neck, breasts, stomach and back. Thus far, it had been a positively first class bathing experience.
“And then. AND THEN. Oh. Dear. God. MY VAGINA WAS ABLAZE.”
Basically, just a little luke-warm water is all you need to keep your vagina healthy. Don’t use anything else to clean down there and NEVER use vapor rub!
Sources:
Daily Mail
Metro
