This week I want to talk about a theme that I have been seeing on TikTok. The theme is feminine hygiene but specifically probiotic gummies and pH washes.
I have seen so many ads pop up from creators on my for you page about these probiotic gummies made specifically for vaginal health. The gimmick is if you take these gummies you are supposed to smell and taste amazing downstairs. At first I just brushed it off as again another person selling snake oil, but then it kept coming up from loads of different creators advertising this product.
First of all, your vagina is not supposed to smell like sunshine and rainbows. It is an organ and a body part! It is self cleaning and supposed to have its own unique scent. Usually a musky scent. As long as you practice good hygiene and wash your downstairs area with warm water and unscented soap, you should be good to go. We all know our own scent and if it smells off, unusual, or foul then it’s time to see a doctor. However, please do not feel like you need to go buy a product to be “clean”.
To me, this just screams misogyny—making women feel ashamed for merely just existing and having a vagina. The same thing with these pH balanced washes that I have also been seeing on TikTok Shop. This reminds me of 10 years ago when Summer’s Eve became popular. I fell victim to this and in high school bought their pH wash thinking I needed it to be “clean”. Thankfully, I came around and realized it was all just marketing and your vagina self cleans so the “wash” can actually disrupt the natural pH which could cause further issues.
I thought that we were passed this phase of making women feel ashamed of their own bodies, but clearly marketing is still alive and well. What makes me sad, is seeing other women market these products for money. I think of all the young, vulnerable girls who are seeing these ads and then feel shame about their own bodies.
Please leave your coochie alone! If you want to take a probiotic for your vaginal health, there are plenty on the market that do not have these shameful ads. I know women take probiotics to help with UTIs which is great but you don’t need them to smell better. All you need is unscented soap and warm water and tell these ads to leave our coochies alone!
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