Experts are urging women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks’ Vaporub after a bizarre internet trend has spurred many to experience tingling in their genitalia.
Online forums and blogs claim the ointment, intended to soothe an irritating cough, can boost women’s sex lives, clean the intimate area, cure thrush and even maintain a pleasant odour on the vagina.
VapoRub, which gives users a tingling sensation when applied on the chest, apparently elicits the same gentle tickling feeling when put on intimate areas, leading blogs to suggest women smear it on their clitoris or men’s penises.
Some forums also claim the ointment could cure vaginal thrush, however, experts argue applying such products could introduce infections or make them worse by disrupting the intimate area’s bacteria.
The need to apply VapoRub as a fragrance to the vagina, which is self-cleaning, is also concerning, as genitalia should not have a strong odour.
Experts urge women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks’ Vaporub after an internet trend
Women risking thrush
The trend to apply VapoRub as a cleanser or fragrance could lead to women developing vaginal thrush or bacterial vaginosis, with experts arguing vaginas are self-cleansing via naturally-occurring discharge.
The need to apply a fragrance to combat an odour is a sign something is wrong and should be checked by a doctor.
Contrary to what some blogs suggest, VapoRub, which remains on the skin for hours, will also not cure an existing thrush infection and could even make it worse by further disrupting the vagina’s bacteria.
Dr Vanessa Mackay, a gynaecologist and spokeswomen for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told The Sun: ‘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.’