Julie Kendrick is a freelance writer who lives in Minneapolis. Follow her on Twitter @KendrickWorks.
There are new products on the market that are once again aimed at women’s bodies. They’re “vulva balms” with names like, and they’re popping up in the health and beauty space with increasing regularity. But even with the fun packaging and empowering marketing messages, are products to moisturize the vulva really necessary?
Doctors struck an overall cautious tone about interfering with the function of this particular body part. “The vulva is a very sensitive organ with a thin dermis and dense innervation,” said OB-GYN Dr.of the Mayo Clinic Health System. “It’s one of the most anatomically and physiologically intricate body parts, which makes irritation and allergic reactions to foreign topical substances significantly uncomfortable.
“Some skin conditions or urinary incontinence, which requires the use of sometimes-irritating pads, may be helped by barrier creams on the vulva that may help protect from irritants and provide relief,” Leaverton said. “But my concern is that some products marketed for the vulva can be irritating, making these conditions worse. They also make people feel they need to be doing an elaborate vulvar care routine.”If you really want to use one of these products, shop carefully.
“A common condition I treat is self-inflicted irritant and contact dermatitis among women who are using over-the-counter products that they don’t need,” said OB-GYN Dr., a menopause and vulvar specialist. “Many of these women have been treated repeatedly for things like bacterial vaginosis, or yeast infections. Frequently, they aren’t getting better because no one has considered it could be because of a product they’re using.
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