Tracey Cox reveals the 11 things you should NEVER put in your vagina

The vagina is a special part of the body.

Not only is it a gateway to the creation of human life, historically it has also been used to smuggle everything from drugs, money, watches, cell phones, even loaded guns.

Impressive, huh?

What isn’t impressive is a move by monetized “sexual wellness” sites to convince you that your vagina needs to be steamed, perfumed, showered, or “melted” to make it attractive to sexual partners.

It doesn’t.

Vaginas aren’t supposed to smell like strawberries and whipped cream. A healthy vagina has a slight odor, but nothing unpleasant. Wear breathable underwear, occasionally skip the tight jeans, wash with a soap-free product, then relax.

See your doctor if you notice any discharge, unpleasant odors or changes.

Instead of “enhancing” your vagina, the following products and treatments will do just the opposite: cause problems.

1. Steam

This tops the list of the most annoying Goop “sexual health” recommendations (and there are a lot of them).

Gwyneth’s website advised women to steam their vaginas for “extra energy, to rebalance female hormones and for a squeaky clean uterus.”

Yes. It’s as strange as it sounds: you sit or crouch over a steamer that directs herb-infused steam into your vagina.

The treatment started in LA, but a quick (gruesome) search online found many people offering the service in the UK as well.

Here’s why you shouldn’t.

Making your vagina hotter than it should be is not a good idea: it is kept at body temperature (37 degrees) for a reason. Hot vaginas breed bad bacteria and yeast such as candida (thrush).

While it sounds wonderfully hydrating, water does not hydrate cells. Oil is what lubricates the vagina and a lot of that occurs naturally – as long as you don’t flush it out by steaming it.

There is no evidence that vaginal steaming helps with any condition. World expert on vaginas, Dr. Jen Gunter, says it’s “as clear as mud” how steaming herbs are supposed to access your uterus through a tightly closed cervix. The skin of the vagina is delicate, sensitive and easily damaged. Steaming can cause burns and scalds.

Postpone forever? Hope so!

Goop was sued and settled for a significant amount of money by also claiming this was good for you…

2. Jade Eggs or Yoni Eggs

A similar sale: increase vaginal muscle tone! Balance those hormones! Increase feminine energy! (What is ‘feminine energy’?)

This is apparently what will happen if you insert a stone into your vagina from a few minutes to overnight, ideally every day.

Once instilled, jade and yoni egg fans claim, your body is able to harness the energy inherent in the stone. Your pelvic muscles have to grip the egg to keep it there, so it also tightens you up.

Here’s a surprise: There’s no evidence to support this.

The eggs are a hoax – an expensive one, if you’ve been tricked into buying one from Gwyneth.

While we’re talking about the woo-woo theme, let’s talk about crystals. Some women insert them to cleanse the uterus of “bad energy.” Like yoni eggs, it’s all cheating. Instead of ridding yourself of bad energy, you are instead breeding bad bacteria because crystals are porous.

3. Scented Vaginal Melts

These were all the rage two years ago. Fortunately, they have fallen out of favor a bit.

These are suppositories (‘melts’ sounds a lot sexier) made from natural oils that contain fragrances and flavors. You use them every night to increase the moisture in the vagina or to add ‘a shot of moisture’ just before intercourse.

First, don’t fall for the argument that if something comes from nature, it won’t irritate. Nettles are natural, but you don’t want them in your what-not, do you?

Anyone prone to fungal infections or irritation should avoid it. Just avoid in general. If you’re experiencing vaginal dryness, use a vaginal moisturizer or safe lubricant (more on that below). It will be half price and really do the job.

4. Any perfumed feminine “hygiene” product

You do NOT need scented feminine washes, sprays, powders, or personal wipes to make you smell “better.”

You smell fine without them (and any partner who disagrees should be thrown out along with the products you use).

Soap-free, unscented laundry alternatives are fine, but steer clear of the rest.

Until recently, there was little research into the chemicals in feminine hygiene products and flavored personal lubricants.

We now know that at least some of the ingredients can be toxic to our bodies – and that the mucous membranes in the vagina and vulva quickly absorb all the chemicals without metabolizing them.

5. Vaginal douches

Today they are less popular.

Still, some women can’t quite break the addiction of spraying liquid that often contains vinegar, baking soda, iodine, antiseptics, and fragrances into their vaginas to make them smell “fresh” to their partners.

Rather than keeping you “fresh,” vaginal douches are more likely to cause vaginal odor by disrupting the delicate pH balance of the vagina, flushing out the good bacteria you need to fight infection and causing irritation and burning. .

Douching after sex won’t wash away the semen, so you won’t get pregnant or prevent getting an STI either.

Yes. Some women believe that too.

6. Some brands of period underwear

They look like regular underwear, but have multiple layers of microfiber polyester that soak up menstrual blood to prevent it from leaking onto your clothes.

So far, so good, for people who don’t like using tampons or pads.

But it has been discovered that some period underwear contains hazardous substances known as PFAS on the outer and inner absorbent liners. Ominously referred to as “forever chemicals,” they are a group of long-lasting chemicals used to make products resistant to heat, oil, stains and water.

You’ll find them in things like plastic food coverings and non-stick cookware. They’re as concerning as they sound because they don’t break down easily in the environment — and can seep into your body and build up in you. PFAS have been linked to menstrual irregularities, high blood pressure, and ovarian disease.

If you still want to use them, check the fine print and see if it is ‘PFAS-free’. (PFOA free means it is not free of all PFAS.)

Speaking of menstruation…

7. Sea Sponges

They are heralded as the “natural” alternative to using pads and tampons, but it’s beyond me what is natural to put something that comes from the sea in our vaginas.

They pose a significant security risk.

Research has shown that sea sponges can contain particles of sand, grit, mold, yeast and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus – the bacteria responsible for causing toxic shock syndrome.

Ironic because many women choose to use sponges because they fear getting TSS from tampons.

That’s not all: because they are textured and rough, they can cause small scratches in the body when inserted and removed, making it even easier for bacteria and other contaminants to enter the body.

8. Ice cubes

Sometimes recommended as part of temperature play – erotic experimentation with hot and cold on erogenous zones; also made popular by TikTok videos claiming to tighten by inserting an ice cube into the vagina before sex does it. (It doesn’t).

The problem with ice insertion is that it can stick to the delicate skin of the vagina. If the thought of peeling it off hasn’t put you off, cover it with a condom to create a barrier between you and him.

9. Certain foods

Again, the idea seems sexy. Your partner inserts something into your vagina and enjoys wonderful oral sex. This can work with food that you can easily remove: (unpeeled) bananas, a washed cucumber or carrot.

However, the list of what’s safe is short. Hot, spicy foods and fatty foods upset the pH balance and irritate everything. Bacteria LOVE sugary foods.

Anything else that is a breeding ground for bacteria?

10. Sex toys that have not been cleaned properly

Yes, some are designed to do just that – penetrate your vagina – but your vagina will only like them if they are clean and lubricated.

Most people toss them in the drawer unwashed when they’re done and pick them up again when they’ve had a few and get horny.

Do not. Wipe them down or wash them with a soap-free cleaner (or one specially formulated for sex toys) both before and after use. Rinse well. Dry well.

11. Bad lubricants

Reach for baby oil and you double your chances of bacterial and fungal infections. Vaseline contains petroleum and does the same thing. Both damage condoms.

(If you don’t have any store-bought lube on hand, coconut oil is your best bet.)

If you buy lube, avoid flavored ones – they contain sugar which can cause yeast infections. Lubes with glycerin can do the same. Avoid all lubricants that contain nasty substances such as Nonoxynol-9, perfume and parabens.

Listen to Tracey’s award-winning podcast, SexTok, wherever you listen to your podcasts or at sextokpod.com.