We’re so grateful to be living in the modern era. Think about it: just one hundred years ago, women were wearing restrictive corsets and layers upon layers of thick petticoats. (Can you imagine how uncomfortable that must have been on a hot summer day?! Not to mention the physical repercussions of those tight waist cinchers. No, thank you!) Yes, it’s true: some of trends are better left in the past.
As history has progressed, the desire for comfort and safety has slowly started to win over aesthetics or outdated standards (thank goodness!) Of course, we’ve still got some work to do. The next item we could all benefit from leaving behind? Scented period products.
We’ve talked about the dangers of conventional period products before. But the subject of fragrance (especially when it comes to your vagina!) is one that’s worth diving a little deeper into.
We’re just going to say it: your vagina is kind of a big deal. It is perfectly designed to do its job, and the less we do to interfere with its miraculous makeup, the better. When you introduce scented products to the area, a few not-so-desirable things start to happen:
- opposite of what the purpose they are intended to do. When you insert these products in your body, they can actually multiply odor causing bacteria, not eliminate it. Over time, the use of these products can lead to bacterial overgrowth, or bacterial vaginosis. This could cause exactly the types of smells you’re trying to avoid by using the products in the first place! Crazy, right?
- Since the skin in your vagina is extremely absorbent, inserting these chemicals may be even more harmful than, say, ingesting them through your stomach, which has natural detoxifying systems in place. This gives the toxins found in scented products direct access to your bloodstream – which is a big red flag!
- Once these toxins hit your blood stream, the synthetic chemicals found in most fragrances may cause hormone disruption, birth defects, infertility, or even cancer. Can you say, yikes?!
So, why were these products introduced to the market in the first place? It can be hard to know for sure, but one theory is that they were designed to market to women’s insecurities. Which brings us to the biggest point of all: there is nothing (we repeat, NOTHING!) to be ashamed of when it comes to your period.
If you’re still worried about vaginal odor, most times a thorough (but gentle!) cleansing with water will do the trick. If strong odors persist, it may be a good idea to check it out with your doctor. If you’ve relied on scented products for a long time, and the thought of ditching them makes you nervous, just know that menstruation is the most natural process in the world, and is actually the vagina’s way of cleansing itself. Anything that tells you differently is just another form of menstrual shame. So next time you visit the feminine products aisle – just say no to that shame, and the products that promote it.
Here’s to a better period,
Tara and the BPP team
QUIZ: ARE YOU A PERIOD PRO?
PERIOD 2GO KITS
TIPS FOR PARENTS & GIRLS SERIES
BPP’s weekly email series will provide you with the tools you need to confidently prepare for the time ahead.
BETTER YOUR PERIOD ACTION GUIDE
MENSTRUAL SELF CARE GUIDE
MENSTRUAL CUP 101
HORMONE BALANCING TEA FOR CRAMPS & HOT FLASHES
That was so interesting.. we already know how bad to our health scented product is. Thanks for sharing this!