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.
