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Odile Bagot (Gynecologist-obstetrician)
On TikTok, a beauty influencer recently advised using chemical boric acid directly in the vagina to “no longer have any odor” and stay fresh, especially before intercourse. An absurd and dangerous act that scandalizes experts.
Staying “fresh” and perfect at all costs, even in your privacy, is what Alisson Hoeller, an American beauty TikToker, suggests in a story. And for this, the 28-year-old young woman assures her: there is nothing like a chemical tablet purchased on the internet to place directly in the vagina.
Lose “all smell and taste” with boric acid
Her tip, which she presents as an incredible discovery, is to take a boric acid tablet, to be placed 24 to 48 hours before intercourse, in the vagina. “All you do is take one tablet and the next day there will be absolutely no smell.” she enthuses on the network. “It’s the routine to make sure you smell good and taste good.”she continues, ensuring that your vagina will have nothing other than “the smell of water.
This is not the first time, however, that a young woman has sought an alternative to give her vagina a “good smell”, or no smell. Last year, for example, Kourtney Kardashian launched a range of gummies supposed to give a “fruity” taste to female intimacy. Other advice, such as inserting a clove of garlic, also comes up regularly on the internet.
A chemical used in insecticides
In addition to the questions that this quest raises (why be obsessed with your body odor?), it is the intake of boric acid that worries professionals. Boric acid, generally used as an insecticide, is also present in low doses in certain pharmaceutical products, notably those intended to treat certain resistant vaginal infections. But it should not be taken daily, at the risk of damaging the balance of the vagina.
Worse, this habit poses a health risk. In England, Dr Philippa Kaye, a specialist in women’s health problems, was quick to react in the DailyMail :
“Boric acid is an astringent – a type of chemical that shrinks or tightens body tissues – and is found to be too harsh on vaginal tissues, increasing the risk of irritation and evenSTI.”
“The vagina is filled with vaginal microbiota made up of good, healthy bacteria that we want to leave alone.”she adds. “Boric acid doesn’t differentiate between the destruction of good bacteria and an overgrowth of yeast, so it kills everything.”
No, your vagina does not need to be perfumed or refreshed
The other problem addressed in this story is this need to give your vagina a flowery, fruity taste, or that of “water”, as a hygiene gesture which has no place according to the doctors.
In a previous article, gynecologist Odile Bagot, member of our committee of experts, reminded us:
“The vagina is self-cleaning and presents a balance through its flora and secretions. What is being touted here is that a (product) could modify vaginal secretions, and affect their pH in particular. But it’s impossible! The only food that can possibly affect the pH of cervical mucus is Vichy water. Some women are sometimes recommended to drink a lot of it, to alkalize their vagina, during certain fertility problems. But otherwise nothing else!”
Vaginal secretions, moreover, are not “dirty”. They alone provide a protective environment and ensure natural lubrication.
In the event of a strong odor, it is not towards a tablet or a gummie that you should direct yourself, but towards a doctor’s office. “If you notice that your vagina smells different than normal and you think the smell is obnoxious and disgusting, that’s a sign that something may be going on and you need to get checked out.” concludes Dr Philippa Kaye in the English daily.
Slide: Everything you shouldn’t put in your vagina