Let's Call A Spade A Spade
The snake oil salesman and women are at it again. We had the tummy tea phase, them body wraps, herbal drinks and now we’re in the yoni soap phase. Yoni soap is just soap (at best). If you know anything about soap making you can look at the ingredients, if the seller lists them fully, and tell that it’s just soap. Many times it is a simple melt and soap base (like the image on the right) that you can get at hobby lobby or Amazon. This type of soap will definitely do more damage than good.
If someone is pitching you on this marked up soap with claims of vaginal tightening, menstrual cramps alleviation, and a miraculous pH balancing cleanse, run! Seriously, it’s alarming to think that anyone would try to use a personal concern or issue to sell you overpriced soap. If you want to spend $20 on a bar of glycerin soap go for it, but don’t believe that you are getting anything more than a skin cleaning product.
What Is Yoni Soap?
It’s often called yoni or vulva soap. This soap is marketed as a pH balancing soap treatment for your vaginal region. They will make unfounded claims that their soap will rid you of vaginal odor, cure yeast infections, alleviate menstrual cramps and even balance your pH. PLEASE THINK. If there was a miracle soap that could do that wouldn’t your OB/GYN prescribe or recommend it to you? That was a rhetorical question.
Many times you will find that a full ingredient list is not available or completely incorrect. There are even some soaps that list the primary ingredient as honey or turmeric. There is no way that you have more honey or turmeric in a bar of soap than oil or butter. In addition to that you often see botanicals, colorants and fragrances that should not be used on or around your vulva.
If you have taken a health class in school you may have learned that one thing that there are things that you should not introduce to your nether regions. If you are going to use a soap ‘down there’ then it should at the very least be fragrance free.
Is Yoni Soap Safe?
As regular bar of soap, most likely. You should review the full ingredient list. You may be under the impression that you are getting a miracle bar of soap packed with moisturizing, cleansing and rejuvenating ingredients; in actuality you might end up with a fragrance filled bar of glycerin soap that can reek further havoc on your pH balance and skin.Â
The fact that there are sellers marketing these products to you illegally should be a major red flag. Keep in mind that it is against the law in the United States to make medical claims for your products without receiving FDA approval for your soap. Plain and simple, these products have not been tested to see if they actually do what they are claiming to do. Fun fact, they don’t seek approval because they know the claims are unfounded.
The misinformation about these products and what they claim do is spreading like wildfire. Great, you’re who-ha smells like candied apples, but you’re dry and your pH balance is still off the kilter. If you just have to do it, you just need that bar of soap, at least speak to your healthcare professional first.
Is Yoni Soap A Scam?
Yes. If you are buying these products under the impression of fixing a vaginal issue, you are being scammed out of your money. You can use a gentle color/fragrance free bar of soap. 99% of Yoni soap sellers do not have the FDA testing and approval to back their claims. If you end causing more damage to your precious body the only recourse you have is to go after the seller.Â
The soap is unmedicated. The claims that yoni soap sellers are bold face lies. There’s only so many times that you can try to explain that the claims are false. If there was medical backing and testing for their soaps the sellers would make that information readily available.
In the United States you cannot make medical claims without going through the proper channels to get an item approved before going to market. Didn’t we all watch this happen with the pickle lady and the pink sauce lady? Soap sellers have flown under the radar for some times because people believe that they are going to eventually be cured with a colorful, scented bar of soap.
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Final Thoughts
As long as humans have roamed this planet there have been out there that will try to get over on others for personal gain. This new fade is no different. When it comes to your body and wellbeing you shouldn’t put blind faith in the trending thing. These products are being touted as cosmetics and drugs based on US law. Even if the soap was manufactured in another country, the same laws apply.
As a soap maker it grinds my gears to see that people are making such claims. Soap, when created with the intention to clean your skin it great in it’s own regard. We love making soap that cleans your skin and serves as a temporary piece of art. Then you see bars of soap that are clearly melt and pour (a simple premade mixture that you melt down and add color and fragrance to) and it feels like someone is going to tarnish the handcrafted soap industry for their own monetary gain. If that’s what you want in a bar of soap, there are similar types for sale at the Dollar Tree.Â
Hopefully this trend dies down soon, but it will only be a matter of time before the next scam rears it head into the game. If you have a vaginal issue, speak to your doctor. Would you drink a green drink that only listed water, turmeric and honey as its ingredients? I hope not.