Actor Gwyneth Paltrow has excelled herself. Her “popular lifestyle website” goop.com carries a recommendation that women steam-clean their vaginas for extra energy, to rebalance female hormones and for a squeaky clean uterus:

The real golden ticket here is the Mugwort V-Steam. You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et al.”

V-Steam is not just any old steam douche, it is an energetic release that balances female hormone levels. It’s available at the Tikkun Spa in Santa Monica. “If you’re in LA, you have to do it.” Which makes me grateful that I’m not.



To give steamed vagina the seriousness it doesn’t deserve, let’s see if there’s any science behind the extravagant claims. Mugwort, for instance, is an aromatic herb used in Chinese traditional medicine and as a food flavouring. In South Korea it’s used in rice cakes and soup. And in LA it’s used to steam vaginas.

Vaginal steams help women. That you haven't heard of something doesn't make it suspect | Katinka Locascio Read more

Infrared is electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelength than visible light and it makes up about half of all sunlight. Hot objects like the sun emit infrared energy, which is absorbed by black matte surfaces and reflected by light, shiny surfaces. The vagina is more matt black than shiny white so will absorb heat to an extent.

But heating the vagina isn’t necessary; it’s kept at body temperature (37C), which is perfect. Any hotter and unwanted bacteria and yeasts such as candida will proliferate, normal enzymes start to get sluggish and increased blood flow due to the heat will make the vagina itchy.

The water vapour in steam isn’t a good idea either. The vagina is kept naturally well lubricated with oily substances. Water isn’t hydrating to cells. On the contrary, water can wash away natural oils, leaving the vagina poorly lubricated and more prone to cuts and irritation. Thrush, caused by an overgrowth of candida, thrives on warm, damp conditions, so is a definite risk from steaming.

All of our orifices, including ears, nose, anus and vagina, are essentially self- cleaning. The pH of the vagina, natural mix of bacteria that live in it, mucus plug that sits at the top of the vagina and lining of the womb all work harmoniously and effectively together to ensure that bugs from the outside world generally don’t invade upwards from the vagina to the fallopian tubes. Infection can happen from sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive coils or other surgical procedures. But mostly it’s a very well-run system.

The claim that the steam clean could balance hormones is irrational. Hormones are produced by organs such as the brain and ovaries, travel in the bloodstream and have specific effects on their target organs. Steaming the vagina cannot possibly impact on hormone levels. I urge you to put the kettle away, throw the mugwort in some soup and consciously uncouple from this website.

