It’s kind of astounding how many times we’ve had to say ‘don’t put ____ in your vagina’.

We blame poor sexual health education, rubbish advice being spread by ‘wellness experts’, and our general discomfort with the perfectly normal scent, taste, and appearance of the vagina and vulva.

As long as people are putting damaging things in their vagina, we will be there, advising people to, well, not do that.

This time around, we’re talking about Vicks VapoRub.


Yep, Vicks VapoRub. The stuff your mum used to rub on your chest when you were sick, and that you rub directly under nose in an attempt to be able to breathe through winter.



It turns out that people are putting Vicks VapoRub both on their vulva (that’s the outer bits of the genitals – the labia and clitoris) and inside their vagina. This is not a good idea.

The reasons people are applying VapoRub to their genitals are mixed.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

A quick Google supplies you with a bunch of recommendations, as well as questions, on how VapoRub can affect your vagina.

Some are using it for sexual purposes, and claim that the tingling sensation of VapoRub on your clit heightens pleasure.

Others reccomend VapuRub as a way to ‘clean’ the vagina, to soothe itching, or even to treat yeast infections.

Both uses are not only ineffective in terms of their reported benefits, but can also cause serious damage. Plus, putting VapoRub on an area as sensitive as the genitals can result in some intense pain.

Remember the story of the woman who got Original Source mint shower gel in her vagina? Using Vicks down there is like that, but ten times worse.

This may seem obvious to anyone who has never even thought to put Vicks on their vag, but if there are a few people doing it, we need to be clear about why it’s not a wise choice.

Let’s start with the sexual pleasure thing.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Yes, applying Vicks to your clitoris (or a penis) would indeed creating a tingling effect, and that could heighten sensation. But that tingling won’t be warm and pleasant. It’ll feel painful, and because VapoRub is designed to stay on your chest throughout the night, it’ll be difficult to rub off without making the pain worse.

If you’re keen to make your clit tingle, there are a bunch of products that are expressly made for that purpose, meaning they’ve been tested for safety and comfort. Durex intense gel is a good place to start.

If you’re reaching for Vicks because you’re embarrassed to buy lubes or sexual enhancement products, that’s a shame (sex is nothing to be ashamed of), but you can always order tingling lubes online from Ann Summers or Lelo.

So, now that sex is done, on to the ‘health’ side of things.



Digging around Google I found that people recommend sticking VapoRub inside the vagina to get rid of vaginal odour, fix yeast infections, ‘detox’ the vagina, and soothe itching.

Vicks VapoRub is not the answer to any of these issues.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Advice varies – some suggest just wiping some Vicks on there, while one site suggests smothering VapoRub on a tampon then inserting it inside the vagina (this same site says ‘you may feel a burning sensation’ – that’s usually a clue that something does not belong in your vagina).

However you apply it, let me be clear: Vicks VapoRub should not go in or around your vagina and vulva for any reason, and suggestions that you use it to ‘detox’ or get rid of ‘odours’ is just another case of people preying on our own insecurities around our vaginas.

Your vagina is not supposed to smell of roses. It is also not supposed to be minty fresh or entirely odourless. Every vagina has its own smell, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If your vagina smells aggressively bad, or its scent changes dramatically, do not reach for DIY remedies. It’s possible you have an infection or a bacterial imbalance, and shoving anything in there, including Vicks, will likely only make this worse. If you’re concerned about the scent of your vagina or vaginal discharge, go to your doctor or a gynaecologist to get checked out.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Vicks as a yeast infection cure – also bad news.

I get where this ‘hack’ comes from. Vicks does have antifungal properties, and many people use it to treat fungal infections on the toes. But Vicks is simply too harsh to be used internally in the vagina, and won’t work to fix an infection.


The best treatment for a yeast infection is – you guessed it – not a home-made remedy but medicine created for this specific purpose. You can get over-the-counter creams from your local pharmacy, or access anti-fungal medication from your GP.

Your vagina does not need a detox of any kind. It is a magical self-cleaning thing that requires no internal washing, douching, or detoxing. Any attempts to detox the vagina will likely disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria and cause infection or irritation.

And, finally, Vicks is not a good way to soothe itching on the vulva, because it’s highly likely to turn your crotch into a minty puddle of pain. If you are experiencing recurring itching internally or externally, chat to your doctor. You are likely to have an infection which cannot be fixed with a product designed to get rid of a chesty cough.

In short: Vaginas and Vicks are both individually great (for very different reasons). They should never, ever mix.

MORE: It’s time to stop putting deodorant on before you work out

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