I never felt ashamed of my vagina until my ex-boyfriend texted me and said I needed to “smell better.” I wanted to reply, “What are you, twelve?” But I was just too embarrassed and ashamed, so I just said nothing. 

In the next few days, I researched feminine washes such as Summer’s Eve and Vagisil. I kept thinking something was wrong with me and the way I smelled. While none of my past sexual partners had told me I needed to freshen up, I couldn’t erase his messages from my mind. I became obsessed with trying to smell like strawberries, lavender, or some other unnatural scent. I didn’t even want to tell my mom or my female friends in fear of being laughed at.

With descriptions such as “Island Splash” and “Delicate Blossom,” I was immediately hooked to Summer’s Eve feminine washes. Their marketing and advertising were geared towards my internal shame. I thought I had found the perfect product to “beautify” my vagina until I began researching the ingredients in the washes and their reputation. 

Turns out, Vagisil, Summer’s Eve, and a plethora of feminine washes are harmful to vaginas. But why would these companies promote these products when they do more harm than good? Senior Danielle Jean-Baptise says feminine washes and the intention behind them are geared towards men and the sexist perspective of how women should smell and taste like. 

“I’m sure if you looked up the founders of all of these brands, they’d be gross white dudes,” she says. “It’s about presentation over pleasure.” 

I’m not the only woman who’s been ashamed of how they smell, taste, or look like. According to PR Newswire, nearly two-thirds of women have felt ashamed of their vagina scent. Why is that? Jean-Baptiste believes the lack of conversation surrounding women’s health and their bodies adds to this uncomfortability.

“I feel like in the healthcare system, there’s such a lack of personalization and an expectation that women are going to take care of themselves,” she says. “Everybody’s vaginas [are] completely different to [the] fingerprint, so I think there definitely needs to be a lot more personalization.” 

To reassure women’s fear of not smelling good enough, Summer’s Eve advertises their washes and wipes as the perfect solution to becoming more “feminine.” Until our vaginas smell like strawberries or coconut, we are not clean or fresh. Why else would Summer’s Eve label their washes as “Blissful Escape?” These advertisements are rooted in the feminine identity and normative standards of femininity, perpetuating the sexist notion that we have to smell or taste a certain scent. 

“I also think that [these] are very sexist forms of ads because delicate?,” Riddhima Dave, a junior journalism major says. “Is it really delicate if a baby comes out of it?” 

I would have known about the harmful effects of these products if my mom or aunt sat down and talked to me about how to clean your vagina. However, I understand why they did not. Having conversations about women’s health and our sexual desires are still taboo topics in society. My mom never talked to me about sex, UTI’s, or my vagina’s health until I began having sex at 17. And even then, she never mentioned how to properly clean my vagina or what products were harmful to my vagina’s health. It wasn’t until I started doing my research—three years later—that I began to understand how to properly care for my genitalia. 

Conversations about women’s health need to be normalized. Women shouldn’t have to feel stigmatized about their vagina’s smell or taste. 

“With Summer’s Eve, I think it’s to make [vaginas] more attractive,” Dave says. “If you’re going on a date with someone, I guess you just want it to taste and smell better. Women have this additional pressure of looking nice, smelling nice, [and] putting more effort into everything they do.”

The pressure to use these products are only a small part of a bigger issue. Why is there a standard for women to shave our legs, do our makeup, or smell good 24/7? Rooted in these expectations is the sexist ideology that women are inherently here only for men and their pleasure. 

But I’m not a doll, and neither is the female population. My name isn’t Barbie, so don’t expect me, or any other woman, to be one.