Scefing your intimacy to feel cooler, more desirable, more feminine? It is the promise of intimate musks, these small bottles with bewitching scents that attract more and more women. Carried as a sensual secret, they apply in underwear or the skin, as close as possible to erogenous zones. Their success is such that some people already consider them as new niche perfumes … for the mucous membranes.
Intimate musk, between seduction and marketing
For some time, the intimate musk stands out as an essential for women’s routines. Presented as a discreet bodily fragrance intended for the most sensitive areas, it seduces with its soft, oriental, almost aphrodisiac smell. On social networks, tutorials flourish: apply a drop in underwear, inside the thighs or even directly on the genital lips. The product is praised as natural, traditional, sometimes even “beneficial”.
But beyond the glamorous effect, a concern rises on the side of gynecologists. “We touch an extremely fragile area. The vaginal mucosa is not made to support scented substances, even of natural origin”, alerts the Dre Hélène Jacquemin Le Vern, gynecologist in Paris. Because under the exotic scents, the ingredients sometimes remain opaque: essential oils allergenic, synthetic perfumes, irritating preservatives …
The recurring use of these products could alter the vaginal microbiota, this flora of protective bacteria which naturally regulates the acidity of the vagina. And an unbalanced flora is the door open to infections.
Vaginal flora: an ecosystem as subtle as it is essential
The vagina is not a space that must be “deodorized”. It is self-cleaning, protected by a flora composed mainly of lactobacillithese good bacteria which prevent pathogenic germs from proliferating. This micro-universe works with a watchful precision, and the slightest imbalance-stress, antibiotics, excessive hygiene-can cause microbial chaos.
Apply scented or oily products, even natural, can:
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Modify the vaginal pH (normally acidic, around 4.5)
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Destroy or disrupt lactobacilli
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Promote yeast, vaginosis, irritation, even STIs in the event of lesions
Professor Pierre Panel, head of service at the Antoine-Béclère hospital, goes further: “We receive more and more young women who have chronic irritation or flora imbalances, often linked to these new fashionable products.” The concern is that the effect is sometimes delayed. A repeated application for several weeks may seem without consequences … until the symptoms arise.
Some brands play the card of the “100 % natural”, arguing that their musks are of vegetable or mineral origin. But this label does not guarantee safety: musk oil can be comedogenic, and even natural extracts can irritate an area as sensitive as the vulva.
A social and olfactory pressure that questions
Why this sudden need to flavor such an intimate area? Did the natural smell of the female body stop being acceptable? The question is not trivial. Behind the boom of intimate musks, there is an insidious discourse: that of “freshness”, “cleanliness”, and above all “desirability”. Products target young women, often influenced by viral content on Tiktok or Instagram where seduction also involves body scent.
“This cult of the perfect smell pushes us to erase all traces of naturalness, to theuspticization”, denounces Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, feminist philosopher. For her, this olfactory injunction contributes to a form of control of the female body.
However, some women testify to reasoned use without side effects. “I put it once a week, just for me, because I love this smell,” says Lina, 28. But even in small quantities, it all depends on the formulation. And few consult a professional before using it.
The most ironic? Vaginal smell is a health indicator. If it changes or becomes unpleasant, it is often the sign of an imbalance that it is better to treat, rather than hide.
Photo credit: @Shutterstock
