Neon yellow gummies with a pineapple flavor supposed to provide protection, intimate serums with refined packaging, precious oils to “re-enchant” the vulva… Alongside classic medications, these new products almost look like lifestyle accessories. In just a few years, vaginal wellness has become a full-fledged segment of the wellness market, with its best-sellers and very Instagrammable codes. And that’s only part of the story.
Because behind these gummies launched by Kourtney Kardashian, behind the “expert” cleansers or lightening creams, a much larger universe emerges: that of intimate peels, hyaluronic acid injections, lasers and surgeries designed to reshape the vulva. According to the International Society of Plastic Surgery, the number of labiaplasties has increased by 37% since 2016. How has this vaginal well-being market been able to grow so quickly?
Gummies, serums and routines: how vaginal well-being became a business
With Lemme Purr, Kourtney Kardashian’s brand, food supplements for intimate flora have taken on the appearance of pop treats: fluorescent yellow color, candy texture, playful communication. These gummies, highlighted as one of the brand’s best-sellers, combine different strains of probiotics, vitamin C and pineapple extracts, all presented as an easy gesture to support the vagina on a daily basis.
On the other hand, some brands prefer the discreet luxury card. The high-end brand Barbara Sturm has launched a cleanser and serum dedicated to the intimate area, with bottles elegant enough to sit on the edge of the bathtub. They promise to gently purify and maintain a pH deemed optimal in order to limit the proliferation of bacteria and yeast. In the same vein, the Japanese brand Waphyto has imagined a complete protocol for the vulva, from cleanser to lightening cream, including an Intimate Oil sold for 108 euros for 30 ml, supposed to help fight against vaginal dryness.
From beauty ritual to intimate surgery: how far is the vaginal well-being market going?
This attention to the appearance of the vulva is not entirely new. , underlines Sara Piazza, psychologist and author of (Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme), cited by ELLE. , she continues. Current gynecological recommendations, however, remind us that this meticulous care does not meet a physiological necessity and that in terms of intimate hygiene, too much can disrupt the natural balance.
And then, the market no longer stops at products placed on the edge of the sink. Aesthetic medicine centers today offer hyaluronic acid injections to hydrate the vulvo-genital area, intimate peels or laser treatments aimed at a firming effect. The use of intimate surgery is also increasing, with labiaplasty – an operation which reduces the size of the labia minora – on the front line. Market reports suggest annual growth of around 13.2% in the “vaginal rejuvenation” segment by 2031, which clearly places vaginal well-being among the strong areas of femtech and sexual well-being today.
“Ideal” vulva, injunctions and real question behind vaginal well-being
For Sara Piazza, this commercial boom is part of a broader movement. , she notes. , adds the psychologist. Between the pornographic imagination, retouched images and social networks, these criteria end up merging with a sort of implicit standard.
In this context, the vaginal well-being market is not limited to relieving dryness or occasional discomfort: it also offers to get closer to an “ideal”, standardized vulva. Marketing promises play on several registers at the same time, from health (“balance flora”, “maintain pH”) to aesthetics (“brighten”, “firm”), while mobilizing the vocabulary of well-being and self-confidence. For caregivers, the question remains to distinguish situations where targeted care or an intervention can respond to real discomfort, from those where a product mainly feeds complexes shaped by these new standards.
- So-called “perfect” vulva: rounded, pink, smooth, hairless, without visible labia minora.
