Experts urge women not to use Vicks' VapoRub to 'tingle and cleanse' their vaginas as they warn bizarre internet trend could lead to infections

  • Forums claim the ointment can boost sex lives, cure thrush and add fragrance
  • Blogs encourage women to apply the tingling ointment to clitorises and penises
  • Experts argue applying a balm could worsen infections by disrupting bacteria
  • Vaginas are self-cleaning; need to apply fragrance is a sign something is wrong 
  • Women should use gentle, unfragranced soaps to clean the surrounding area

Experts are urging women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks' Vaporub after a bizarre internet trend has spurred many to experience tingling in their genitalia.

Online forums and blogs claim the ointment, intended to soothe an irritating cough, can boost women's sex lives, clean the intimate area, cure thrush and even maintain a pleasant odour on the vagina.

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VapoRub, which gives users a tingling sensation when applied on the chest, apparently elicits the same gentle tickling feeling when put on intimate areas, leading blogs to suggest women smear it on their clitoris or men's penises. 

Some forums also claim the ointment could cure vaginal thrush, however, experts argue applying such products could introduce infections or make them worse by disrupting the intimate area's bacteria.

The need to apply VapoRub as a fragrance to the vagina, which is self-cleaning, is also concerning, as genitalia should not have a strong odour.  

Experts urge women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks' Vaporub after an internet trend

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T CLEAN VAGINAS WITH CUCUMBERS: TREND INCREASES RISK OF INFECTIONS 

A doctor warned women earlier this month not to use a cucumber as a douche for the vagina in a bizarre and dangerous trend that is sweeping the web.

Dubbed the 'vagina facial', the craze involves inserting the peeled salad staple into your intimate parts before twisting it around for approximately 20 minutes.

Bloggers claim the fruit's high vitamin content sanitises genitals and gives vagina's a pleasant odour.

Certain forums add cucumbers can even reduce a woman's chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections.

Yet an expert has warned the practice could actually leave women at a greater risk of infections, like gonorrhoea and even HIV.

Canadian gynaecologist Dr Jen Gunter says washing with a cucumber upsets the natural pH balance of intimate areas.

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Women risking thrush  

The trend to apply VapoRub as a cleanser or fragrance could lead to women developing vaginal thrush or bacterial vaginosis, with experts arguing vaginas are self-cleansing via naturally-occurring discharge.

The need to apply a fragrance to combat an odour is a sign something is wrong and should be checked by a doctor.

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Contrary to what some blogs suggest, VapoRub, which remains on the skin for hours, will also not cure an existing thrush infection and could even make it worse by further disrupting the vagina's bacteria.  

Dr Vanessa Mackay, a gynaecologist and spokeswomen for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told The Sun: 'It [the vagina] contains good bacteria, which are there to protect it from infections.

'Disturbing the natural flora through extensive cleaning can lead to infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush, and inflammation.

'Use plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area around the vagina [the vulva], not inside it, gently every day.'