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Sorry Gwyneth...
I love Gwyneth Paltrow just as much as the next girl but I'm not exactly giddy at the prospect of squatting over a bowl of hot, herb-infused, water for the benefit of my precious yoni, sorry girl.
What is Yoni Herbal Steaming?
Yoni herbal steaming or vaginal steaming has been used in ancient medicine for centuries and has been recently popularized by celebrities, causing an increase in vaginal steaming treatments at beauty spas.
The water is most commonly infused with the following herbs;
Basil
Calendula
Milk Thistle
Motherwort
Rose
The above combination of herbs is the most popular, but of course, it all depends on what you want from the treatment. Vaginal steaming has been said to help with fertility, menstruation, cleansing of the uterus, vaginal tightening, and more.
From placing a metal bowl in the toilet, carving a hole in your favourite chair, to purchasing special yoni steam seats, this treatment is foolproof and somewhat inexpensive. The reviews are there, people have noticed positive changes to their bodies and even their minds. This is one of those things that you either try or pass, some people seek guidance from modern day medicine while others look for more earthy, spiritual, non-scientific solutions. There aren't people who are aggressively on the other side of this treatment except for maybe gynecologists, but otherwise, the decision is yours, it's all about you and the relationship you have with your body, or better yet, your precious yoni.
Here are 3 problems with Yoni Herbal Steaming:
1. There is no scientific evidence:
As a person who always turns to the trusty online medical community every time I get even the slightest sign of a headache, I guess I think science is a big deal. There is no actual scientific backing for vag steaming. Although the herbs used have their individual benefits, it is unknown how vaginal steam could affect your yoni. OB/GYN's warn that if pregnant, a woman’s developing baby could also be affected and some herbs may cause miscarriage. No one should use steam or herbs on their vagina if they’re expecting but there are still risks for those not expecting. According to several professionals whose specialty is vaginal health, there is very little chance that the steam would penetrate vaginal tissues, let alone reach the uterus or regulate hormones, and improve fertility. One benefit may be that the moist heat from the steam increases blood flow to the vaginal area, though this isn’t well-studied.
2. The vagina has its own process thank you very much
Your Yoni is perfectly capable of taking care of itself. A self-cleaning organ, you and your vagina can get along well with no fuss, no special soaps or treatments. The vagina uses discharge to clean itself and to carry dead cells and bacteria out of the body to prevent infections. So unless your discharge looks different than you're used to, you are fine. There is a reason why our mothers always tell us not to wash inside our vaginas. You can clean the outside with your shower gel or mild, scent-free soap and absolutely no douching. Awesome right?
3. You could get burnt...down there (ouch!)
Trapping your vagina with so much steam hardly seems like a great idea. The vagina has a lot of sensitive tissue and attacking your body with so much heat could damage that tissue and cause a lot of damage with a possibility of infection. The chances of you coming in direct contact with the hot water are unlikely but hey, you could slip and have an accident, and I would much rather not put myself in that position to begin with.
Gwyneth Paltrow may have championed the treatment on her blog Goop, but I would err on the side of caution and skip that albeit tempting vaginal steaming sesh.
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