Kourtney Kardashian has launched ‘vaginal health’ gummies with her new brand Lemme, and lemme tell you… people have opinions.
The reality star shared the news of her new Lemme Purr sweeties with a video campaign that showed her being circled by cats (purr, cats, pussy… yeah, we get it) as she lays back in a yellow outfit, before popping a gummy as she looks at the camera.
The caption: "Your 🐱 is going to love this… Meet Lemme Purr: our new vaginal health gummy! Vaginal health is such an important part of a woman’s overall well-being (and not talked about enough) which is why we are so excited to launch this! Give your vagina the sweet treat it deserves (and turn it into a sweet treat). You know what they say… you are what you eat.
“We combined real pineapple and Vitamin C with the power of clinically-studied SNZ 1969™ probiotics to target vaginal health and pH levels that support freshness and taste.”
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“As women, we know that sex is about more than just sex. But so many of us don’t talk about it.”
There were plenty of us folks with vaginas who took issue with such a product launch, not least because it implies that there is something inherently wrong with the taste and smell of said vaginas, which supposedly needs fixing. The implication is that in order to satisfy, our vaginas should taste and smell sweet, no?
“Another example of marketing unnecessary products [sic] to women to make them feel insecure enough to buy it,” one commenter wrote. Another: “This is ridiculous. It's not supposed to smell or taste sweet. If it does something is wrong. Don't buy into this nonsense!”
“Seriously? No. One. Needs. This,” a further replied.
While there's been significant backlash to the launch post, elsewhere the reaction is more mixed – on TikTok, influencers are already starting to promote Lemme Purr. On a video in which Kourtney introduces the product – “If you want a yummy pussy, this is for you,” – there are worrying amounts of young people that are buying into it.
“Bought as soon as I could this morning! Can't wait to try it,” one writes, with another replying: “I just bought three bottles yessss!”
It's one to add to your watch list NOW.
The trope that vaginas smell or taste bad is one that has incited sexual shame in women for years. It's medical fact that the vagina self regulates and cleans itself, and any marketing ploy that suggests otherwise is simply playing into insecurity and furthering harmful stereotypes about vulvas. Not to mention: if there is something abnormal (for you) about your body, your first port of call should be your doctor, not a Kardashian.
Kourtney Kardashian, as someone who is open and unapologetic about her sexuality, should know better. At the time of writing, she hasn't responded to any of the backlash about the gummies.
“The idea that we can alter the taste of our vaginas is absurd. No validated clinical data suggests you can, or should, change the way your vagina tastes, and the idea that pineapple can improve the way our vaginas taste is untrue,” says Valentina Milanova, founder of Daye, a gynaecological research and development company.
She adds: “It's also deeply misogynistic, as it implies that vaginas should taste a certain way to be pleasant or accepted.”
Psychosexual therapist and sex expert for sex toy brand LELO, Kate Moyle, tells GLAMOUR that these harmful marketing messages can cause problems when it comes to intimacy and self image.
“Telling people that their bodies are not okay as they are can create shame and embarrassment around the natural body. That shame can have a lot of impact on body confidence, how we feel about ourselves, and self-image in terms of genitals and factors like sex and intimacy,” she says.
“As a psychotherapist, I often hear women describing that they thought much to do with their bodies were dirty or something to be ashamed of – and we can carry these messages with us.”
It's important to understand.
“We need to normalise that bodies are like bodies – in ways that people will notice that their partners also have a certain smells, and that it isn’t something that should be ‘scented’ in a certain way. The core message is: bodies are bodies and we should all learn to accept that, instead of modifying them in a way that makes them not body-like, or unnatural.”
While it is a fact that maintaining a natural pH in the vagina is necessary to avoid problems, symptoms or infection, this is something the body regulates by itself – but if anything changes, it's important to see a doctor rather than resorting to supplements or other products.
“The best way to keep your vaginal flora healthy is by avoiding douching and excessive cleaning with perfumed materials – only warm water is necessary to clean, so that normal skin oils and normal bacteria are not removed,” says Narendra Pisal, consultant gynaecologist at London Gynaecology.
Actually, avoiding the use of ‘vagina scenting’ products is advised, so you can notice if there are any abnormal changes that you might need checking out.
Vaginal discharge symptoms you should see your doctor about
- If there is a different colour discharge (yellow, green or even pinkish or red) – green discharge is often a sign of infection such as candida or bacterial vaginosis. It can also happen due to presence of retained foreign body, such as a tampon.
- If there is a strong odour associated with discharge – this could be because of bacterial vaginosis or candida infection.
- If it is a significant change from your ‘normal’ pattern. It is normal to get creamy whitish discharge which can increase at certain times during the menstrual cycle. However, ‘normal’ can mean different things to different people and if your discharge has changed, you should see your GP. Excessive amount of discharge can be caused by some common and benign conditions such as cervical polyp and cervical ectropion.
- If your discharge is associated with pelvic pain or itching or temperature
- A watery discharge may indicate leakage of urine or (in pregnancy) amniotic fluid.
- If you have a sudden increase in discharge that continues for a number of weeks you should seek medical attention promptly. This can again be due to infections or retained tampon.
- If your discharge is associated with abnormal bleeding such as bleeding after sex, it is important to see your doctor.
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