Style
This Is What A Vagina Skin Care Routine Actually Entails & Let Me Tell You, It's A LOT
When you hear the words “skin care regimen,” you’re likely greeted with memories of the three-step routine from a department store beauty counter that you followed in high school. Maybe you’re reminded of your current tried and true skin care routine. Maybe you’re like me, and your skin care routine is essentially just a simple face wash and moisturizer.
Whatever you think of when you think of skin care, you probably equate the “skin” in skin care to the skin on your face — but why don’t we have ornate three-step beauty routines for the skin on other parts of our bodies? Say, our vaginas? Well, Avonda Nelson Urben, founder of The Perfect V, had the same question. So Urben developed an entire line of beauty products for the dainty V-shaped pubic area between your legs (no, not your actual vagina, unless you want a one-way ticket to Yeast Infection-ville).
As someone who’s not a stranger to pubic beauty products (I’ve been obsessed with Fur Oil ever since I sampled some in 2016), I figured my V could use some pampering. Did using five separate products for my pubic area seem excessive? Absolutely. Was I willing to try it anyway? You bet!
The Routine
Vanicure Essentials, $58, The Perfect V
If I was going to dedicate myself to a full V routine, I figured I might as well do it right. So, I reached out to The Perfect V to get its recommended skincare routine. For its “Vanicure Essentials” kit (one of its most popular products) they recommend using the Gentle Wash, the Gentle Exfoliator, and the VV Cream — in that order.
I wanted to use all the products I had, so I sort of made up my own routine. Here’s what I tried to stick to every day, in order, for a little over a week: Gentle Exfoliator, Gentle Wash, VV Serum, Very V beauty cream, VV Beauty Mist.
I initially tried bringing both the exfoliator and gentle wash into the shower with me, but I felt that the exfoliator wasn’t strong enough when combined with water. Instead, I used the exfoliator pre-shower (they recommend two times a week), then used the gentle wash in the shower. I wished it had come with a mitt, but I had my own (from my Fur Oil) that I used instead.
Once I dried off, I spread the serum and then the beauty cream on my pubic area just like I would regular lotion. Lastly, I gave myself a slightly chilly spritz. I also used one VV Beauty Sheet, which really just felt like those wipes you use before peeing into a cup at the doctor’s.
I used the products pre-wax (AKA when my vag was a forest), and post-wax (when my V was smooth as a baby’s bottom). Both extremes seemed to do fine with the products, but the products definitely felt more refreshing in the few days after I had waxed.
I followed this process for about a week, and now I have some serious thoughts about the whole process. I’ve summed up the good, mediocre, and bad points of my experience with The Perfect V’s products.
The V Good
One of the best things about The Perfect V’s Vanicure kits? They’re super discreet. I brought my products along with me on a family vacation, and two of my three sisters mistook my VV Cream for lotion at separate times. As an added bonus, the products in the Vanicure Essentials kit are all small enough to take in your carry-on bag.
Another thing I like about the products is that they are unscented, which made me doubly confident in using them on my more sensitive parts. Besides, who wants their vag to smell like a super fruity body spray? Not I.
The V Mediocre
While none of The Perfect V’s products gave me any irritation, I can’t say I saw any real benefits or changes in my V. But to be fair, the products don’t really promise anything super concrete to begin with.
According to its site, the exfoliator will "replenish skin," the VV Cream will "moisturize and condition skin," and the VV Serum "brightens and soothes."
Have you ever taken a good hard look at your coochie to see if it looked "brighter" than it did last week? I'll save you the before and after pics and just tell you that I didn't really see any difference. If anything, I actually felt less moisturized and less soothed than normal in the couple days post-wax.
The V Bad
I’m no Vanicure expert, but trying to use five products a day on my vag was a lot harder than I anticipated. I regularly forgot to bring the exfoliator and wash into the shower with me, or I forgot to use the other products post-shower.
If you're on a budget (and who isn't?), you might not want to be dropping $58 on pubic beauty products. Yes, spending an extra 10 minutes on my vagina skin care routine made me feel pampered, but so does getting my nails done once a month.
The Final Verdict
Let's talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? There are way too many brands designing products specifically to monetize the thousands of insecurities women have about their vaginas (remember these ridiculous Vaginal Detox Pearls?). And it did, in fact, cross my mind that the Vanicure set could be one of those products. I had my doubts — after all, the word “perfect” when used to describe someone’s nether regions sounds a bit unrealistic, doesn’t it? However, Urben tells me that The Perfect V was not made for women trying to please their boo with the perfect pubic area. That's possibly why some products may seem a little unnecessary or lacking in specific purpose.
“Companies have traditionally focused on all the problems women may have [in their nether regions] — odor, bumps, in-grown hairs, discoloration, etc. but don’t focus on the end benefits — like beautiful smooth skin,” Urben tells me.
Instead of feeling like you "need" to use a cream to eradicate your ingrown hairs before your big date with Jesse, the purpose of The Perfect V is to indulge in a VV Beauty Spritz because you're feelin' yourself. Spending extra time pampering yourself for you and not to please a partner? I think that's something we can all get behind.
Urben also reminded me that unlike many of the brands we interact with daily, The Perfect V is a company created by a woman for other women. Although not all women have vaginas, The Perfect V's focus on the "V" pubic area means that you don't actually need female anatomy to use it. In fact, Urben told me that I could technically let my boyfriend borrow my products if I wanted to.
While I would never tell you what to put on your vagina (or in it, for that matter), I personally won't be continuing my five-step V routine because I didn't really see a difference in my lady bits after a week. But, just like Urben mentioned to me, it’s all about you and your vag. If you want to supplement your weekly manicures with a Vanicure — go on and do the damn thing.
