There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding vaginal health—and it makes sense. For whatever reason, vaginas are not a popular topic. From periods to sexual health and everything in between, many of us were raised in a culture where our bodies and their natural functions were considered taboo or risqué; vagina was a word to be whispered. So, when a Summer’s Eve commercial showed beautiful, happy women frolicking through daisy fields and told us we needed “special lady soap” to keep clean, our lack of education and embarrassment around the topic led us to kindly oblige without second thought.

I’ll never forget my first visit to a gynecologist. I was 21 years old and I had been dealing with chronic UTIs for the past few months. Gathering details, my doctor asked me if I used any “feminine” soaps or products. Ok, Pause: You know when you get really excited to answer a question because you think you have the right answer? That’s how I responded when I quickly said “Yes! I‘ve been using these special wipes!” She looked up from her computer and said “Stop using those immediately.” Yikes.

Why such a strong reaction on her part? Because vaginas clean themselves! They’re not dirty. They’re not gross. They’re freaking self-cleaning. That’s pretty BA, if you ask me.

Maybe you know this about vaginas, but you’re thinking "It can’t  hurt to use these soaps, just to be safe.” But that’s where you’re wrong.

First of all, feminine washes often contain parabens, phthalates and even formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing agents—all of which are linked to cancer. The vagina is one of the most absorbent part of your body, so you don’t want to give these nasty toxins easy access to your body. Second, our vaginas have an extremely delicate pH system, where strong artificial fragrances and abrasive sulfates can throw it out of sorts. It’s best to steer clear of these even if they claim to not disrupt the vaginal ecosystem. Third, the chemicals in these soaps can actually cause infections! In addition, many people will have allergic reactions or experience vaginal dryness. Lastly, your vagina has good bacteria that helps stave off the bad bacteria. However, when you add in chemicals that change the pH of the environment, the vaginal microbiome can no longer adequately neutralize the bad bacteria when it enters in.

Basically, If vaginas were supposed to smell like a rose garden, they would do so naturally. If you need to feel clean, plain old water is the best option.

So, back to the doctor visit. After hearing that these soaps could be contributing to a lot of my pain and discomfort, my next question was, “Soooo if we don’t need them, why do they even make feminine washes?” She straight up looked at me and said, “To make money”.

There it is, folks. As women, we’re bombarded with advertisements that tell us what we need to fix in order to pay our rent in this world. Grow long, luscious hair—but not on your legs or your arms or your vagina. Have a skinny waist, but also have a huge booty and D-cup chest. Shame is a marketing tool that generates millions upon millions of dollars.

It’s the same thing for feminine washes: Does your vagina need to be cleaned? Nope. Is your vagina supposed to smell like cucumber melon? Not at all. Are these products safe for your vaginal health? No. But if a company can shame you into feeling dirty, gross and un-feminine in order to make money they will do so every time.

Do you like being a pawn in the shame game? Then vote with your dollars & stop buying these terrible products! You are beautiful and fully feminine even if your vagina doesn’t smell like a rose garden.