Top Gynecologists Analyze the Crazy Vaginal Treatments Celebrities Swear By

Shailene Woodley’s Vaginal Sunbathing

In an interview with Into the Gloss, Shailene Woodley confessed to sunbathing her vagina. “Another thing I like to do is give my vagina a little vitamin D. I was reading an article written by an herbalist I studied about yeast infections and other genital issues, she said there’s nothing better than vitamin D.”

The verdict? Pass. “There is no data to show that sunbathing the vagina prevents yeast infections,” says Dr. Leah Millheiser, MD, FACOG, IF and chief scientific officer at Nuelle. “Ms. Woodley’s theory may come from the fact that exposure to a warm, moist environments may lead to development of a yeast infection, however, there is a better, safer way to prevent yeast infections—one that doesn’t increase the risk of sunburn.”

Tia & Tamera Mowry’s Vaginal Steaming

While shooting hot steam into your lady business may seem like an obvious “no way,” actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry chose to try it on TV. According to the video, V-Steam is a Korean tradition where women have a mixture of hot steam, mugwort tea and wormwood shot up into their vaginas—all in the hopes of freshening up the area.

“Steaming, hot water streaming, douching, or any aggressive strategy to ‘cleanse’ the vagina is not a good plan,” says Dr. Rebecca Booth, MD, and cofounder of VENeffect. “Not only are hot water burns a risk, but watering down the delicate normal flora of the vagina may increase the risk for infection.”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Jade Eggs

It’s no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow is the queen of bizarre beauty treatments, but this one might top them all. Paltrow recently posted about the practice of putting jade eggs in your vagina in the hopes for better sex, improved vaginal muscle tone and feminine energy.

“Jade eggs have never been evaluated for the enhancement of vaginal tone,” says Dr. Millheiser. “It is true that if a woman places a weight of any kind in the vagina and contracts her muscles to hold it in place, she may be strengthening those muscles, however, the same benefit can be achieved with Kegel exercises.” Even scarier? Dr. Millheiser says that jade is a porous substance so it may harbor bacteria that can lead to vaginal infections or viruses like HPV. 

Khloé Kardashian’s Vitamin E Oil Treatment

While vitamin E is know for having plenty of benefits, we wouldn’t exactly file this as a cure-all for a weak pelvic floor. However, Khloé Kardashian revealed in a post on her app that she swears by the health perks of vitamin E oil in her vagina. “Moisturize your labia and vagina with vitamin E oil to combat dryness and soothe irritation,” she said.

It turns out, Kardashian isn’t too far off. “Putting vitamin E in the vagina alone will not strengthen the pelvic floor, however, it will provide some moisture to the vaginal walls, which can be helpful for any woman dealing with vaginal dryness,” says Dr. Millheiser.

Lo Bosworth’s Over-Cleaning Habits

It’s obviously important to keep your nether regions clean, but Lo Bosworth wants women to take it a step further with their vaginal-refreshing habits. Bosworth came out with a feminine hygiene line last year, complete with wipes, cleansers and moisturizers designed to balance pH levels in your vagina, claiming they can help fend off infections.

However, not many gynecologists are a fan of this cleaning method. According to Dr. Millheiser, disrupting the natural bacterial environment with douches or washes can actually lead to vaginal infections rather than avoid them. “Vulvar wipes can cause irritation for many women…remember, that’s a very sensitive region.”

Kim Kardashian’s Vagina Laser Treatments

Kim Kardashian’s secret to “staying tight” down under post-children? Laser treatments. The Kardashians have praised the treatment ThermiVa as their go-to procedure for tightening their vaginal wall. Surprisingly, it’s actually a common procedure. “Lasers have been used to ‘tighten’ the vagina for several years,” explains Dr. Millheiser. “However, this is not FDA-approved for vaginal tightening and the scientific data supporting the use of different lasers is sparse, so women should thoroughly discuss the benefits and risks with their clinicians before undergoing the procedure.”