Laura Dowling: 'It’s time to end the shame and stigma surrounding women's wonderful bodies'

From freeing your bush to going au naturel, women need to celebrate their bodies, says Laura Dowling, aka the Fabulous Pharmacist. In an exclusive extract from her new book, ‘Love Your Vulva’, she makes the case for embracing pubic hair for its many protective

Laura Dowling, aka the Fabulous Pharmacist makes the case for embracing our beautiful bodies in her new book Love Your Vulva.. Picture: Moya Nolan.

Women are naturally beautiful. It’s time to end the shame and stigma surrounding our wonderful bodies. It’s something that should never have existed.

In the 1960s, women embraced something we should have never let go of. They freed the bush and did it on their terms.

Today, some people unfairly view pubic hair as ‘dirty’ or ‘unappealing’. Sure, no one wants a tuft of shrubbery peeking out of their bikini on holiday — but feeling pressured to go completely bare just to fit in isn’t ideal, either. Grown adult women are struggling with this issue, so how can they help their daughters understand how their bodies are truly meant to look and function?

It has become the norm for young women, some still in their teens, to line up and laser off all their perfectly normal pubic hair. Sadly, many have no idea what purpose it actually serves. 

Ladies, our pubic hair is not only gorgeous, but newsflash: it also acts as our first line of defence against infections like thrush and even sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Of course, condoms are essential for protection too.

Pubic hair hosts a micro-jungle of natural bacteria that rest on the vulval area, helping to protect our sensitive skin.

When that hair is waxed or lasered off, we lose the natural barrier between the vulval skin and whatever it comes into contact with.

As girls and women, our lives naturally involve getting sweaty, whether we’re simply walking around, working out at the gym, wearing leggings or tight jeans, or rubbing up against a sexy man or woman. So, it’s no surprise that the sensitive skin of the vulva can become irritated. All that friction can lead to unwelcome dermatitis simply because we’ve ditched the natural, protective bush that was meant to shield us.

Love Your Vulva by Laura Dowling.

The waxing revolution started over 40 years ago when women decided that bikini lines resembling shrubbery just weren’t the vibe, especially for the annual getaway to Lanzarote. No one wanted a fringe of pubic hair poking out of their bikini bottoms. We were mortified, and thus, the humble bikini wax was born.

For years, waxing was strictly a ‘holiday-only’ affair until, in the nineties, everyone wanted it all off. 

Hollywoods (everything gone, front to back), Brazilians (a neat landing strip), and Californians (a good tidy-up for thong days) became the new norm. Shows like Sex and the City made waxing feel glamorous — something stylish that modern women proudly embraced.

Many women today believe that going bald is more hygienic, but this is more of a mindset than a reality. Hygiene comes down more to daily than to hair removal.

Our vaginas and vulvas were never meant to resemble a rose garden, let alone smell like one. Wherever you got the idea that vaginas are supposed to smell like roses, I’m here to nip that in the bud.

Regardless of what reality TV stars might be selling to a new generation of girls, women’s vaginas aren’t meant to smell like pineapples. We women need to reclaim our natural, beautifully smelly selves for the sake of our health. And yes, there’s definitely a dash of feminist power in doing so.

So why are we, as a culture, obsessed with pruning away our lovely bush and spraying our bits to erase any hint of a natural scent? Because that’s precisely what Big Business is telling us to do.

Laura Dowling, The Fabulous Pharmacist, pictured at the Irish Examiner Feelgood Summer Reset Live, which took place at Marina market Cork.

There’s a massive industry built around pushing intimate washes and feminine care products on us, all under the guise of ‘helping’ us smell pretty. We’re told to lather ourselves with oatmeal wipes and disinfect our vulvas as if they’re dirty. But in doing so, we often strip away the natural goodness — protective oils, beneficial bacteria and a healthy pH balance.

They bombard us with cutesy pink packaging and constant ‘you need this’ messaging, doing their best to convince us that our natural bodies aren’t good enough.

The fact is, since the beginning of time, women have been meant to bleed, to smell, and to have a bush. We need to embrace the reality that the female body is bloody, messy, and powerful.

That’s exactly why we can do the most incredible thing on Earth: give birth to other humans. But regardless, we’re constantly targeted by marketing that tells us our vaginas should smell and look a certain way... but I’ve never seen a willy-scented product or a penis spray — have you?

EMBRACING ‘AU NATUREL’

No one needs to clean their vagina.

The problem is that when we start messing with our vaginas, we risk disrupting the balance of our microbiome, the delicate ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms essential to our health. Excessive cleaning or scented sprays can throw that balance off, causing yeast infections, irritation, and other issues.

It’s nature’s way of telling us to stop.

Leaving our pussies au naturel is far more beneficial for our health. You see, as women, we have a natural scent that emanates from our lady gardens. Over time, that scent can change as our vaginal pH level increases. To top it all off, our vaginas are actually self-cleaning ovens. They produce natural fluids that allow them to clean themselves.

That means you can avoid nasty infections and save a fortune simply by doing absolutely nothing.

WASHING YOURSELF, THE RIGHT WAY

Years ago, some women were taught to douche their vaginas with disinfectant. They scrubbed down their sensitive skin because they were made to feel ashamed of their bodies. Can you even imagine how much that must have hurt, both mentally and physically? All the while, they were simply washing away the good bacteria their bodies needed, trapped in the harmful belief that they were making themselves ‘clean’.

It’s completely normal to want to feel fresh down there. After all, it can get a bit sweaty.

Love Your Vulva. Illustration: Marie Roche

To gently cleanse the external vulval area, perineum, and bum, use a soap substitute like Silcock’s Base or a mild soap. There’s absolutely no need to wash inside your vagina. It’s self-cleaning and doesn’t need any internal products. After sex, if you feel a bit messy or uncomfortable, a quick rinse or a gentle external spray is more than enough to freshen up. No deep cleaning is required.

Whatever you do, do not steam your vagina. It’s a pointless, risky practice that could land you in A&E. Also, exercise caution with bath bombs and bubble baths. Though marketed as trendy and relaxing, they contain chemicals that can irritate the vulva, trigger thrush, and cause other skin aggravations. 

The bubbles are created by soap, which strips the skin of natural oils. The more bubbles and fragrances, the greater the risk of dryness, irritation, eczema, dermatitis, and, in some cases, infections.

PROTECTING VULVAS EARLY ON

If you have a baby girl, watch out for rashes and irritation on her vulva. As a pharmacist, the number of questions I’ve received about nappy rash is unbelievable. Whether your baby is kicking on the mat or toddling around, allow plenty of nappy-free time.

Sure, there’ll be the odd accident, but it’s a small trade-off for fewer rashes and a much happier baby.

Why does it work? Because it’s essential to let a baby’s skin breathe and access fresh air. When a baby’s skin is constantly in contact with a nappy, it restricts air circulation. Combined with the frequent occurrence of pee and poo, this creates an environment that can lead to irritation, particularly around the vulva.

We should take care of female health from the moment girls are born.

READING YOUR VULVA’S SIGNS

The most important thing you should know as a girl or woman is this: if your body feels off, go and see your doctor. Whether you notice a strong smell or something just doesn’t feel quite right, there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Vaginas and vulvas are completely normal and natural. Your doctor has seen it all before.

It’s completely normal for girls and women to have a little clear, milky, or white discharge in their knickers. However, if the discharge is green or yellow, or has a cottage cheese-like texture, it could be a sign of thrush, and it’s time to seek help.

Laura Dowling, The Fabulous Pharmacist, pictured at the Irish Examiner Feelgood Summer Reset Live, which took place at Marina market Cork.

THE VULVA LOWDOWN

We need to grab the world by the vulva and not be ashamed of our bodies.

Forget the overshaving and overcleaning; you’re already amazing.

Vaginas are magically self-cleaning.

Avoid excessive washing or using scented products. This can disrupt the natural microbiome and lead to infections.

• ‘Love Your Vulva, Celebrating Women’s Bodies’, by Laura Dowling, will be published on September 23.
  It is available to preorder at lauradowlingofficial.com.

DON’T RISK THE HURT AND PAIN

Although I’m a pharmacist by trade and well-versed in protecting my womanhood, even I have made mistakes.

Flashback to many years ago: I was pregnant, with a massive bump in front of me, trying to give myself a little tidy-up. Naturally, I took scissors to my pubes. It felt like a no-brainer at the time. Wrong. Unable to see what I was doing thanks to my rather large belly, I accidentally clipped my labia instead. Ouch.

I regretted it instantly.

What began as an innocent trim ended with me bleeding and causing severe pain to my poor genitals.

Another time, I purchased a hot wax kit to give myself a DIY wax, as one does. Looking back, I have no idea what I was thinking. There was no swimsuit or man in the world worth it. So there I was, spreading wax on my pubic hair, bracing myself for the inevitable regret.

I almost burned my vulva off. Once again, my poor labia were the victim, this time at the hands of scorching hot wax. The burning sensation was indescribable.

Trust me, it’s something you never want to experience.

I also know people who’ve tried using wax strips at home, and that wasn’t much better. They ended up bald but with sprouting roots. Not the best look.

The lesson here? There’s no need to risk hurting ourselves in the name of unnecessary beauty standards.