Vulvovaginal health is probably not top of mind when talking about desire, but nothing will kill the mood more than an itchy, dry, painful or infection-prone vag that distracts you all day or while you’re having sex.
It’s also the kind of thing we rarely talk about. Everyone overshares on the internet, but this still feels like the kind of TMI you keep between you and your pharmacy receipts.
That’s why I invited Lindsay Wynn, founder of vulvovaginal wellness brand Momotaro Apotheca, to talk about this foundational part of our sex lives.
If you need any convincing that this education is necessary, here are some shocking stats:
1 in 4 American women can’t correctly identify the vagina on a diagram
1 in 5 American women believe they pee and menstruate from the same hole
50–60% of women have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime
20–30% will develop recurrent UTIs
Women get UTIs roughly 30 times more often than men
1 in 3 women will have bacterial vaginosis (BV) and 4 in 5 will not recognize it
3 in 4 women will have a yeast infection, with half experiencing it more than once.
I’ll be the first to admit: until I was 30 (and before I became a sexologist), I had never heard of the word vulva (it was all the vagina to me) and I thought I peed from the same canal I menstruated from (we pee from the urethra and menstruate from the vaginal canal).
I also had recurring UTIs and yeast infections, and hated how–when treating the latter–Monistat felt like the only solution available to me, yet it burned and itched so much!
I did not believe in organic homeopathic solutions until I tried Momotaro Apotheca’s Yeast Infection & BV Suppository. It worked within a day and it did not burn. I was flabbergasted.
It took Lindsay 8 years (!!) to develop that suppository, bring it through testing, and get it certified—and it shows in how it feels and how it works.
For the past three years, Momotaro has been core to my daily routine. I preemptively insert one suppository after sex or after a long day at the beach in a wet bikini to prevent infections, and I use it religiously when I (now, rarely) do get one.
If I have any cuts, discomfort or itching, I reach for the Salve–their certified organic balm that soothes right away. It’s also great for sunburns and small wounds anywhere else on the body. More recently, I used it to heal a swollen ingrown, which it did overnight.
After every shower I massage the Tonic Oil onto my vulva to moisturize and nourish it. This is one daily intimacy ritual that makes me really feel myself, and I’ve talked about this at length on Instagram over the years. 10/10 recommend.
And if I don’t have time to shower after a quick romp or a workout, I spray the Hydrosol Toner for a quick antimicrobial refresh.
This is genuinely how I use Momotaro on a regular basis. It’s helped me build a better relationship with my body.
My hope is that this episode and this piece expand your sense of what’s possible in your intimate care routine—that you’re allowed to have products, rituals, and knowledge that support your vulva and vagina as much as your skincare routine supports your face.
Over the years, Lindsay and I have become close, so this episode is equal parts informative and unhinged, as we overshare personal stories and break down the science with a lot of humor.
[You can watch it on Youtube, Spotify, or anywhere you tune into podcasts.]
Beyond my own experience, we also answered anonymous questions from you. Here are the highlights:
Do supplements actually work or are they expensive pee?
A lot of them are, especially in the beauty and “wellness” space. But when it comes to targeted products like probiotics or urinary‑tract support, the real question isn’t just what’s in them—it’s how much your body can actually absorb.
You only have so much bioavailability for vitamins, minerals, and active compounds, so more is not automatically better. When you’re choosing a supplement, it’s worth asking:
What’s the bioavailability of these ingredients?
Why this dose or this many CFUs (for probiotics) compared with other brands?
What else is in the formula besides the “hero” ingredient?
A good probiotic is a truly active product. Momotaro’s Daily Probiotic doesn’t need to be refrigerated because the strains are freeze‑dried; they re-activate and interact with your gut microbiome once you take them.
Their Urinary Tract and Bladder Supplement is built around effective antimicrobial dosing—designed to help your body push back against the “bad” microbes introduced by things like friction from sex, bacteria entering micro‑tears, or irritants from flavored lubes that can tip you into an infection.
I see ads for probiotics that claim they’ll make your vagina taste like strawberries. What should a vagina actually taste like?
A vagina should taste like a vagina, not fruit.
A healthy vagina is naturally acidic, with a pH usually between 3.8 and 4.5—the same ballpark as tomato juice or some beers. That doesn’t sound as sexy as pineapple or strawberries, but that acidity is part of what keeps harmful bacteria in check.
It’s also why your underwear sometimes bleaches. Those pale spots on dark fabric aren’t a laundry fail; they’re a sign that your vaginal fluid is acidic enough to lighten the dye.
Taste and smell can shift through your cycle. Around your period, you might notice a more metallic, iron‑y taste or scent because of blood. That’s normal.
If you’re worried about odor before sex, skip the scented wipes and douches and just rinse your vulva with warm water in the shower or over the sink. That’s usually all you need.
If something smells strongly fishy, foul, or just very different from your normal—especially with itching, burning, or unusual discharge—that can signal an infection like BV or something else worth getting checked.
If you want a great breakdown of what different smells can mean, this guide written with one of Momotaro’s OB‑GYN partners goes into 10 common vaginal scents and what they might be telling you about your health.
What are some best practices to maintain vulvovaginal health?
If you want to be proactive, take a vaginal probiotic that is all-encompassing, addressing gut microbiome, vaginal microbiome, and immune health.
Keep the vulva clean with water and gentle, fragrance‑free products; avoiding douching or harsh “feminine washes” that strip the microbiome.
Use the Salve if you did something that was “bad”, like using flavored lube, wearing a swimsuit all day, or going from one hole to the next without protection.
Let your vulva breathe. Wear breathable cotton underwear, loose fitting clothing, and sleep naked (or, at least without panties).
Stay dry! Take off gym clothes and damp swimsuits as soon as possible. Excess moisture is a breeding ground for bad bacteria. If you can’t rinse off after a heavy sweat sesh, Hydrosol can help maintain a balanced pH without drying out your skin.
Stay on top of your menstrual care. Regularly change your pad or tampons, and set a reminder on your phone if you tend to forget. You should also look at the ingredients and materials in your menstrual care products. Some have hidden fragrance synthetic materials that cause irritation and it’s worth switching up your product of choice to see if it helps.
Get enough sleep, eat whole foods, drink enough water and reduce stress. You probably already know this, but when you’re overstressed, it can affect your sleep, digestion, and immunity, which lowers your body’s natural defenses and can make you more vulnerable to infection.
If you’re curious about trying Momotaro, I managed to snag a 20% off code for this community. You can build your own ritual at momotaroapotheca.com with the code LUST at checkout.
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