Like the vaginal smell has turned from taboo into a female empowerment tool
The toxic narratives that have always concerned our vulve & vagine are many.
However, one in particular was placed at the center of a rhetoric which, over time, has turned from shaming to Powerful, first associated with an unprecedented market proliferation which, taking advantage of the sense of mortification and shame of women, created the foundations for a spread of thePerfect vaginal smell And then, a real re -appropriation and self -affirmation of its uniqueness that challenged the canons imposed by the company.
The idea that the natural smell of the vagina was in bad taste and should be "covered" has ancient roots (there are testimonies of post -position solutions such as vaginal irrigation or the abundant use of talcs used by women to maintain their intimate parts " fresh and clean "long before the invention of modern disinfectant wipes and intimate deodorants) but only in the 900 the shame of women compared to their smell will be officially exploited, in a wise marketing action, to start an explosion without precedents of women's intimate hygiene products. Fooding a sense of profound embarrassment and shaping the perception that women themselves had of their body and creating a question that still persists today.
A significant historical example is represented by the Lysol company in 1946, which through advertising campaigns that guilty of women for marital problems due to their body smell, promoted their lavender for female hygiene as a solution to all quarrels with her husband. Subsequently, a whole series of other products has invaded the market thanks to companies such as Femfresh, Bidex and FDS, which soon developed a range of intimate refreshing products (From spray to wipes for the vulvar zone to keep on the bag for a touch up during the day) transforming them into basic necessities and making them accessible to an increasingly conspicuous number of people thanks to the positioning in the stores (thus expanding their demand e the offer through greater visibility).
Not only that: advertising also played a remarkable role in the rise of the popularity of these products. Between the late sixties and the beginning of the seventies, the products for women's intimate hygiene that promoted a "freshly perfumed vagina" have in fact began to be advertised more frequently and with a greater propensity also in mainstream female magazines and in television, making its way between an ever wider audience.
The intrinsic problem to the advertising of these products, however, can be trivially trace back to as They were advertised and the assumption itself on which this advertising was founded, that is, the fact that the natural smell of the vagina was something unpleasant, humiliating and to be hidden, loading the women of a useless amount of shame around their body.
Before continuing, however, we feel we have to make an important statement: the vagine must have a smell and not, they must not perfume of flowers, sugar, grandmother's biscuits or anything else has been made you believe. Each vagina has a different, unique smell and does not always remember the flowery meadows: on the contrary, it shouldn't even.
Through the use of persuasive messages and human emotions to influence our purchase decisions, women's intimate hygiene products have therefore been marketed as the solution to a problem - in itself non -existent - which over time has expanded its boundaries also to areas like femininity in general. In some studies, in fact, it has been highlighted how the codified language used by some companies to promote, for sales purposes, the image of the perfect vagina has generated stigmas in the long run not only inherent in the vaginal smell, but also to topics such as functions Body (such as the menstrual cycle and losses) and sexuality.
A particularly known case concerns the Femfresto company that tied the imagination of the "fresh and odorless" vagina to that of chastity and purity, validating and aggravating the stereotype of the young innocent and virginal girl who was preparing on the first wedding night using theirs Deodorant before the act, thus broadening the space from only intimate "hygiene" to the entire sexuality and social norms on sex.
In recent decades, the market has undergone a radical revolution, adapting its products to the real request of consumers, both from a communicative point of view (deviating the toxic rhetoric that has accompanied them in the past), both from the point of view of the actual needs of the Women, who have embraced the idea of a safe intimate hygiene for their vulve, avoiding the excessive use of fragrant products and educating themselves and others on the normality and beauty of the female body. Obviously, in this regard, we cannot fail to dedicate a special space - taking it as a sample - to the new underwear of This, Unique, which represents the perfect example of how a product nowadays should be and what values should transmit. In line with all the philosophy of the brand, which lavishes to break down the stigma and the shame that surrounds the menstrual cycle & co, increasing awareness and eliminating the taboos through its platforms, the detergent has also been formulated to respect 100% Our intimate areas, guaranteeing effective cleaning while maintaining the balance of the mucous membranes. Infusion with natural extracts by Craton Lechleri and biological ingredients, it is ideal for daily use and its slight perfume is not invasive and does not aim to modify or camouflage our smell, but to give a feeling of freshness and lasting protection.
Finally, the way in which the approach to the vaginal smell over time has changed is the result of a society that has been able to transform a taboo into a female strength and emancipation and which has placed a positive image at the center of its narrative and of empowerment of the vaginal smell.
The most striking example was that of the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, the first to capture the attention of the world media by launching the candle "at the scent of my vagina", followed by Erykah Badu - famous American singer and great activist - notes for having Created a line of incense inspired by her most intimate part, made with parts of underpants worn and burned she then included in the final product, with the aim of sharing the ideals of total female freedom with the world.
Marta Boraso
