We as a society are becoming more accustomed to talking about women’s health and breaking down the stigma surrounding women’s issues. This is something I’m exceedingly grateful for. However, we still seem to shy away from a massively common issue that affects tons of women and girls–vaginal odor and discharge. Women (especially sexually active, college-aged women) are expected to have odorless, hairless, and discharge-less vaginas in order to “please” our partners. Let me start with an example.
Over the summer, I worked at an all-boys summer camp on an island in Ontario, Canada. While there are no shower houses on the island, everyone is expected to bathe in the lake during our assigned staff “free swims.” Female and male staff were assigned the same times, and this proved very difficult in finding a time to bathe in a vagina-friendly way. After a few weeks of bathing exclusively in a bathing suit, surrounding by guys, I noticed that my vagina was taking on a stronger-than-usual odor, and I was noticing irregular discharge. Not sure of what to do, I talked with some of the veteran female staff with whom I worked. They told me about a drugstore product that I had never heard of before: Summer’s Eve wipes. These wipes were designed specifically to not affect the natural chemical balance of the vagina, and help give it a fresher, natural odor. I decided that on my next day off I would buy a pack at the store in order to try them out for myself.
My day off came around, and I went to the local Walmart to do my routine shopping. I decided to look for the Summer’s Eve products first in the shower isle, where the body washes and shampoos were kept. I couldn’t find them. As I searched and searched I finally came across the “family planning” isle, where one would find condoms, lubricant, plan-B, and pregnancy tests. Interestingly enough, there they were–Summer’s Eve wipes, body-wash, and “freshening spray.” None of these products specifically say “for women” or mention vaginas in any way. Instead they simply say “for sensitive skin.” I thought it was strange that a product marketed simply for “sensitive skin” would be tucked away in the isle pertaining only to sex. Makeup remover, micellar water, and toner all claim to be formulated for “sensitive skin,” but it seemed that when the skin was assumed to be on your face, it was more acceptable than the sensitive skin in between your legs. Nevertheless, I decided to purchase one of each Summer’s Eve product, hoping that it would provide me with some relief of my issues.
I decided to try out the body wash that night, when I was able to take a swim in the lake with nobody else around. Following the directions I washed around but not inside, and immediately noticed that unlike washing “down there” with regular (or even sensitive) soap, nothing stung and there was no unwanted residue left behind. There was no strong scent to the soap, only a very subtle flowery one. I was pleasantly surprised, and completely hooked. I had never experienced a product quite like this before.
Later that night I got my period completely unexpectedly. As it was dark I didn’t want to go all the way down to the lake in order to wash off, so I opened up my pack of Summer’s Eve wipes and decided to try one out. Not only did it remove the blood completely, but just like the body wash it didn’t sting at all and there was no strong scent. I was extremely pleased and able to sleep feeling completely fresh.
As I was working at an all-boys camp, I had managed to find myself a sexual partner. This was part of the reason I felt so self-conscious about my vaginal issues. Although he had never mentioned anything about it, I still felt a little embarrassed anytime we were together. After my period had ended we set up a plan to hang out, and I thought this might be a good opportunity to try out the freshening spray. This is the only Summer’s Eve product marketed specifically to make your lady parts smell particularly good (ie unnatural). While I still felt some reservations about buying in to the “vaginas need to smell like roses” expectation, I wanted to see how well the product worked. Following the instructions I held the spray bottle a good 6 inches away from my skin, and sprayed very sparingly (one or two quick sprays at most). I immediately could smell the lavender scent, but it wasn’t overpowering (or too obvious). I felt a lot more confident going into that hang-out knowing that I smelled particularly good down there.
The date was going well, I felt really comfortable, and eventually things started to heat up. At the moment that I would normally feel most self-conscious, my partner looked up at me and said “wow, you smell amazing!” This comment solidified my feelings towards all the Summer’s Eve products. I felt clean, had no itching, burning, or weird discharge, and it meant that I was better able to enjoy my sex life. If you ask me, Summer’s Eve is one of the things that really made my summer. These products vastly improved my experience as one of only five women on the entire island, and for that I’ll always be eternally grateful.
I’ve brought my love for Summer’s Eve products with me as I start my sophomore year of college. I tell all my friends about them, and usually the response is a sigh of happy relief in finally finding products that can drastically improve issues that so many women face. While I still hope that one day the stigma surrounding women’s bodies will be dissolved, until then I will continue to use–and love–Summer’s Eve.