Gwyneth Paltrow: Women Should Steam Clean Their Privates

Gwyneth Paltrow is recommending that women steam clean their vaginas. Wait! What? Yes it is true.

Women everywhere should always take advice about their personal hygiene from famous actresses and Paltrow is certainly no exception. After all, she is an Oscar winner with a so-so website called Goop.

In a post on that blog the actress wrote about her visit to the Tikkun Korean Spa in Los Angeles. “The real golden ticket here is the Mugwort V-Steam. You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et al.” she said.

“If you’re in LA, you have to do it, ” added the actress.

The experts were understandably shocked.

Pediatrician Russell Saunders wrote in the Daily Beast, “Does Paltrow think her fallopian tubes are getting tidied up in the process, too? It does not. The female reproductive tract does not need to be cleaned at all. In fact, methods of feminine cleansing like douching can do more harm than good. Women should no more steam their vaginas than flush them with Lysol.”

“There is, of course, not a hint of scientific evidence provided for any of this. But asking for scientific citations at a holistic spa is rather like requesting chopsticks at an ice cream parlor: not only will they not have them, they won’t really understand why you’re asking in the first place. Sadly, without an actual study to back up Paltrow’s assertion that steaming her lady parts keeps female hormones in balance, you’re going to have to color me skeptical, ” he added.

The Guardian pointed out that, “All of our orifices, including ears, nose, anus and vagina, are essentially self- cleaning. The pH of the vagina, natural mix of bacteria that live in it, mucus plug that sits at the top of the vagina and lining of the womb all work harmoniously and effectively together to ensure that bugs from the outside world generally don’t invade upwards from the vagina to the fallopian tubes. Infection can happen from sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive coils or other surgical procedures. But mostly it’s a very well-run system.”

“The claim that the steam clean could balance hormones is irrational. Hormones are produced by organs such as the brain and ovaries, travel in the bloodstream and have specific effects on their target organs. Steaming the vagina cannot possibly impact on hormone levels. I urge you to put the kettle away, throw the mugwort in some soup and consciously uncouple from this website.”