5 reasons to consider a vaginal steam

The Vaginal steam or V-steam, consists of sitting naked on an open-seated chair, over a boiling pot of herbal steam for 20 to 30 minutes. Inspired by a similar remedy long used in some Asian cultures, vaginal steaming is taking American women by storm, with spas and holistic health centers offering the service for between $35 and $75.

Hormones can be absorbed by the vagina... why not herbs?

The highly aromatic medicinal herbs quickly absorb into the bloodstream and circulate directly to every tissue of the body, delivering their therapeutic powers to each and every cell. Herbal steam simultaneously cleanses the body from the inside and the outside, providing a doubly detoxifying effect as well as a very relaxing, soothing experience.

Other cultures have been using vaginal steaming. In Sudan, for example, in the days leading up to their wedding, brides-to-be sit on a hole in the ground that emits perfumed smoke, in the belief that the embers smooth and tighten their skin. Women in Korea, where they refer to the vaginal steam bath as 'chai-yok', often do it after their monthly periods. And in parts of South America, women call the intimate steam cleanses 'bajos'.


 

1. Fertility
The therapeutic effects of thermotherapy and aromatherapy contribute to the effectiveness of this treatment. Overall the bath aids as a uterine lavage or internal cleanse of the membranes that often accumulate incompletely flushed debris/fluids from cycle to cycle. In addition, the bath introduces healing warmth and softens and nourishes internal membranes. The baths can safely be combined with either natural cycles or any cycle involving assisted reproductive technology such as IUI or IVF. Consider adding vaginal steam baths to your self care routine if you experience painful periods, dark blood at the beginning or ending of your menstrual cycle, irregular periods, fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, cervical stenosis, vaginal dryness or painful intercourse.

2. Hemorrhoids
The steam can be very soothing for hemorrhoids and fissures of the rectum.

3. Recurrent vaginal infections
One of the herbs used in the steam baths is mugwort, which contains natural antifungal properties, and anti-viral wormwood

 4. Ease menstrual cramps
Heat is a useful tool for managing muscular pain. Taking a herbal steam bath is an excellent method of speeding up the healing process of hurt tissues and muscles. Heat allows the blood vessels to enlarge which boosts the blood circulation, letting increased oxygen arrive at injured parts of the body. This has the twofold effect of pain reduction and accelerating the bodies healing response. 

5. Fibroids and endometriosis
If toxins are at the root cause for fibroids and endometriosis, the herbal steam is a great way to combat these conditions.





 Directions:

 Obtain vaginal steam bath herbs from Natural Womens Care (call 832-237-4200).
 The contents of one bag of herbs is enough for 2-3 vaginal steam baths.
In a large pot containing about a gallon of water, place the herbs.
 Bring to a soft boil for 5 minutes then steep for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Place the pot of water/herbs under a slatted chair, lawn chair, or even in your toilet.
 Sit over the pot without underwear.
Be careful to make sure the water/herbs have cooled enough so that you do not burn yourself!!
Drape yourself with a blanket from your waist down to the floor so that no cold air is introduced.
Sit over your pot of herbal steam for approximately 20 minutes.
The side effects of a steam may include a temporary increase in menstrual flow (more dark fluids, debris) and/or menses may start earlier that usual due to a cleansing effect.

 *Vaginal steam baths are contraindicated during pregnancy!

Douching vs nourishing aromatherapy pellets

The word "douche" means to wash or soak in French. Douching is washing or cleaning out the vagina (birth canal) with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most douches are prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar. You can buy these products at drug and grocery stores. The mixtures usually come in a bottle and can be squirted into the vagina through a tube or nozzle.

Women douche because they mistakenly believe it gives many benefits. Women who douche say they do it to:

Clean the vagina
Rinse away blood after monthly periods
Get rid of odor
Avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Prevent pregnancy


Douching is common among women in the United States. It’s estimated that 20 to 40 percent of American women 15 to 44 years old douche regularly. About half of these women douche each week. Higher rates of douching are seen in teens, African-American women, and Hispanic women.

Most doctors and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that women don’t douche. Douching can change the delicate balance of vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) and acidity in a healthy vagina. One way to look at it is in a healthy vagina there are both good and bad bacteria. The balance of the good and bad bacteria help maintain an acidic environment. Any changes can cause an over growth of bad bacteria which can lead to a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. Plus, if you have a vaginal infection, douching can push the bacteria causing the infection up into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and pelvic cavity.

According to womenshealth.gov, research shows that women who douche regularly have more health problems than women who don’t. Doctors are still unsure whether douching causes these problems. Douching may simply be more common in groups of women who tend to have these issues. Health problems linked to douching include:

Vaginal irritation
Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
STIs
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Some STIs, BV, and PID can all lead to serious problems during pregnancy. These include infection in the baby, problems with labor, and early delivery.


Due to the fact that women like to douche to feel fresh and clean, but frequently go to the doctor because this process does not always work, I developed a vaginal insert using essential aromatherapy oils. These are made with coconut which moisturizes the vagina and essential oils to enhance the ability of the vagina to withstand infections. The aromatherapy inserts contain lactobacillus, so if you are eating yogurt to help rid your body of yeast infections, you have another way to apply it also.



Call 832-237-4200 to order them, we make new batches regularly. Patent pending