There Is Literally No Reason to Have Glitter in Your Vagina
Dr. Pari was featured as a guest contributor in the article below, originally posted for Self Magazine by Korin Miller.
This whole unicorn trend has officially gotten out of hand. Case in point: One company is hawking rainbow-colored, “magically delicious” glitter that you put up your vagina for unnecessarily sparkly vaginal discharge.
The company, which goes by the name Pretty Woman Inc., sells Passion Dust, which the brand’s website describes as a “sparkalized capsule that is inserted into the vagina at least one hour prior to having sexual intercourse. As the capsule becomes increasingly warmed and moistened by the natural vaginal fluids, it will begin to dissolve, releasing the sparkling candy-flavored passion dust inside of the capsule.” It’s currently out of stock, which is either a marketing ploy or a sign that a lot of people out there are already armed with glitter suppositories.
Passion Dust is billed as an “adult novelty item” and its sole purpose is to “add a sparkle and flavor to your natural vaginal fluids to make the experience of lovemaking that much more fun and enjoyable for you and your partner.” Um, ok. The flavor is apparently “sweet like candy but not overly sweet,” the website says, just enough to make your partner think that your unicorn vagina is “what all vaginas are supposed to look, feel and taste like; soft, sweet and magical!”
In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, there is a huge implication here that there is something “wrong” with the way your vaginal secretions currently look, smell, and taste. Which, frankly, is total crap.
“It’s drawing attention to a certain organ as if it’s not beautiful,” Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecology at The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, tells SELF. There is likely nothing wrong with your vaginal fluids. (And if something does seem off, it’s a good idea to check in with a doctor before sticking anything up there.)
Also, it may sound cool to have a “sparkly, flavored orgasm,” but…that’s not really a thing. “What does that even mean?” Dr. Shepherd says. “Orgasms are not based on products that are put into the vagina—it’s a chemical response.”
And despite the company’s repeated claims that their product is safe for vaginal use, expert say this is does not belong in your vagina.
Pretty Woman Inc. goes to serious lengths to swear that their vagina glitter is safe: “The vaginal fluid is a natural coating for the sparkles, so there is no worry of sharp edges to the woman’s vaginal walls or her partners external skin,” the website says.
“It’s still made of a substance that’s not natural to the vaginal orifice,” Dr. Shepherd says. Meaning, you could get some serious irritation on the inside of your vagina. And, as you can imagine, that will not feel good. It’s hard to know whether you’re running the risk of getting micro-abrasions in your vagina from the glitter, Jonathan Schaffir, M.D., an ob/gyn at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. But that doesn’t sound like something you want to risk. “It definitely doesn’t belong there.”
The company also claims that the ingredients used—gelatin capsules, starch based edible glitter, acacia (gum arabic) powder, Zea Mays starch, and vegetable stearate—are FDA-approved. But the FDA only states that these ingredients are approved to be eaten—not put in your vagina.
Glitter-bombing your vagina can also increase your risk of vaginal infections.
If you’re concerned that this could give you a sparkly yeast infection (fair), Pretty Woman Inc. has this to say: “If you’ve ever had vaginal issues, you had them before you used Passion Dust anyway. If you’ve ever had a yeast infection, I’m sure it wasn’t caused by glitter, it just happens sometimes (Oh, the joys of being a girl!).” Sure, some vaginal infections are random, but that doesn’t mean this wouldn’t up your risk.
“This potentially could increase a woman’s risk of a bacterial infection and cause more vaginal discharge and irritation,” Dr. Shepherd says. “Essentially it can create problems where there may not have been issues before.” Board-certified ob/gyn Pari Ghodsi, M.D., agrees, telling SELF that inserting anything into your vagina can throw off the pH balance and increase your risk of a yeast infection. And, if you’re already prone to yeast infections, Dr. Ghodsi says it’s especially important to take a pass, as this could trigger more infections.
Your vagina and vulva are sensitive; many women get irritated even from products that are specifically formulated for vaginal use. “Using something like this with color and flavoring additives has the potential to cause even more irritation, plus the risk of infection,” Dr. Shaffir says. Sugars and starches (which the product contains) are perfect nutrition for yeast and bacteria, he adds, so it’s likely that Passion Dust would encourage bad microbes to grow and proliferate. And even though these glitter particles get their color from pigment, not dye, you can still have a reaction to them.
“If you choose to use it, that’s on you, but you should talk to your doctor if it causes an issue,” Dr. Shepherd says. And we’re guessing any phone call that starts with “So, I put this glitter from the internet in my vagina…” is not one you want to make.