There’s now a £17 sheet mask for your vagina… and we gave it a test run
The charcoal, serum-soaked sheet is apparently a 'game changer' for feminine care
FORGET facials, massages and pedis. Apparently, the latest body part us ladies should be indulging with some pampering is… our vulvas.
Yes, really!
When it comes to self-care, our lady bits are now firmly on the beauty radar.
A new beauty mask for "down there" has been launched as part of the world’s first luxury skincare range for the vulva.
Following hot on the heels of the vagina facial, and actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s personal favourite treatment for her downstairs area - a vagina and uterus steam - comes the Blackout vulva mask, from TWO L(I)PS.
See what they’ve done there…
Its creators claim the charcoal, serum-soaked sheet is a "game changer" for feminine care, boasting that it will "detoxify, soothe, brighten and moisturise the vulva drawing out toxins and improving lymphatic drainage".
Soaked in serum and enriched with organic cornflower, elderberry and aloe vera, it’s meant to soothe the skin, reduce any irritation and even has deodorant properties to keep things smelling pleasantly fresh.
At £17 for a single mask, and £68 for a pack of five, it’s not cheap - but is it worth investing in?
In a Fabulous Digital exclusive, we got our mitts on the Blackout Mask and asked student Misha Pandit, 20, from Nottingham, to try it.
Here she gives us her verdict...
I’m a bikini wax devotee but often find waxing can leave the skin around my vulva area feeling a bit sore and sensitive.
Also, like a lot of women, I invest time and money caring for my face, hair, nails and skin, so why not "down there" too?
I really believe in the importance of self-care, but to do it properly you really should look after every inch of your body.
What the experts say:
Dr Vanessa Mackay, a consultant gynaecologist and spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: “It’s important to remember that the vagina is designed to clean and protect itself with natural vaginal secretions called discharge.
"Using perfumed soaps, gels and antiseptics can disturb the natural balance of good bacteria and pH levels in the vagina.
"This can cause irritation and lead to infections like vaginal thrush or bacterial vaginosis.
“Women should use plain, unperfumed soaps to gently wash the vulva gently every day.
"During a woman’s menstrual cycle, washing more than once a day may be helpful.”
The mask has a lace effect on one side, and the other side of the sheet is charcoal, backed with plastic, which you peel off.
I placed it on and there are two adhesive "wings", which stick to the inside of your legs and keep in in place.
I left it on for the recommended 15 minutes while I updated my social media accounts, and it felt cooling and soothing.
Afterwards I peeled the mask off and my skin and vulva felt not just fresh and soft, but any irritation from my wax had vanished.
I’m more used to soaking in the bath with a face mask on when I want to pamper myself, so it did feel a bit odd to be lying on my bed with a beauty mask on my bits.
When I told friends that evening how I’d spent my afternoon, they didn’t believe me at first.
But it’s all part of breaking down the taboos around looking after our lady parts!
TWO L(I)PS founder Cynthia Chua says it’s time we paid our vulvas some attention.
"As women, we spend so much time focusing on the face and general body parts. I think attitudes are definitely shifting south of the border," she said.
"It’s high time we shift the focus towards better quality maintenance of the vagina - in particular, the vulva.
"Especially as we age, our vaginal areas become drier and less plump. If this happened to our faces, I guarantee you we’d be immediately embarking on all kinds of facial treatments, but for some reason, we don’t do the same for our vulva.
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“We need to reclaim this intimate part of the female body as an asset that needs to be cared for and nourished with the same love and attention we give to the rest of our body.
"There’s absolutely no need to be shy about this topic anymore!”
We previously told how a skincare brand launched the SuperVagina Kit – and they claim it will make down there look younger.
Meanwhile another woman got her vagina STEAMED like Chrissy Teigen - here's what it was like.