Following the release of her vaginal wellness gummies, Kourtney Kardashian has come under fire from women’s health experts, who called the celebrity’s probiotic “incredibly problematic.”
“Vaginal health is such an important part of a woman’s overall well-being (and not talked about enough) which is why we are so excited to launch this! Give your vagina the sweet treat it deserves (and turn it into a sweet treat),” Kourtney’s Instagram post advertising her new product read.
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“You know what they say…you are what you eat. We combined real pineapple and Vitamin C with the power of clinically-studied SNZ 1969™ probiotics to target vaginal health and pH levels that support freshness and taste.”
Kourtney rolled out her latest vitamin called “Lemme Purr” this week, but gynecologists and other women’s health experts promptly called out the reality television star and her new product.
“Experts cautioned consumers that there is no scientific evidence behind Kardashian’s claim that the vitamins work, reminded potential buyers to seek advice from their doctor instead of an influencer or celebrity and said the promises of the product were “purely misogynistic and anti-feminist.”
Kardashian launched her wellness brand Poosh in 2019 and her vitamin and supplement line, “Lemme,” last year to further establish herself in the wellness industry.
Dr Brooke Vandermolen, an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist who is well-known for her women’s health advice on Instagram and TikTok, told the Daily Mail that Kardashian’s claim that her gummies target vaginal wellness has “no merit” and questioned the claim that they can help with vaginal “freshness, odour, and taste.”
The doctor told Daily Mail, “All vaginas have an individual smell and taste which will vary according to your menstrual cycle, exercise patterns and your diet.
“The odour of discharge is important for the function of the vagina because it means a healthy balance of bacteria are present in the vaginal microbiome.”
“It is purely misogynistic and anti-feminist to suggest that vaginas are somehow unclean or unhygienic because their natural smell doesn’t fit in with the ideal provided in mainstream media and porn.”
Vandermole also described Kourtney’s advertising as “crude and vulgar,” with CGI cats circling her as she lay on a white background eating a gummy.
“It contributes to the objectification of women, depersonalising them from their genitalia and reducing them to sexual objects,” she said.
Dr Anita Mitra, a gynaecologist and scientist with a PhD in the vaginal microbiome and popular women’s health blogger known as The Gynae Geek, outlined five reasons why she would not pay for a “celebrity-promoted vaginal health gummy.”
For example, Mitra stated that the terms “probiotic” and “microbiome” are frequently used as marketing buzzwords to make a product appear credible, but she cautioned that “probiotics are not a panacea for health” and that there is no “scientific evidence that we all require a probiotic.”
She also took issue with the product’s marketing, which claims the gummies have been “clinically studied.”
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Furthermore, she advised her followers to seek the advice of a healthcare professional if they experience symptoms such as foul-smelling vaginal discharge, itching, irritation, or bleeding, rather than following the advice of a celebrity.
Mitra, like Vandermolen, called the product “anti-feminist.”
She said, “Anyone who tells you that you need to change the taste or smell of your vulva or vagina is working with the patriarchy. And while we are at it, let’s stop using the cat emoji to refer to our anatomy…”
