Vagisil is an American brand of

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid pres ...

cream used to treat external vaginal itching and irritation. It is produced by

Combe Incorporated Combe Incorporated, based in White Plains, New York, is an American personal-care company founded in 1949 by Ivan Combe. Combe products are sold in 64 countries on six continents. Ivan Combe primarily promoted the brand names instead of the co ...

, a company based in

White Plains, New York White Plains is a city in and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, and a commercial hub of Westchester County, a densely populated suburban county that is home to about one milli ...

and was introduced in 1974. The active ingredients are

benzocaine Benzocaine, sold under the brand name Orajel amongst others, is a local anesthetic, belonging to the amino ester drug class, commonly used as a topical painkiller or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter ...

(5%), a local anesthetic which reduces the itching, and

resorcinol Resorcinol (or resorcin) is a phenolic compound. It is an organic compound with the formula C6H4(OH)2. It is one of three isomeric benzenediols, the 1,3-isomer (or ''meta- (chemistry), meta''-isomer). Resorcinol crystallizes from benzene as co ...

(2%), an antiseptic which treats the skin irritation.

Products

In February, 2021, Vagisil launched new products labelled ''OMV!'' which are scented wipes, cleansers and anti itch creams for

vaginas In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The vaginal introit ...

and vulvas. The marketing is directed at teenagers, which has been criticized on social media by doctors. OB/GYNs

Jen Gunter Jennifer Gunter is a Canadian-American gynecologist, a ''New York Times'' columnist covering women's health, an author, and a specialist in chronic pain medicine and vulvovaginal disorders. Early life and education Gunter was born in Winnipeg, ...

, Chavone Momon-Nelson and Jocelyn Fitzgerald all expressed worry that the advertising campaign will make teens ashamed of their vaginas and that the treatment will cause issues such as irritation and allergic reaction. They worry that the teens may not seek medical advice for real issues, such as yeast infections that should not be treated with Vagisil. Gunter and Momon-Nelson agree that the vagina should be left alone and does not need special cleaners or refreshing. Vagisil responded to this criticism explaining that their products have an appropriate pH level for external use in the vulvar area and have been tested by independent

dermatologists Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the Human skin, skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, ...

and gynecologists. A spokesperson for Vagisil stated that their products are not for everyone and that they created ''OMV!'' in response to active young women who have expressed "...worry about period hygiene and odours". Gunter counters stating menstruation is natural and vaginas are not supposed to smell like the ''OMV!'' scents roses or vanilla-clementine.

In popular culture

Vagisil has been the subject of various comedy routines. In the ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...

'' episode " Poor and Stupid",

Cartman Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to as just Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom ''South Park'', created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main characters, a ...

sees a commercial for Vagisil which lists

short-term memory loss Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...

as a possible side effect. He then goes to a pharmacy with

Butters Stotch Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the adult animated television series ''South Park''. He is loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough and his voice is provided by co-creator Matt Stone. He is a student at South Park Elementary ...

to consume large quantities of the cream in an attempt to become "dumb enough" to perform well in

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

races. Vagisil appears as an alleged sponsor of "Ladies' Bowling" in a series of sketches on the TV show ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

''. One of the sports commenters in the sketches repeatedly advertises the product with highly inappropriate marketing slogans. In the TV show ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...

,'' a Vagisil coupon that came in the mail to Sheldon Cooper appears at the end of the second episode of the seventh season, which he presents as a gift to Penny with a comment: "Think of me when you apply it". In the movie '' Major League,'' aging Starting Pitcher Eddie Harris illegally uses Vagisil to increase the drop on his "

Curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Product-stub Feminine hygiene Combe Incorporated brands