Despite the fact that more than half of humankind has one, for most people, the vulva (and female genitalia as a whole) has an air of mystery surrounding it. You might have even cringed at the sight of the word “vulva.” Now you’ve read it twice. It’s a miracle you’re still here!
As a consequence of this taboo, our girls, and our women, have felt ashamed and embarrassed. Girls as young as nine seek out labiaplasty (surgery to shorten the labia), and many grown women don’t seek out medical help for their reproductive health to avoid the subject altogether.
Plus, who hasn’t smuggled their tampons and pads into the bathroom like pieces of contraband? Or managed to change clothes in the locker room without revealing a sliver of stomach?
Avonda Urben, a tycoon in the beauty space who got her start at Revlon and L’Oréal, is also the founder of The Perfect V, a skincare line for the bikini area (which includes the vulva). She used to be one of those women who shielded her body in the locker room… that is, until she moved to Copenhagen.
The setting was a girl’s locker room. Avonda was accompanying her daughter’s class on a trip to the pool, and while everyone was changing into their swimsuits, Avonda made a puzzling observation: “most of the girls [aged 8-9] covered themselves… except the Danish girls,” she recalls.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. Denmark is regularly voted among the happiest countries in the world. One of the reasons for this, according to The Danish Way of Parenting, is because of how Danish parents talk about sex.
“Sex isn’t thought of as ‘the conversation’ but ‘a conversation’ that spans a lifetime starting from very young,” says Iben Sandahl, Danish psychotherapist.
Avonda notices room for a similar conversation in our discourse: “women spend a few minutes telling their daughters about getting periods. Then a couple years go by, and sex comes. But I think that middle piece is missing. The whole idea of intimate skincare was just skipped over.”
Avonda considered the most common vulvar skin conditions that women experience, like red bumps and ingrown hairs. Rather than create another problem-solution product to tackle these conditions after they come up, Avonda developed a skincare line that would, along with tackling them, prevent them from showing up at all.
“Do we really need different products [for the bikini area]?” Avonda asked not only herself, but also several dermatologists. The answer, she would find, was yes.
In an article in Frontiers of Medicine (May 2019), Miranda A. Farage explains why: “the smallest number of cell layers was found in genital skin,” and the amount of nerve endings in the area “would be expected to increase the sensations associated with sensitive skin.”
Further, as stated on the informative Lady Suite, vulvar skin has a unique pH balance, with healthy vulvar skin averaging at 4.0. Healthy facial skin has a pH of 5.5. Aware of vulvar skin’s unique properties, Avonda sat down with chemists, gynecologists, and dermatologists to create an equally safe and effective line of products.
Through a basic, 3-step skincare routine consisting of a cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer— a Vanicure™, if you will — you can keep your vulvar skin (and hair!) looking and feeling healthy:.
Click here to take a look at The Perfect V’s ingredients, and continue below for a look at those ingredients’ practical benefits:
Soften skin and hair: Ever heard of multi-benefit BB cream? VV Cream™ is a light lotion that your skin will absorb quickly, and it uses panthenol to condition the skin and hair. Even more of its many benefits are listed below!
Nix ingrown hairs: Ingrown hairs are a pain, so The Perfect V developed the first and only Gentle Exfoliator for the vulva and bikini line. Utilizing naturally occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acids, this product eases ingrown hairs and prevents more from coming.
Cleanse: While the vagina naturally cleans itself, the vulva doesn’t. The Perfect V has a gentle, pH-balanced wash, and it’s rich with horse chestnut (which reduces inflammation and softens skin) and lactic acid (to hydrate and cleanse). For an on-the-go cleansing option, check out the VV Beauty Sheets made from biodegradable fiber.
Soothe razor burn and red bumps: If your skin is prone to red bumps, the VV Cream™ Intensive can do wonders for you. It conditions skin and hair, and relieves irritation after hair removal (if that’s your style).
Refresh your scent: The Perfect V formulas are fragrance-free, but products like the VV Beauty Mist (which is lightly scented with a natural flower water) serves to refresh and neutralize your scent after the gym, or any other time you want.
Reduce skin sensitivity, redness, dryness, AND hyperpigmentation: These benefits are thanks to ingredients like niacinamide, and Nordic ingredients like lingonberries and elderflower, which are vitamin-rich, soothing, and can help reduce uneven skin pigmentation.
Aside from all of these results, the best part of The Perfect V’s products is the fact that any woman can use them. What a “Perfect V” is can’t be fit into one definition, because it looks different on everybody. And that beautiful variation is the most perfect thing about it.
