Q. What is good for vaginal dryness? I have been having this problem for six months and the medications doctors have offered have not been helpful. I do not want to take hormone replacement therapy in any form, oral or in a vaginal cream!
A. We always encourage people to check in with their physician before trying any alternative approach to vaginal dryness. There may be a medical condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated accordingly.
As long as there is oversight by a health professional, here are some comments by visitors to this website:
“Cornhuskers hand lotion is the answer. Slick as KY jelly, inexpensive & it is water soluble.”
PB
“I, too, had that exact same problem after the “Dreadful M” thing.. I started taking Hyaluronic Acid after reading how good it was for lubricating joints from the inside out (I have bad knees), and for moisturizing the skin. Hyaluronic acid is usually taken orally, in capsule form, but I think there are also topical preparations. I take it orally. The package directions say to take “2 to 4 capsules daily,” and I take the 4. Yes, it’s a bit pricey but not unreasonable.
“Well, not only has hyaluronic acid helped my knees a lot — it’s also given me much more vaginal moisture! That was a wonderful fringe benefit! You may still need some lubricant — but it does make a world of difference. At least it did for me.”
Cindy
“In search of an organic lubricant, I began using olive oil & highly recommend it. It’s nice that it’s ingestible, too.”
JM
“I have found Apricot Kernel oil to be very effective. It is very light and won’t stain. Also works great as a massage oil and moisturizer.”
JEM
“My gyn mentioned Crisco, olive oil and personal lubricants sold OTC at drugstores. Try one at a time; sooner or later you’ll find the one that works for you. Good luck.”
CK
“We have been using olive oil for lubrication for some time now and it is great. It is better than any off the shelve lube that we have tried and it lasts a long time unlike many of the other popular lubrications which tend to dry up after several minutes. The consistency is very close to the natural lubrication and as far as we know there are no side affects with using olive oil.”
B
“We have used coconut oil for years and it works great too.”
EAE
“BE careful when choosing lubricants, choosing the wrong type can result in damaged condoms and unwanted pregnancy. There are 2 different bases… water and oil. Water based lubricants are safe to use with latex condoms while OIL-based ones can eat tiny holes in latex condoms, too tiny to be seen but big enough for microscopic sperm and or viruses (STDs) to pass thru.
“Corn huskers lotion appears to be a non-oil based lube but I’m not aware of any safety studies with it being studied for use with condoms lubricant. Coconut oil, is definitely an oil-based lubricant and would not be recommended if being used with latex condoms if pregnancy and std protection are needed. Always ask your pharmacist for help in choosing a condom-safe lubricant.”
Sandra C. (Pharmacist in S.C.)
Please let us know your experience with various moisturizers. What works and what doesn’t? Your comments below are most appreciated!
