Many women are sensitive to their own scent. But I am among the minority of women who actually enjoy their own scent.
Photo by James Lee on Unsplash
I read a great post written by traceybyfire yesterday aptly titled ?Two Ways of Smelling a Vagina.? The subject matter is important because many women are sensitive to their own scent.
Two Ways of Smelling a Vagina
Why feminine hygiene spray is a sham
medium.com
We are conditioned to reject nearly every part of our bodies. So it makes sense that the smell of our vaginas would be no exception. But I am among the minority of women who actually enjoy their own scent.
I spend 99.9% of my time at home naked.
I write in the nude.
I cook in the nude (which is not recommended near ovens by the way).
I coach in the nude (clothing is always optional during my sessions).
Needless to say, I am very comfortable in my skin. Being nude all the time also means that I catch whiffs of my vagina, all the time. And I find the scent absolutely intoxicating.
Yes, I am aroused by my own smell.
We often think everyone thinks and feels the way we do. That?s why I was well into my 20?s before I realized that many women are at odds with themselves.
There are women who don?t like the curve of their nose or their stubby baby toes. They don?t like the hair on their legs or the dimples in their thighs.
They think they?re too fat. Too short. Their necks are too skinny. Or their double chin is too double.
For a long time, I had a love/hate relationship with my arms. I got over it. But I have always loved my body, including the smell of my vagina.
When I was a child my mother let us sleep commando. ?You need to let it breathe,? she would say. I can still remember pulling on my labia and rubbing my fingers around my vulva. And then I would bring my fingers to my nose and sniff.
Today I am 45 years old and tugging on my labia is still a thing. I also enjoy rubbing my fingers in the folds of my vulva. And I still sniff my own scent.
Being familiar with the smell of my vagina has its advantages. My scent sweetens when I ovulate. It becomes slightly acidic when I am pre-menstrual. The discharge is a lot slicker when I am in the pre-ovulation phase. And it gets creamy right before the egg drops.
Being intimate with my scent also means that I am intimate with my health.
I am not grossed out by the way I smell. I carry no shame about my acquaintance with the viscosity of my vaginal seepage. I am comfortable with touching, looking, and exploring every part of myself.
The feminine product industry has gotten rich convincing women to be ashamed of their vaginas. Scent and discharge included.
Did you know that before Lysol was used to clean and disinfect toilet bowls and kitchen sinks, it was intended to clean vaginas?
The thought of putting something that harsh in or on any part of your body should be alarming. I will expand more on that madness in another post.
The point is we have come a long way, but we have not arrived. The tide is a slow turn. And I am happy to report that the industry is still growing, but for different reasons.
Women are becoming more intimate with their bodies. They are making different choices. Awareness surrounding the lack of access to washrooms and feminine supplies is growing. Menstrual cups and period panties are changing the game. It?s becoming easier for us to talk to one another about our bodies.
We can say PUSSY without whispering!
Things are getting better-ish. But the truth is, there is only one way for true change to happen.
The real change is not going to happen in a lab or on the congressional floor. It is not going to happen when every woman has access to clean water and feminine supplies either.
Actual change begins with us.
It begins when we are able to accept ourselves. Our whole selves. That includes our sagging breasts, soft bellies, and sometimes smelly vaginas.
Once we accept the woman that greets us in the mirror everything changes. How we interact and engage with other women has everything to do with how we feel about ourselves.
A woman who tears down another woman is a woman at odds with herself. Without exception. The patriarchy may have shackled us, but the key to our freedom is in our hands.
Because the truth is, no woman deserves your acceptance, admiration, and love more than you do. And when you change, everything in your environment changes with you.
Stacey Herrera is a relationship-ing practitioner, jalapeo junkie, and chronic library fine payer. She?s also an Intimacy + REALationship coach residing in the Port of Los Angeles. Sign-up to her newsletter for updates.
