V Steam Herbs

The benefits of vaginal steaming have been reported from various sources, including but not limited to: 1) the Maya in central America; 2) Eastern herbal practitioners and studies of the practice in Southeast Asia; 3) information passed down from generation to generation of women who have carried the practice in their respective lineages all over the world; 4) real life case studies from vaginal steam practitioners who have facilitated steams for women; and 5) a fast-growing base of individual accounts of women who are reporting on their own personal experiences (see our Steam Stories page; a basic YouTube search for “vaginal steaming” or “yoni steaming” yields even more extensive results). Some of these include the following:

• General cleansing of the uterus after menstruation^{3, 4, 5, 6}
• Pregnancy preparation (cleanse the uterus prior to conception)^{3, 4, 7, 8, 9}
• Contribute to enjoyment of monthly cycles^{10, 11, 12}
• Spiritual practice⁴
• Postpartum care/revitalize the womb after childbirth^{2, 13}
• Bond with other women²
• Increase confidence and relaxation^{4, 62}
• Assist with the transition into menopause and beyond³
• Meditation and increased mind-body connection⁴
• Emotional comfort
• Reconnecting with sexuality⁴
• Bring comfort and warmth to the pelvic floor region^{3, 12, 15}
• More enjoyable sex¹⁹
• Refreshing and clean feeling and scent²⁰
• Apply warmth to the perineum and lower digestive tract opening^{4, 25, 103}

And these are just a few! As awareness of the practice continues to grow, more women are continuing to find their own reasons to steam every day. If you have have a steam story to share, let us know!

This varies from woman to woman, and depends on countless individual factors including your age, where you are in your cycle, why you are steaming, what kinds of periods you have been experiencing, if you are trying to get pregnant or if you are post-partum, what your personal emotional/psychological/spiritual state is, etc. Because every woman is different, results will always vary.

That being said, you can generally expect to feel immediately relaxed, more in tune with your womb space and vagina, rejuvenated, confident, and open to your feminine creativity. Intense emotional release during a steam session is also very common—you might laugh or cry, and that is great! Check out some of our Steam Stories to hear what other women are saying about the experience.

Physically, the most common general report after a first steam is that stagnant or built up matter tends to be released/cleansed during the next period. Subsequent periods then tend to be lighter as a result of this.

Yes, here is what some MD’s are saying:

Louisville-based family medicine/obstetrics specialist Dr. Rebecca Cohen, M.D, says:

I recommend vaginal steams in my practice regularly for a variety of reasons… during menopause and nursing… and [for] postpartum support….I believe that they are safe when used correctly.³⁸

Dr. Lissa Rankin, M.D., NY Times best-selling author and TED talk alumnus, is “all for it,” with a heavy emphasis on each woman listening to and trusting her own body. She writes:

I’m a big fan of checking in with your gut (and your lady bits!) What does your body tell you? Is this for you? Do you believe this will benefit you? If not, skip it. But if the wisdom of your body speaks to you and says, “YES! This is the answer for me,” pay attention.

That little voice can be much wiser than any randomized controlled double-blinded clinical trial. And as long as you’re not putting your body in danger (I personally doubt you are), what’s the harm? Worst case scenario, you’re out $50 and the pores of your vulvar skin are squeaky clean and tightly closed. And if it works to help you meet your goals, more power to ya. Your body knows best. Trust it.³⁹

Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD has gone on record to say that vaginal steaming is “not insane” and that the benefits of bringing heat to vagina through steaming are very plausible.⁴⁰

Dr. Siri Chand Kaur Khalsa, MD, believes that “embracing this ancient ritual may bring a renewed sense of empowerment to a woman’s reproductive energy.”⁶

Dr. Alyssa Dweck, M.D., practicing gynecologist and renowned author of V is for Vagina, notes that steam will bring extra warmth to the genital area and help with relaxation.⁴¹

Dr. Camilo Gonima, M.D., practicing OBGYN has stated on the record that “Herbal steams could have some relaxing effects and some beneficial superficial effects on the skin, just like a sauna or a facial steam would.” While he encourages caution to avoid burning, and notes that the vagina maintains a “mix of beneficial bacteria” on its own, Dr. Gonima says women can steam as often as they desire.⁴²

Dr. Charles J. Ascher-Walsh, M.D., director of gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City believes the steam can have a softening quality and notes that “the herbs may even have an aromatherapy-like effect.”⁴³

These are just a few examples of the growing community of MD’s who support vaginal steaming.

No. Douching is the practice washing or cleaning out the inside of the vagina with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most douches are sold in stores as prepackaged mixes that usually come in a bottle or bag. You then squirt this mixture upward through a tube or nozzle into your vagina and wait for it to come back out.

Vaginal steaming is gentle, non-invasive, and done for entirely different reasons than douching.

Most doctors recommend against douching but advocate for sitz baths.^{44, 45} While vaginal steaming is still a completely separate practice, it has more in common with a sitz bath than douching. As doula and reproductive women’s health advocate Zoë Etkin explains that they are both “gentle [and] external, but the warming properties have a lot of benefits.”⁴⁶

On the other hand, douching actually forces a stream of water, often mixed with chemicals, up in to the vaginal canal.

Vaginal steaming with herbs can have both thermo-therapeutic and aroma-therapeutic qualities.^{2, 58} Aromatherapy and herbal care around childbirth have a long history, and this is one of the specific reasons why herbs have been used historically in vaginal steam baths.² The smell of herbs alone can be very enjoyable and encourage relaxation! In fact, many practitioners and women claim that being able to “taste” the herbs on their tongue is an integral part of the steam session.⁴¹

Beyond the aromatic effects, the steam carries the essential oils of the herbs used, and each of these has its own properties. To learn more about the herbs in LEIAMOON’s signature premium steam blend, check out our herbs page.

Yes, just make sure you do your research before selecting your herbs! LEIAMOON currently offers an amazing “all-around” blend for vaginal steaming, but the possibilities for different herb combinations are virtually endless. Check out our herbs page for detailed descriptions of the herbs used in our blend and stay tuned for future offerings of different blends.

Different regional traditions also use different local herbs for steaming, and different herbs have different purposes. Consult with your local herbalist or expert practitioner to learn more or find a custom blend that is right for you. If you are going to source your own herbs, make sure they are organic, and ideally wild-crafted and solar dried for maximum benefit.

The consensus among vaginal steaming experts is no, you should not steam with essential oils because they are too strong and may burn your vulva tissue.^{60, 61, 62} While we have found one instance of a physician recommending essential oil use, it was only recommended to use a few drops of a “very gentle oil.” Our recommendation is to stick to the herbs!

Sure, but it’s nowhere near as nice! If you steam with water alone you will still get the effects of the moist heat. However, the essences of the herbs you use can add so much to the experience, not only in terms of their specific properties, but also in terms of relaxation and their aromas.

The feeling of aromatic steam gently swirling up to caress your vaginal tissue can be many things, both physical and emotional—warming, soothing, opening, exciting, rejuvenating, cleansing, meditative, cathartic…. Every steam is an opportunity to explore and improve your relationship with the most intimate parts of yourself, and every feeling you have during a vaginal steam is valid. Many women describe a physical “softening” feeling of the vagina. Vaginal steaming is a very sensual, personal, and intimate experience. Give it a try and let us know how you would describe it.