Imagine a warm stack of pancakes: The sticky brown syrup drizzling down the side, the aroma of sugar wafting in the air, all that fluffy goodness just waiting to be enjoyed. Now what if I told you that you could smell just like this? According to TikTok, fenugreek — the viral supplement that content creators can’t stop recommending — is apparently the key. With 135.1 million views under #fenugreek, TikTok users are buying into this apparent herb’s odor preventing properties, especially when it comes to freshening up “down there.”
In tons of TikToks, users claim that taking fenugreek can, among other things, change one’s vaginal odor to smell somewhat sweet like maple syrup. As a result, many seem to be taking the supplement to change their scent, and it’s just one of many potentially harmful ways people on social media are trying to mask totally natural vaginal odor. From viral “coochie cocktails'' composed of alleged odor-eliminating fruit juices to scented feminine washes said to make your vulva smell fresh as a daisy, young people on TikTok seem to be increasingly consuming advice from nonprofessionals about how to manage vaginal odor.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), fenugreek is an herb that has been traditionally used in both cooking and medicine, known for its maple syrup-like taste and smell. People in North Africa, Asia, and southern Europe have used fenugreek to increase breast milk supply and to manage diabetes. While some studies have found that fenugreek may be helpful in managing blood sugar, the NCCIH notes that the research is limited. Today, the herb can be taken in the form of capsules, gummies, teas, and even cookies. Kerry-Anne Perkins, MD, OBGYN, tells Teen Vogue that she has recommended fenugreek to lactating mothers, because some studies have shown it could increase breast milk supply. But as for vaginal odor? Perkins says there's no research that shows it works.
While the herb’s benefits aren’t well proven, the NCCIH says it can cause certain issues. Consuming fenugreek in quantities larger than that found in food can cause gastrointestinal distress, and, rarely, dizziness and headaches. Taking fenugreek alone or along with other herbs could lead to liver toxicity, according to the NCCIH.
It’s unclear whether taking fenugreek for vaginal odor actually works, but masking your natural scent can also hide an important barometer of health. While every person’s natural scent is different, a healthy vagina has a “slight” or “mild” odor. If the odor becomes strong or foul, it could indicate that you have an infection like bacterial vaginosis (BV), too much of certain bacteria in the vagina. “If you notice a scent that is very different from your own baseline and what you're used to, then this should be evaluated,” Fatima Daoud, MD, OBGYN and an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stony Brook University, tells Teen Vogue. Your vaginal scent can also provide some clues of what’s to come: “If you have a very copper-like smell to your vaginal discharge, oftentimes this is sometime around or surrounding your period," says Dr. Perkins.
The key issue with enticing young people to “sweeten” up their vagina lies in the health risks of masking the vulva and vagina’s normal and natural smells, says Dr. Daoud. “If there's ever something off, then generally one of the first things that we're going to notice is changes in discharge and odor," says Daoud. “So trying to mask the normal and natural odor can actually delay a diagnosis of a medical condition.” Societally, the consequences are just as serious. “Women [shouldn’t have to feel pressured] into changing their bodies to fit a mold that is not only not based in reality, but makes people go to dangerous lengths to manipulate the natural state of their body,” says Dr. Daoud. “And that includes the taste and smell of their vulva and vagina.”
Beyond potential side effects and health consequences, the idea that one’s vaginal odor needs to be changed or hidden is often rooted in misogyny. “This stuff can be very detrimental, especially to young women and girls,” says Dr. Daoud. “They're seeing these vaginal self care routines that are quite extensive on TikTok and Instagram, and feeling like there is something inherently wrong with their body. This can not only affect body image, but overall self esteem in how they view themselves as individuals and potential sexual partners.”
While Dr. Daoud says the internet can help democratize health information, particularly for people who may not have access to traditional medical care, it’s important to understand that advice on social media may not be true, especially if it doesn’t come from a medical professional.
“Because medical care is not accessible to everyone, social media can be a really powerful way to share one’s diverse experiences,” says Dr. Daoud. “However, it's a double edged sword in the sense that anyone can get on social media and say something with their chest.”
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