‘Femfresh for intimate skin’. Why the hell don’t men get inundated with this crap?

[TammyWhyNot]

Just saw the ad for some special stuff for washing your vagina. Why no product marketed at men and their foreskins / glans? Why such a market for Femfresh but not Smegfresh?

I am sick of this constant reference that women’s bodies are a constant hygiene challenge, likely to smell at any moment, and requiring special treatment beyond warm water to keep embarrassment at bay.

Unwashed genitals need washing, male or female. Men have ‘intimate skin ‘ too. But no one is drumming up horror of male foreskins and preying on the resulting insecurities.

AmoraObscura said-

"I would rather be the target of marketing campaigns over my personal hygiene than have bits cut off because of it. Where FGM is obviously and rightly abhorred across the UK I still hear so many mothers defending the circumcision of their sons saying that it's got 'hygiene' reasons. Femfresh is the lesser of two evils."

DillyDillyDally said-

"FGS what does male circumcision have to do with this?"

Really DDD? I think amora obscurer explained it perfectly.

I have never heard of a man doing such a thing either! Things are worse than I thought!

Have you ever heard of snarfing?

Specific to bicycle seats

MN are running a product test for below the belt:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_product_tests/3218031-Male-mumsnetter-Sign-up-to-take-part-in-Mumsnet-s-first-male-only-product-test-300-to-be-won-for-feedback

There is!

Because most men have more sense than to buy such crap?

This: even products claiming to be 'balanced' and especially designed for intimate cleaning cause problems. The vagina is a self-cleaning organ.

From what I remember of my days as a junior doctor doing catheterisations, the average male patient seemed to cultivate a thick crop of smeg under his foreskin. Men are far worse soap dodgers than women!

I love a bit of femfresh in my shower routine! I have sensitive skin. I use aveeno as a shower gel and femfresh to give my bush a good scrub.

It is a cool gel type consistency so if you are feeling a bit hot or itchy it is delightful. I don't suffer with issues down there very often though, seems to be a healthy place overall.

I don't think it's a product I find particularly misogynistic tbh, when I compare it with the entire rest of the contents of superdrug?

Men don't have the same sort of skin on their genitals. I find soap irritating.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=d6IBiR9m3vY

My husband brought this up the other day, in his words, “why don’t I have the option to grab a pack of ‘Nut Dabs’?”🤣

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ.

The vulva isn't. You need to wash that.

A bit like make up. Is it anti-female to wear make up? I really maintain it is more anti-female to shame women for wearing make up.

Feminism is about women's liberation from sex-based oppression. The expectation that women devote their efforts to making themselves pretty in a way men are not expected to, is sexist. It suggests there is something wrong with a woman's actual face that means it cannot be presented to the world. Meanwhile, out men go.

This expectation is actively harmful for women: women are expected to spend money on things men are not expected to spend money on, which is bad for women economically. The Telegraph ran a story in 2013 that two thirds of bosses admitted that they would discriminate against women not wearing make-up (and of the remaining third, consider that some would do so less consciously).

Complying with this sexist expectation on women through wearing makeup helps to bolster the expectation that this is a standard expectation for women. Women who wear make-up help reinforce the social pressure for other women to wear make-up.

The other issue is that often women who wear make-up feel defensive even when the conversation is kept in the realms of only not wanting women and girls to feel this pressure. I see this all the time on tumblr. And, apparently, so do you, if you think it is worse that sometimes a woman speaks against make-up than that make-up is actively pushed onto women generally.

I definitely used to think this but these days using the fem fresh is the way to keep thrush at bay. No idea why when water used to suffice

What's with all the weird zombie threads being resurrected today?

I remember seeing a young woman get off the train and a man creeped over (about 40ish if that's relevant) and sniffed her seat.

Ffs

🧟🧟🧟

My OH once came downstairs after a shower and looked a bit worried.
"You know that intimate wash stuff? It hasn't got any hormones in it, has it?"
"What? Why?"
"Cos l've washed my bits with it...."

I've caught two different men sniffing my motorbike seat. They were members of my bike group that didn't expect me to return to my bike as quickly as I did.

I don't see the need for specialist products either. I've worked in the NHS and come across several opinions on 'feminine cleansing' from male staff. The only one I agree with is no bar soap. I use whatever shower gel I use for the rest of me on my vulva and haven't had a problem - yet.

Whatever works for you is best but don't fall for marketing crap.

We saw quite a few women with smeg under the clitoral hood, too. Not as bad a build-up as the foreskins but it can still smell pretty bad.

Has anyone else just used normal shower gel their whole lives and been absolutely fine?
I'm not saying there aren't women who will be irritated by these products, but surely, like me, there are women out there who wash with regular shower gel in the bath or shower and have never experienced any problems at all? Maybe I'm weird.

I think the whole "femfresh" thing relies on women's (some women's) embarrassment or shame of their bodies, I mean, we all know the old stereotypes of what women's bits are supposed to smell like, how periods are "dirty", the shame around menstruation etc.
I agree with you OP.

In bidet embracing countries ‘intimate wash’ is branded for men and women.
On a separate not, over here, I used to use it on my kids because it’s delicate and unscented until they worked out what vag meant and would giggle at the bottle. Still do.
“Vag is ill” a bit of a running joke in my house

Men can tolerate stronger detergents, and many will prefer those.

I don't feel any shame at all that most soaps and showwr gels make my vulva itch and no I don't want to "wash" with just plain water thanks.

I also have a very limited number of products I can use on my face without flaring up. Can't wear many types of earring. Have to use unscented deodorant etc. All because my body reacts badly to certain things coming in contact with it.

None of this gives me a moment's shame, it's just a slightly tiresome fact about me.