Are you experiencing vaginal dryness? Irritation, itching, and burning are all common symptoms of the condition. Most women experience dryness due to the onset of menopause. However, plenty of other reasons could make you dry up. Hysterectomy, poor lifestyle choices, and hormone imbalances can all cause the onset of dryness.
So, how do you deal with it? Unless you’re in menopause, you don’t qualify for hormone replacement therapy. You’ll need to rely on other treatments to help you maintain your quality of life. Most doctors recommend eating a healthy diet, exercising, better personal hygiene, and optimal hydration to relieve dryness, but these suggestions don’t do much to solve the problem.
Herbal remedies present a way of relieving vaginal dryness. Herbs contain polyphenols, antioxidants, and other ingredients to alleviate vaginal dryness. There are thousands of herbs, and only a select few are effective at treating dryness.
This post gives insight into the top four herbal remedies for vaginal dryness.
Dong Quai
The herb has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It’s a perennial, producing white-green flowers, and grows in lands around Asia. Chinese people have long used dong quai in preparations for vaginal dryness.
Dong Quai is also useful in resolving other estrogen-related issues like hot flushes and premenstrual syndrome. This herb is related to carrots and is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties that provide relief from vaginal dryness, blood pressure problems, fatigue, and joint problems.
TCM calls dong quai “Woman’s ginseng,” and its history in cultural use reaches back thousands of years. The “coumarins” found in dong quai improve circulation by expanding blood vessels to deliver more oxygen to the pelvic region. Some TCM experts believe supplementing with dong quai can enhance the quality of your blood.
While TCM values dong quai in treating vaginal dryness, there is little research in Western medicine showing its beneficial properties for treating any disease or disorder. TCM often blends herbs to benefit from the properties of several ingredients.
TCM relies on blending dong quai with black cohosh to alleviate symptoms of vaginal dryness. Typically, TCM practitioners prepare dry dong quai by boiling it into soup or tea. Or they can grind it into powder and mix it with boiling water.
Black Cohosh
This herb is native to Asia and North America. We’ve already mentioned how it has a place in TCM. It’s also a valuable commodity among Native American tribes for its ability to relieve vaginal dryness and other menopause symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, palpitations, and mood swings.
Black cohosh is related to the buttercup. It’s also known as a natural remedy for muscle pain and arthritis. This herb contains high concentrations of fukinolic acid, which mimics estrogen activity in the body. Some refer to it as a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy.
Black Cohosh is an incredibly popular natural remedy for vaginal dryness. However, no science on effective dosages exists, and concentrations may vary between supplements. So, it’s challenging to rate the efficacy of the herb, and science needs to investigate the effects of this herb on estrogen levels and resolving vaginal dryness.
Preparations from the stems and roots of the black cohosh plant are frequently sold as supplements in pill, powder, extracts, or tea form.
Flaxseed Oil
Also known as “linseed oil,” flaxseed oil is rich in plant-based phytoestrogens. These molecules mimic estrogen in the body. Phytoestrogens are also present in food and beverages. They have beneficial properties for women but aren’t good for men, lowering testosterone production. Phytoestrogens are also common in soy food products.
Supplementation with flaxseed oil is useful in treating menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, loss of bone density, and insomnia. A study on the effects of flaxseed oil supplementation in 140 women showed an improvement in vaginal dryness, menopause symptoms, and quality of life.
A meta-analysis of 11 studies into flaxseed supplementation shows that the relief might be psychosomatic. The results show there is no difference in improvement of menopause symptoms between women who used a flaxseed supplement and those who took a placebo.
Clinical research on the efficacy of this compound is lacking, and several studies are underway looking into flaxseed for the treatment of vaginal dryness.
The effective dose for flaxseed oil is 25 grams daily. Women can consume it via oil or extract format, with extracts usually offering better concentrations of the beneficial ingredients for relieving menopause symptoms and vaginal dryness.
We recommend avoiding pre-ground flaxseed or oil as the phytoestrogens oxidize and degrade after around two weeks of storage. Store freshly ground flaxseed in airtight containers to improve its shelf life.
Sea Buckthorn Oil (SBO17)
The final herbal remedy on our list is sea buckthorn oil. Out of all the herbs in this post, sea buckthorn offers the most potential as a sustainable solution to vaginal dryness. This ingredient is commonly found in coastline regions along Asia, Europe, and Canada.
Sea buckthorn is available from herb dealers online. You can boil it into preparations or grind it into powder. However, the most potent form of sea buckthorn comes from its extract. Extracts leave all the beneficial Omega EFAs and vitamins from the plant material, removing all the waste.
Lubracil is the world’s first sea buckthorn oil specially prepared for resolving vaginal dryness. Lubracil contains a proprietary extract, SBO17, blending 17 ingredients into this formula to create lasting relief from vaginal dryness.
There’s plenty of science-backed research into the effects of SBO17 on vaginal dryness. SBO17 is the only supplement that contains all four essential fatty acids (EFAs). It also features a hefty dose of Vitamin E, which has beneficial hydrating properties for the vaginal walls and tissues.
Lubracil comes in an easy-to-use softgel capsule. Take two daily at night or in the morning to benefit from the moisturizing and hydrating properties of this potent remedy. Users report relief from vaginal dryness after just two weeks of use.
Break free from vaginal dryness and improve your quality of life with Lubracil – the only natural, sustainable solution to vaginal dryness.
