

I Used An Herbal Vagina Stick...And Now My Yoni Is Tighter Than Ever Before

Well, according to my man, at least.


After that time I wrote about what it was like to take a blow job class, I realized that I really am the type of person who's pretty much game for anything (hey, try everything once, right mom?). So when my boss told me about the Secret Ceres—an organic herbal stick used to balance the PH levels of your vagina and tighten things up down there—I was totally ready to "feng shui" my hoo-ha in the name of journalism.

Now, before I go any further, I just want to make it very clear that I am in no way suggesting or encouraging women that they need to tighten their vaginas—choosing to use this herbal stick was nothing more than a result of burning curiosity (Scorpios, you understand, right?). 

Okay, now back to "feng shuing." I must admit that I was a bit nervous before using it for the first time. Unlike other yoni (an alternative way to say vagina) treatments—yoni massages, "vontouring," and vagina steamings, to name a few—this one hasn't really been talked about a lot or endorsed by too many A-listers. That's not to say, of course, that celebs are the end-all gurus of the downstairs region, but what made me even more skeptical was the general lack of research surrounding herbal vagina treatments like this one. And knowing that gynecologists, too, are a little hesitant on their patients using them.

"I wouldn't recommend any kind of herbal stick because the safety profiles aren't out there and there's no data to back up their claims. The effects on the body are undetermined," says Justin Shelton, D.O., a Philadelphia-based OBGYN physician."If you use it, you're taking a gamble on whether or not it is safe and going to work."

Still, the reviews I read and watched on Youtube simply raved about it. On top of that, the website seemed pretty legit (my criteria: they can't use Times New Roman font and or look like the old '90s sites did) and the product was made with familiar ingredients you see in a lot of bath oils and face creams—kaolin and pomegranate seed oil, for example. So, I ultimately decided to take the risk.

When it arrived, it didn't look threatening or really all that scary.

Just a giant, tampon-shaped white rock, I told myself.

After getting it in the mail, I received an email with an instructional video from Adina Rivers, the creator of the product and founder of the sexual health blog My Tiny Secrets. In it, she breaks down how to use the herbal stick correctly.  

First, she said to give myself one full hour to center the body and create a relaxing, clean atmosphere so I can truly connect with my "yoni." That sounds great and all, don't get me wrong. But given that I always have a million and a half things to do when I get home from work—and that I consider Criminal Minds to be a bigger priority than vaginal meditation (#sorrynotsorry)—I knew that wasn't gonna happen. Alas, I decided to do my own abridged version of the ritual. My "hour of centering" was actually two minutes of deep breathing, creating a quick playlist of Enya songs, and taking all the dirty socks and underwear off my bed. 

Next, per Adina's request, I took the stick out of its black velvet pouch, wet it with warm water, laid down on my back, and slowly slid it in my vagina and started counting to 90. Everything was going smoothly...until I got to second 72. Why second 72? Because it was then that I heard Adina say, "Over 70 percent of women who apply Secret Ceres for the first time will experience very intense sensations, including itching or burning.This indicates that your pH level is not in balance." Relaxation mode over. 

Instantly, I had nightmarish flashbacks to previous yeast infections. Sure, I knew that there was a possibility of my "vagina shedding skin as part of the Secret Ceres rejuvenation process," but intense itching and burning? No thank you—I did not sign up for that. 

With that, I slowly pulled out the herbal stick, cleaned it with warm water, and put it back in its pouch and waited...expecting the burn, but hoping that I was somehow lucky enough to be in that other 30 percent. Much to my pleasant surprise, I looked at the clock 15 minutes later and still hadn't felt a thing. No groundbreaking sensation or even the slightest urge to itch down there. Hallelujah.

At this point, I was convinced that the Secret Ceres stick was nothing more than another internet gimmick. But I decided to give it a whirl again the next few nights, in hopes that I might eventually feel renewed down there. And so, for two more nights (which is one night more than what is recommended) after I made supper, cleaned up, and took a shower, I set aside 10 minutes to blast "Only Time" and connect with my yoni...but to no avail. 

I thought my vagina had failed me.

After reflecting and re-reading the reviews, I thought my vagina had failed me. But it turns out the herbal stick did make a difference sans the itching and burning. On night three, my boyfriend and I were getting a little frisky and dot, dot, dot. Then, after we finished, he rolled over and said, "That felt a lot tighter. Were you clenching the whole time?"

No, sir, I wasn't, I thought as I smirked and gave him a kiss on the forehead. My boyfriend had known that I was using the Secret Ceres, but I'm almost certain he had no idea that it would affect my tightness down there. Thus, it looks like my yoni had actually gotten tighter and the stick seems to have worked for me.

But that's not all that changed about my yoni. 

Remember when Adina had said that your vaginal wall might shed dead skin as part of the "rejuvenation process?" In case you happen to be eating oatmeal right now (sorry if that's TMI), I'll spare you the details and just tell you that when I went to the bathroom after our dirty deed, I noticed the "effects" of my vaginal rejuvenation on the toilet paper. To be fair, Adina had warned me, but I still couldn't manage to hold back my "WHAT THE F****?!" reaction upon my discovery. 

So...will I be using my Secret Ceres again? I'll probably revisit it in the future, but after hearing what another doctor had to say about what really could be going on down there, I'm feeling a little bit iffy about "rejuvenating" on the reg.

"The vagina is the only self-cleaning organ and is designed to cleanse itself," says Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., an OBGYN at Columbia Medical Center. "The cells that line the vagina fall off in your vaginal secretion anyway, so this herbal treatment is probably abrasive to your vaginal lining and could be scraping off the top layer of cells, which can possibly increase your chances of infection and inflammation."

In short, I'm giving my yoni a rest for a bit and am perfectly happy drinking my herbs via tea in the meantime. 

Disclaimer: Make sure to consult with your doctor before trying this stick. 

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