FAQs

The vulva and vagina are skin; skin that needs moisturizing--just like

our face, hands, elbows & feet.

Before reaching menopause, both hyaluronic acid and estrogen take care

of vulva and vaginal skin cells.

In postmenopause, our skin misses these ingredients. Moisturizing our vulva

& vagina (i.e. restoring the natural moisture) is important so that we can sit

comfortably, move comfortably, dance, exercise and enjoy penetrative sex

comfortably (with or without a partner, when & if we choose.)

Also, a healthy vulva, vagina, urethra and pelvic floor helps to prevent UTIs (urinary

tract infections), incontinence and organ prolapse.

This is a community-created product; it came to be because of

vagina owners (like you!) speaking up and asking for a solution!

The FEEL AMAZING Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer was co-created by Menopause Chicks in response to 3 things:

1. Women wanting another solution in addition to OR instead of localized hormone therapy

2. Research from Swiss gynecologist, Dr. Petra Stute, showing hyaluronic acid to as effective as localized hormone therapy for the prevention and treatment of vaginal dryness

3. Most available treatments target the vaginal (internal) and ignore vulva health (external.)

Great question! We are working on it.

Given that less than 4% of women experiencing vulva & vaginal dryness have currently

found an easy, viable solution, that tells me that women are not discussing vulva & vaginal

health with their doctor.

And doctors are not mentioning vulva & vaginal health to their

patients.

The other answer is that many health professionals might be aware of vaginal estrogen therapy--

but will only be able to prescribe if dryness/atrophy is already present; they will not prescribe

preventatively. (Although FEEL AMAZING is approved for the treatment of vaginal dryness, I'm

always on "team prevention" whenever possible!)

Hyaluronic acid moisturizer is an effective option for

both prevention and treatment. And it benefits both

the vulva AND the vagina.

Estrogen fluctuates in perimenopause and then declines significantly

postmenopause. Estrogen is our juicy hormone--it is responsible for

maintaining moisture in our eyes, mouth and joints, and in our vulva & vagina.

So estrogen decline is a common cause of vulva & vaginal dryness.

There are other causes though, and they are not all age or stage-specific.

These include:

• hyaluronic acid decline (hyaluronic acid is produced naturally by our bodies but starts to decline in our 30s and 40s and more significantly post menopause)

• oral contraceptives i.e. the birth control pill is another major culprit

• so is over-use of panty liners and paper-based absorbent pads

• hormone fluctuations in postpartum

• certain medications

• cancer treatments + other health conditions

Regular pelvic floor exercise (go see a pelvic floor physiotherapist!) and moisturizing with hyaluronic acid will help to prevent vulva & vaginal dryness.

Also being "in-the-know" of how hormone shifts in perimenopause and hormone decline in postmenopause will impact the health of the vulva, vagina, urethra, urinary tract and overall pelvic floor will go a long way in helping you take the necessary steps to prevent vulva & vaginal dryness.

Learn more here: Menopause-Masterclass.com

#TheVagina Dialogues explains all available options for both preventing and treating vulva & vaginal dryness

You have lots of options--and some may be used in combination, or at different ages & stages of dryness.

For a complete overview, watch #TheVaginaDialogues

or download The Menopause Chicks Vulva & Vaginal Guide:

• Localized hormone therapy (estrogen or DHEA/prasterone) therapy is effective. (Just remember that most vaginal hormone options are designed to treat the vagina (internal) only and ignore vulva dryness..so moisturize!)

• Moisturizing with hyaluronic acid is proven to show results equally as effective as localized estrogen therapy--and is designed for both the vulva & vagina.

• See a pelvic floor physiotherapist.

• If you are still not achieving desired results, do not give up!

• Know that it is ok to use the moisturizer liberally--especiallly to start! Many of my members (depending how long it's been since their body made its own hyaluronic acid and estrogen i.e. how long since date of menopause) will moisturize 2-3 times per day knowing they will be able to taper back to once-per-day once dryness improves. Many other members use BOTH hyaluronic acid moisturizer as part of their regular moisturizing routine + use localized estrogen or DHEA therapy as prescribed by their physician.

Giving up and suffering in silence are NOT options!

Email me at shirley@MenopauseChicks.com

Hyaluronic acid is a molecule produced naturally by our bodies. It supports the moisture in our eyes, mouth, joints and vaginas.

Hyaluronic acid begins to decline in our 30s & 40s--about 10% per decade. And then it goes for

a steep decline postmenopause.

Hyaluronic acid has been included in beauty products since 2008. It continues to be a common treatment used in treating joint pain.

In 2013, studies showed moisturizing with hyaluronic acid to be as effective as estrogen therapy for the

treatment of vaginal dryness.

In 2021, The International Society of Gynecologists recommended moisturizing with hyaluronic acid as the first-line treatment for vaginal dryness.

The best way to apply is with your finger.

1. Put two pumps (1 g) on your finger. Insert into the vagina and use what's remaining and apply it on the vulva (clitoris to anus) OR

2. Put one pump (.5 g) on your finger and insert into vagina + then put another pump (.5 g) on your finger and apply to the vulva.

Although we recommend doses, you can't get it wrong.

We have members who use 2 g per day to start, knowing they can taper back to

1 g as dryness improves.

Some women begin daily and then switch to every other day after dryness improves.

Two medicinal ingredients: hyaluronic acid + a little vitamin E

Hyaluronic acid, in its raw form, is a powder. Our Health Canada-approved solution is formulated into an approved gel for vulva & vaginal application. The ingredients in the gel include: purified water, potassium sorbet, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, allantoin, glycerin, tapioca starch, lysolecithin, sclerotium gum, xanthin gum, pullulan, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, tamarindus indica seed polysaccharide, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate

Free of dyes, ethanol, gluten, parabens and propylene glycol

Health Canada Approved for the treatment of vaginal dryness: 2022

Extended shelf life of up to two years

NPN (Natural Product Number): 80115673

No. The Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer does not require a prescription, and because of that you can create your own protocol.

The recommended application is 1 g (2 pumps) per day.

However, if you are in perimenopause and in prevention mode, applying every other day might be just fine for now.

If you have been longer without hylauronid acid; without estrogen (ie. a few years since menopause or simply at an advanced stage of dryness,) know that you can apply liberally to start. Some use 2-3 times per day to start knowing they will be able to taper back to once-per-day once dryness improves.

Yes! And many of our customers do. Localized estrogen therapy is

effective but it can take 3-4 months to show positive results. Adding

the moisturizer (apply separately--for example, one in the morning and

one at night or every other day) will speed up results.

Daily to start.

There is a potential to move to every other day. This is a very individualized answer as

we are all at a different age and stage of dryness.)

Do use it away from sexual activity (it is a moisturizer, not a lubricant!) This is not because there is any risk in using it adjacent to sexual activity; it's because I want the moisturizer to be absorbed by your skin cells, instead of being rubbed off during sexual activity.

You can apply and get dressed. There is no need to lay down or wait after application.

You can, but I don't recommend it.

If you do, re-apply away from sex to give the hyaluronic acid moisturizer the opportunity to work (restore

natural moisturize into the cells of vulva and vaginal wall.)

Use a pH-friendly lubricant for sexual activity; pleasure & fun (with or without a partner!)

This moisturizer has been formulated especially for anyone with a vulva/vagina.

It can be used by your daughter (especially if she is on the pill or post-partum), your friend if

she is going through cancer treatments, your mom (please tell your mom! It keeps me awake at night

thinking about how many mothers and grandmothers are uncomfortable when they sit or move...or who

are NOT moving because of vaginal dryness/vaginal atrophy!)

And, it's for you, so you can sit, move & dance comfortably, avoid UTIs, prioritize your overall pelvic health, enjoy penetrative sex comfortably and prevent and/or treat vaginal dryness!

100%!

Many vaginal dryness products are formulated for internal use and ignore the skin cells of the vulva. Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer with hyaluronic acid works to restore natural moisture back into the skin cells of the vulva and vaginal wall.

Moisturizing the vulva and vagina helps maintain the health of the pelvic floor...and having a healthy vagina helps prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections) and incontinence and prolapse.

Regarding the urethra specifically, when we reach menopause, the urethra misses regular production of estrogen and hyaluronic acid; it gets smaller and shorter making it more susceptible to infection. The most common type of infection is urinary tract infection (UTI). UTIs are common, but re-occurring UTIs can be chronic in women who are in postmenopause. UTIs account for 500,000 doctor visits every year in Canada and 10 million in the US. This is why prevention is key!

Yes, use a lubricant for pleasure & fun!

Moisturize as an investment in your current and long-term vaginal health.

Lubricants are for temporary use: to provide a barrier to friction.

Please choose a lubricant that won't alter the pH balance of your vagina.

Coconut oil is not a moisturizer. There are no long-term benefits to using any food-based oil for vulva & vaginal health.

If you choose to use coconut oil as a lubricant, that might be a personal choice, and now that it can offer a temporary barrier to friction but does not have moisturizing benefits.

Coconut oil and other food oils have never been studied for their effects on vulva and vaginal health, even as a lubricant.

Over-the-counter options will vary so do read the list of ingredients. If hyaluronic acid is listed, how far down the list is it (that means there is a minimum amount in the formula.) Again, be aware of any products that only treat the vagina and ignore the skin cells of the vulva. Choose something with a formula approved by the FDA/Health Canada.

You do need to take care of your vulva and vagina, urethra and pelvic floor for life.

After we reach menopause, our bodies will never make hyaluronic acid or estrogen in the same quality or quantity it used to when our cycles were regular.

You can. (I use to moisturize my dog's nose!)

However, this particular product has been formulated as a gel so it stays where we put it! (Meaning it's easy to apply in the vagina/on the vulva (from the clitoris to the anus.) The formula is a bit sticky and for that reason, you may not want to use on your face.

And while I have you on this topic: please do not use anything on the vulva or vagina that is not designed/approved to be there!

While everyone is at a different age and stage, the recommended dose of 1 g (2 pumps) per day (or every other day) means that:

• 30 g will last you 30-60 days,

• the 60 g will last 60-120 days and the

• 90 g will last 90-180 days.

Everyone is at a different age and stage of dryness.

Applying moisturizer to healthy skin (your forearm, for example) is not likely elicit any reaction.

But if you had really dry, cracked elbows, for example, and you applied a moisturizer or treatment, you would likely experience a tingling sensation or reaction.

The same can be true for the skin cells of the vulva and vagina.

If you are in prevention mode, you may not feel anything.

If you are already experiencing vulva and vaginal dryness (let's say it's been a while since you reached menopause), you may notice a reaction when first applying the Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer. In most cases, according to our members, this goes away in a few days as healing progresses.

If you have any concerns at all, do consult your doctor to rule out infection, allergic reaction, or if you have any questions at all, you can always email me at shirley@MenopauseChicks.com