Taking Self-Care Down A Notch: Does Your Vagina Really Need A Mask Too?

My idea of self-care is putting on a face mask after a nice warm shower, with a good book or the latest episode of my Korean drama. Occasionally, I’ll decide that its time for a hair mask, but it’s just not as comforting as a face mask. Until Two L(I)PS launched their Blackout Mask a couple months ago and I realised that there was a whole world of masking that I still haven’t explored yet.

You can pretty much mask every single part of your body from your hair to your toes. Many K-beauty brands have hand and feet masks alongside their massive range of face masks. There are even masks for your booty and boobs, so I shouldn’t be surprised that the area down under deserves a self-care day.

For every article that talks about the Blackout Mask breaking boundaries in the beauty world, there are thousands of other articles from experts and doctors sharing the sentiment that your vagina is naturally self-cleaning and that you don’t need to use soap or any other products to keep the area clean.

Most people don’t realise that your vulva can get irritated too. It is one of your body’s most sensitive areas after all. Irritation can be caused by too tight pants, the wrong underwear, and even daily panty liner wearing (that being said, always make sure that your panty liners are not scented because perfumes can cause rashes and swelling). Hair removal can also cause irritation, pregnancy can cause wrinkles and discolouration, and acne on your vagina is a real thing.

And here’s where the vulva mask comes in.

SO WHAT DOES THIS VUNDERFUL MASK DO? 

In a nutshell, the Two Lips Blackout mask is a charcoal-activated mask and it detoxifies, soothes, brightens and hydrates your vulva. Oh, and the mask serum only contains organic botanicals in a delightful blend of White Liquorice, Cornflower, Elderberry, Chamomile, Ylang-Ylang and Aloe Vera. If you’re using the mask to prep yourself for a date, rest assured that the mask is safe for oral sex. Just in case!

Two Lips has ensured that they only selected safe ingredients with soothing properties, and the Blackout mask is 100% free of sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals and alcohol. Like every other beauty and skincare product, your skin might get irritated if its not suited for it.

GIVING MY VULVA THE LOVE AND SELF-CARE IT DESERVES

The brand recommends using the mask 5 days in a row when you first get started, and then once a week for maintenance. So in the name of this review, I actually used it for 5 days in a row whilst feeling just a tad frivolous. It seemed a bit ridiculous to be using a mask on my vagina for some reason. My friend called it daylight robbery to charge $28 a mask, but they did say that it was a luxury skincare range (more vulva skin care products are targeted to launch next year).

After a month of regular use, here’s my take: it’s pretty good at soothing my vaginal area after a bikini wax. I used my first Blackout mask after a hot wax session, and the mask was a much-needed cold relief after the painful hair removal. It’s like using a face mask after suntanning for too long – my intimates felt so much better after the 15 minute mask and didn’t look as irritated. Every waxing and IPL salon should have this as the finishing step of hair removal, seriously.

As a weekly mask, it’s a relaxing 15 minutes while I’m lying there with the mask over my private bits. It easily fit into my masking routine, and after using the mask for a week, it wasn’t funny or weird anymore. For an extra refreshing treat, place your mask in the fridge for a cold treatment!

IS VAGINA MASKING GOING TO BECOME A THING

Sure, you can just hope that using warm water would eventually calm any sign of irritation around your vulva. But just because a beauty routine isn’t necessary doesn’t mean that you should avoid it. I love bubble baths and manicures because its quality me-time and makes me feel good about myself.

And I’m guessing that a lot of gals out there feel the same because the Blackout Mask was sold out online and at most STRIP outlets as soon as it was launched. If you’re keen on trying it, you might want to head to their website as they’ve just restocked it!

Beauty is meant to be fun, and (if you can afford it) you shouldn’t feel bad or weirded out about using a vulva mask. As long as you’re happy, who cares what other people think, right?

 

The Two Lips mask retails at $28 for a single mask and $120 for a box of 5. Available online and at STRIP salons.