Capsules. Tightening creams. Hygiene wipes. Tiny herbal balls. Across Nairobi’s city centre and social media, the business of these intimate products is booming. They are sold under the banner of “feminine wellness,” items promising quick fixes for personal concerns.
On any given day, there is a queue of women waiting to be served in tiny shops along Dubois Road. Others are making orders online, and riders are sent to drop them on their doorsteps. They are buying vaginal inserts made from boric acid (suppositories), yoni pearls, creams and lubricants with the hope they will fix or enhance their private parts hygiene, albeit that the organ is self-cleaning, control recurring infection or enhance intimacy.
A quick scroll through platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or Facebook reveals just how aggressively these products are promoted. Influencers openly endorse them, and the glowing reviews in the comments create the impression that they are safe, effective and medically approved. However, doctors say these claims are not backed by scientific evidence.
Janet Wangare, a cosmetics retailer on Dubois Road in downtown Nairobi, is among those selling these products. She tells Nation Lifestyle a small box containing 15 boric acid suppository capsules is one of her best-selling products. A pack costs Sh1,500.
“It treats recurrent UTIs [urinary tract infections], prevents odour after your menses and restores your pH balance,” she claims. Around her, shelves are lined with similar products, some labelled and some not.
Cosmetics shops on Dubois Road in Nairobi in August 2020.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Across the road, Joy Nafula runs a similar business. Here, the vaginal washes retail between Sh1,500 and Sh3,000, depending on the brand. Pointing to one bottle, she says, “If you want to smell good, or if you’re experiencing itchiness, this one works well.”
We look at the label. It claims that it can eliminate all types of bacteria in the female reproductive organs, as well as cervical cancer cells, and that it produces fast results. Yet cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and treated using surgery, chemotherapy and brachytherapy.
Her vaginal tightening products, sold in small bottles, are labelled in tiny-print labels that do not list the ingredients. These bottles retail at Sh3,000 each. She says they, too, are among her fastest-selling items. “Women prefer these products because they find them easier to access compared to going to the hospital,” she claims, adding that she delivers countrywide.
It’s the promise of convenience — avoiding the hassle of booking and paying for a gynaecologist visit — and the appeal of discretion, of not having to reveal an intimate health issue, that seems to be driving demand.
Janet’s customers, just like Joy’s, don’t come with a prescription, meaning that they mostly self-diagnose. Most of these women buyers are also repeat customers or referrals.
Doctors are sounding the alarm as more women arrive in hospitals with burns and scarring from these products, in some cases severe enough to require surgery. Others have boils, growths and infections, caused by these illegal, counterfeit feminine hygiene products. In one case, a woman reported that her vaginal tissue had been severely damaged after using yoni pearls.
Dr Francis Were, an obstetrician, gynaecologist and cosmetic gynaecologist at Merit Medical Services, is among those concerned about the growing trend of inserting products into the vagina under the guise of hygiene or enhancement.
“The vagina has a self-cleansing system. It does not require you to insert a product to clean, deodorise or tighten it.”
“There are about 1,500 types of bacteria that exist in harmony and are controlled by lactobacilli, which regulate acidity. If the pH balance is disturbed, infections can occur, such as yeast infections and discharge, which may have a strong odour. This often pushes women to look for quick solutions.” Dr Were says that these feminine hygiene products may create more problems than they solve.
“The vagina is not supposed to be cleaned from the outside. It cleans itself. The natural moisture and secretions are essential to the body’s maintenance of its health. If you ever feel completely dry, then there is something wrong.”
Dr Were is particularly concerned about these products and services that are marketed without scientific evidence, including practices such as yoni steaming. This trend, also known as vaginal steaming, has worryingly gained popularity among women. Women sit over a pot of steaming water infused with herbs, with the belief that the steam cleanses, tightens, or balances the reproductive system.
“There is no scientific evidence that these traditional herbs or methods promote vaginal health. It’s largely marketing, taking advantage of women who may not have access to accurate information.”
He stresses that only medically-approved treatments should be used following a diagnosis by a doctor. “If you have an infection, we recommend certified, registered medicines that are safe to use.”
Most of the intimate products are unlabelled and unregulated, making it difficult to know what’s inside and the side effects of using them.
Photo credit: Fotosearch
He notes that part of the challenge is social media, where personal testimonials quickly become perceived truths.
“People say it worked for them, and everyone wants a quick solution. But these products are unnecessary. You don’t need them.”
Dr Were warns that altering the vaginal environment could open the door to infections such as candida.
“Some conditions might become harder to treat or take longer to resolve. In more severe cases, certain substances may be toxic, potentially causing harm to organs such as the kidneys.”
He also highlights a pattern he has observed in his clinical experience: Many women only seek medical help when things go really wrong, and even then, they do not disclose what they have used.
“They feel ashamed. They come in with symptoms such as itchiness or vaginal discharge, but they don’t always tell us what products they have used. It is even more concerning when pregnant women use these products, risking the lives of their unborn children.”
Instead of turning to unregulated products that can cause burns, scarring, or infections, he says women have safer, medically supervised options such as FemiLift and fractional CO₂ laser procedures. These treatments stimulate collagen and restore tissue health, offering benefits like improved elasticity, relief from vaginal dryness, especially for women going through menopause.
“There are also surgical and non-surgical procedures that address aesthetic and functional concerns of the female genitalia. These include labiaplasty, a surgery that reshapes or trims the labia minora; clitoral hood reduction; vaginal rejuvenation, or vaginoplasty, to tighten the vagina; and hymenoplasty, or hymen reconstruction,” he says, adding, “these procedures should only be performed by registered specialists in facilities accredited by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC). Thorough consultation is also required, taking into account factors such as age, medical history and, in some cases, family considerations.”
He is already seeing women, some in their late 20s and older, coming in to request these procedures.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Photo credit: File
Having understood the risks associated with these products, Nation Lifestyle approached the regulators, who are responsible for protecting consumers from harmful products on the market, with one question: How do these items end up on shop shelves and in online shops?
According to Dr Lilian Nyawanda, a Customs and Border Control commissioner at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), products entering Kenya legally are handled by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
“Female hygiene products, such as those used for menstrual management, are legal provided they meet Kebs requirements. Importation of any products that fall under the category of medicaments is restricted,” she said.
Dr Nyawanda explained that importers must obtain permits from the relevant government agencies, such as the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), and that, in some cases, certain products require a prescription to be allowed into the country.
She added that the clearance process is coordinated through the Integrated Customs Management System (ICMS), which is linked to regulatory bodies via the National Single Window System (KenTrade). Permits and certifications are submitted through these systems, and approvals are granted before goods are released.
However, she added that KRA does not test products for quality. Its role is limited to verifying that imports match declarations and that taxes are paid.
“Kebs is the body that handles quality control at our points of entry. If Kebs does not clear products, they are not released by us,” she added.
In its response, Kebs noted that items such as intimate soaps, washes and wipes intended for external hygiene purposes are generally classified as cosmetics or personal care products. Many of these items are imported and must undergo regulatory checks before they can be sold.
“Products intended for therapeutic use or for insertion into the body, such as suppositories, or products marketed for the treatment of infections, fall under the regulation of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.”
In practice, oversight is shared across agencies, including Kebs and PPB, depending on how a product is classified.
Certain substances are banned outright in cosmetic products. These include mercury, hydroquinone, and certain steroids and hormonal compounds, which are legally recognised as medicinal substances and can only be used in registered pharmaceutical products on prescription.
Kebs conducts inspections, sampling and laboratory analysis to identify non-compliant products and publishes lists of banned items to raise public awareness. Cosmetic products are considered high-risk goods and are subject to regular surveillance.
Nevertheless, regulators acknowledged challenges, particularly with social media and e-commerce platforms, where issues of authenticity, traceability and compliance are harder to enforce. Informal markets also remain a concern, with past crackdowns leading to the seizure of substandard cosmetic products.
