Thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow, 2020 has started with the internet discussing the precise smell of women's genitals - and a Kiwi doctor warns the discussion could be dangerous.
The Avengers star and her Goop company have previously made headlines for making bogus claims about the benefits of sticking a jade egg up one's vagina and encouraging vaginal steaming that can lead to horrific burns.
Paltrow's latest apparent vaginal swindle, her 'This Smells Like My Vagina' candle, may also result in women needing medical attention, warns a Christchurch gynaecologist.
"The ingredients for Gwynnie's candle don't smell like any vagina I have seen," Dr Olivia Smart of Oxford Women's Health told Stuff.
"A healthy vagina can smell like a lot of different things - but bergamot is not one of them."
The 'This Smells Like [Paltrow's] Vagina' candle's scent is made with geranium, citrusy bergamot and cedar, with Damask rose and ambrette seed.
Dr Smart says it sends "the wrong message" and "could encourage the use of scented cleansers or, even worse, vaginal douching".
Such practices can cause all sorts of health problems as they interfere with the vagina's natural system of balancing healthy bacteria and pH levels on their own.
So while medical professionals, social media and online reviews have made it clear Paltrow's 'This Smells Like My Vagina' candle does not smell like a human vagina, anyone unfortunate enough to believe it does who tries to then get their own to smell that way will likely end up needing medical help.
