Our Herstory

In the early 1970s, as the women’s liberation movement was gaining momentum, Ivan and Mary Elizabeth, our founders, were determined to create products that would actually improve women’s lives. They believed that no woman should be shamed for having vaginal issues, that every woman had the right to be in control of her vaginal health, and no woman should suffer in silence.

As women’s voices began to rise around the world, some women spoke to us about a very common, but private matter — painful burning vaginal itch — often associated with yeast infections. Women were using makeshift or dangerous treatments to deal with this intense itch, so our founders got to work on the first product designed to safely and effectively stop the itch instantly. Immediately, women who tried it loved it. But then, the government stepped in. Seriously. The government. They told our founders that we could not sell our amazing new treatment because they believed vaginal itch did not exist. Looking around at the sea of male faces — not a single vagina among them — our founder calmly said, “Go ask your wives.”

Despite the facts, they tried to silence us. Television networks tried to censor us. They hated our name. Mary Elizabeth came up with the name Vagisil. She wanted there to be no mistaking what the product was for. It was shocking. Back then no one said the word vagina in public. Despite the Sexual Revolution going on at the time, the name Vagisil could silence a room. But we refused to change it. We were intentional about being clear and specific — emblazoning the word vagina in our name and getting it on every store shelf around the world — to be a beacon for every woman seeking relief and better vaginal health.

For 40 years, Vagisil has been the brand that women trust to solve the vaginal issues that affect them most. There’s so much to celebrate about being a woman and about having a vagina. We believe suffering and feeling shame should never be a part of it. That’s why Vagisil always has been and always will be shameless about vaginal health.