I was diagnosed with vulvovaginal atrophy. I’m wondering if a natural product might help me.

Vulvovaginal atrophy, commonly referred to as vaginal dryness in menopausal women, is a condition affecting the vaginal mucosa that occurs when estrogen levels drop too suddenly. To remedy this problem, you need to help the body re-establish a hormone level that is appropriate for menopause.

When the ovaries stop producing hormones, the adrenal glands usually take over to produce small amounts of estrogen and progesterone to prevent premature aging. However, it often happens that, by the time menopause comes along, the adrenals are exhausted and no longer able to produce enough hormones to prevent unpleasant symptoms.

Factors that prevent the adrenals from working properly include stress, excessive consumption of stimulants (caffeine, alcohol, sugar, nicotine, etc.) and certain medications, such as cortisone.

You can treat the imbalance locally by inserting a gel cap containing 400 IU of natural vitamin E (make sure the ingredients include d-alpha tocopherol) into your vagina at night before bed. This will hydrate the vagina and help re-establish the local estrogen level, which is particularly helpful in cases of vulvovaginal atrophy.

In the event of localized external dryness affecting the vulva, the same treatment can be applied: instead of allowing the vitamin E gel cap to dissolve in the vagina, apply a little vitamin E liquid on the vulva and labia once a day—it doesn’t matter when during the day you do it.