Beyond pH

For years, intimate care has relied on pH balancing as a measure of safety. However, pH alone does not protect vaginal ecosystems. Microbiome profiles differ widely between women based on hormones, ethnicity, contraceptive use, hygiene habits and life stage. Even pH-aligned products can still disrupt balance, reduce protective lactobacilli or slow recovery, leading to discomfort or recurring symptoms.

What We Know;

Research highlights that:

•      Vaginal microbiomes differ significantly between individuals and life stages, yet these variations can remain healthy (Condori-Catachura et al., 2025).

•      Preservatives, surfactants and fragrance compounds can reduce lactobacillus dominance even when pH remains within recommended ranges (Han et al., 2021).

•      Microbial recovery after disruption, particularly following antibiotic use or infection treatment, can take weeks  and with increased reoccurrence risks (Lehtoranta et al., 2020).

•      “Gentle” or “pH-balanced” claims do not reliably protect against dysbiosis; true safety depends on strain-level preservation (Valeriano et al., 2024).

Industry Impact and Potential;

Understanding these shifts means brands can now design products that better reflect real user needs:

•      Lifecycle aligned solutions for key phases such as postpartum recovery, peri-menopause, or post-antibiotic care, where microbial disruption is most pronounced.

•      More honest, evidence-based claims, moving beyond vague words like “gentle” or “pH-balanced” and focusing on real microbiome support.

•      Clear guidance for users, helping people choose products that fit their unique microbiome or life stage, instead of assuming everyone needs the same thing.

Our Solution:

Sequential evaluates how intimate-care products affect the vaginal microbiome in real use. Using qPCR, 16S, ITS and metagenomics, and drawing on a database of 50,000+ microbiome profiles, we measure effects on lactobacillus dominance, disruption and recovery over time. This evidence raises the standard for microbiome-safe intimate care, moving beyond pH-based claims toward solutions rooted in real biological protection.

References:

Condori-Catachura, S. et al. (2025) Diversity in women and their vaginal microbiota. Trends in Microbiology, 33(11), 1163-1172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.012

Han, Yet al., 2021. Role of Vaginal Microbiota Dysbiosis in Gynecological Diseases and the Potential Interventions. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.643422.

Lehtoranta, L.,et al. (2020). Recovery of Vaginal Microbiota After Standard Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis Infection: An Observational Study. Microorganisms, 8(6), 875. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060875

Valeriano, V., et al., 2024. Vaginal dysbiosis and the potential of vaginal microbiome-directed therapeutics. Frontiers in Microbiomes. https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1363089.