Does putting a tampon filled with yogurt in the freezer cure a yeast infection? It 100% does. I know because I've done it and scientific studies have repeatedly confirmed it. Hiding a porcupine in your underpants is unsustainable for the long term, so give yogurt in your vagina a shot.
This cure is all contingent on you remembering to remove the tampon from the freezer and shoot it up your whoop tee woo, you understand. I know whoop tee woo is not a scientific term, but vagina seemed a bit bold for the first sentence.
O.K. .... I assume after that introduction it's just us girls here now, so I can be frank. One of the first posts I wrote for this website featured me testing whether yogurt for a yeast infection (bacterial vaginosis) really works.
Drinking water for a bladder infection worked, and those little home kits for pulling out the root of a plantar wart worked - so why not yogurt for your vagina?
The frozen yogurt worked. A 50 cent treatment made with something you probably have in your fridge right now. If you don't have more than a teaspoon of yogurt, I can show you how to turn 1 teaspoon of yogurt into 4 cups of it by making your own.
So a frozen yogurt tampon worked to get rid of a yeast infection. But how??
For a couple of reasons.
Table of Contents
Cooling
A cold compress stops the itch from a yeast infection immediately. Topical cooling stops the itch because the extreme cold contracts your veins and cuts down blood circulation and you become numb.
A study published in 2018 by Boyi Liu and Sven-Eric Jordt very officially states:
"Cooling can decrease nerve excitability and conduction velocity and slow biochemical mechanisms essential for neurotransmission and neuropeptide release"
Liu B, Jordt SE. Cooling the Itch via TRPM8. J Invest Dermatol. 2018;138(6):1254-1256. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2018.01.020
In plain language, when cold touches the active, itchy agitated nerves it slows them down and calms their hysteria. It's vaginal valium.
Yogurt for Vag
Yeast infections occur when the candida fungus population (that we all naturally have in us) grows out of control. It parties in a hard way. Candida is normally kept at an acceptable level by the bacteria in our own bodies. When our bodies can't keep the candida fungus under control, we get raging yeast infections as the yeast colony grows and grows.
Yogurt, as we all know, is full of beneficial probiotics. Those probiotics include the bacteria lactobacillus which are what knock out the yeast infection. The lactobacillus in yogurt produces hydrogen peroxide which inhibits the candida growth. Yogurt bacteria stops the yeast from multiplying out of control.
This study on yeast infection treatments compared using yogurt and honey to using a commonly prescribed antifungal, Clotrimazole . Their conclusion was that yogurt and honey not only worked as well as the antifungal cream - it worked better.
This study indicated that the therapeutic effects of vaginal cream, yogurt and honey is not only similar with clotrimazole vaginal cream but is more effective in relieving some symptoms of vaginal candidiasis.
Darvishi M, Jahdi F, Hamzegardeshi Z, Goodarzi S, Vahedi M. The Comparison of vaginal cream of mixing yogurt, honey and clotrimazole on symptoms of vaginal candidiasis. Glob J Health Sci. 2015 Apr 3;7(6):108-16. doi: 10.5539/gjhs.v7n6p108. PMID: 26153168; PMCID: PMC4803919.
What causes yeast infections?
- Eating a lot of sugar and carbs. (these are IDEAL foods for yeast to feed on, plus carbs often have yeast)
- A weakened immune system because of illness or cancer treatments.
- Drinking a lot of alcohol. (alcohol contains yeast, depresses your liver function and can turn your regular sedate yeast into party time cottage cheese discharge yeast.
Remember: Boozing = Oozing
karen bertelsen
- The pill (birth control).
- Diabetes
- Warm / moist environments (that's why you need to wear cotton underwear).
- Stress. (which is too bad because that last thing you need when you're stressed is the urge to scratch your vagina with a boar bristle hairbrush when you're in public).
What causes vaginal yeast infections?
In addition to the causes of general yeast infections, vagina's have causes all their own.
- Taking antibiotics. (that's why when you take antibiotics for a urinary tract infection you usually end up with a yeast infection after the treatment)
- Peri-menopause or menopause (hormonal changes).
- Sex.
- Perfumed sprays, douching, cleansers.
- Leaving a tampon in too long.
- Wearing underwear that doesn't breath (either too tight or made of synthetic fibres).
All of these things can contribute to your increased risk of a yeast infection.
IF by the way you do get urinary tract infections, I have a natural cure that works for that as well.
Are you convinced that yogurt for a yeast infection is a good idea?
Good. Because it is. Here's how to get that yogurt where it needs to be.
I bet you were hoping there'd be a video of me trying this. There is. At first I didn't think the technique worked but make sure you WATCH UNTIL THE END.
VIDEO
Since making this video I've come up with a tidier way to create a frozen yogurt tampon.
Getting Yogurt in the Vagina
How to put yogurt in there and keep it there is pretty easy. The solution I tried so many years ago was to fill a plastic tampon applicator with yogurt (no sugar added plain yogurt and check to make sure it does indeed contain lactobacillus.)
- Fill a syringe that has no needle in it with plain yogurt. For thick yogurt use a large syringe and spoon it into the top. If the yogurt is a bit thinner you can suck it directly into the syringe by pulling back the plunger.
- Squirt the yogurt into the end of an empty tampon applicator until it's full.
- Get your yogurt tampons in the freezer and leave them until they're cold and hard.
- Once they're frozen you can insert it just like you would a regular tampon or you can pop it out and insert it with your finger.
I'm going to tell you something now. Pay close attention. A frozen yogurt tampon is COLD. Like, very cold. Eyes watering cold. But it works.
If you just can't tolerate having a frozen yogurt pill thawing in your vaginal canal, you can skip the tampon freezing and applicator and just use the syringe to apply yogurt inside of you. It will still be cold, but less so.
Make sure you're using plain, sugarless yogurt that contains Lactobacillus acidophilus. Almost any plain unsweetened yogurt will have that. Just look to make sure it has live cultures.
Yes. We've been through this. To reiterate - plain yogurt is both scientifically and anecdotally proven to treat yeast infections quickly and in a cost efficient way.
And NOW if you're interested, here's the story of my own yeast infection.
Once upon a time I got that itchy feeling down there.
I was pretty sure it wasn't a mosquito bite and almost positive I threw my poison ivy underwear out, so it couldn't be that. It was looking more and more like a yeast infection. I hadn't had one in several years, but it's kind of like riding a bike. You don't forget it and it can give you a funny feeling down in your nether regions.
It wasn't what you could describe as "raging". I certainly didn't have to sequester myself inside the house so I could scratch between my legs with a bottle brush, but it was definitely something that would need taking care of.
So ... as I am want to do, I headed to the untrusty Internet to see if there was some sort of home cure.
There were a bunch of suspect cures on there, suggested by obvious whack jobs, but there were also a few actual possibilities.
One of which was the frozen yogourt tampon. Hmm .. sounds kind of plausible. The more I thought about it, there was no way that perfectly reasonable solution was suggested by a whack job. I was gonna try it!
So I froze some yogurt in a tampon, shoved it up and waited. It didn't work right away. In fact I didn't think it had worked at all. But 24 hours later I had relief.
The natural bacterial cultures, plunged deeply into my inner womanness got to work like little vagina chimney sweepers, getting rid of the bad bacteria and building up the good.
If you have a yeast infection, put that porcupine back in the forest and open the fridge. I bet you're itching to try it.
Anne
If this works, and I intend to try both methods, then I will owe you a great deal of gratitude! I am a chronic yeast infection sufferer and my doc says its just hereditary or my body! I have spent a small fortune on products and I just found out my trusty "pill" prescription is not longer covered by my benefits bc Canesten made it "over the counter". I am trying both, not at the same time or we'd have a tzatziki dip down there! So thanks Karen!!!!
Fiona
Mmm, tzatziki... wait, NO!
I was getting recurrent infections at the beginning of this year, so I finally went nuclear: gave up sugar, alcohol and almost all other carbs for a month, ingested/applied yoghurt, garic cloves, clove oil and tea tree oil, and took probiotic pills like it was going out of fashion. Not a PEEP from my Lady since, I'm so proud!
Amy Hadley
(PS-"...plunged deeply into your inner womanness then go to work like little vagina chimney sweepers" had me giggling rather uncontrollably so that I had to read it to my husband. He knows about the turkey baster... he handled it just fine. He smiled but didn't giggle.)
Amy Hadley
I started getting these from my birth control pills. Used a turkey baster to try the yogurt experiment. Talk about the need to keep it separate from other kitchen tools.
I like the garlic tampon idea (complete with dental floss) from other commenters, too. Let us know if you give that one a try!
Pax
Turkey baster. Penis substitute in the baby making department AND yogurt applicator too. And you can get it at the dollar store! Perfection!
Lori
I may have missed this in breezing through the comments, but using the cotton from the tampon, soaking it (?) or scooping a portion of yogurt with it and using it (without the applicator) works well. The liquid causes the tampon to expand slightly, but nothing that prevents it's use. Then there is nothing to make a return trip - at least right away. ;)-
monica
Youre amazing! Just getting that oh no feeling this week, think IM starting to get a YI, jut put the yogurt tampon in, oozed all out, will try again tonight. Easting yogurt now. I also heard that tree tee oil suppositories should work too.
Jodie
wow. and double wow. just found your blog the other day and ya'll are funny! Pussy eye, bottle brush, sparklers, incontinence laugh.
One thought however (to Amanda), would putting garlic "up there" keep vampires away? : )
Karen
Oh dear. Oh dear.
Kat
Lol. Dad insists I'm a vampire, and I'm allergic to garlic.... I'D stay away from you. Lol ;)
Of course, you'd have to stay away from me, cause breathing the fumes gives me asthma. :(
Liz
So my highly consertive friend sent me the frozen tampon story. I laughed until I cried. I'm not sure what I'm laughing more at: the story or that my highly consertive friend sent it to me. But it seems like a great idea! I've always heard about eating yogurt to prevent and treat infections. I've even heard of putting it directly on your hoo hoo. But as crazy as it sounds, I bet the frozen yogurt tampon feels pretty good on the itchy parts.
Karen
I'm shocked a highly conservative friend would even watch/read the frozen yogourt tampon story! That's funny. I'd like to have seen her doing it. Maybe she's not quite as conservative as you think!
Renee
I have asthma (and you're wondering what that has to do with this post...be patient). My male asthma doctor put me on an inhaler to use every day to control my asthma. Being a good patient, I inhaled every day. Twice. After a couple of months on the inhaler, I began to get recurrent yeast infections. I, of course, did not relate this to my lung medicine. Why would I have, right? Anyway, after TWO YEARS of monthly yeast infections, several gyno visits, marriage counseling (need you ask why?) and my children's college funds spent on Monostat, my mother suggested I "Google" all of my medicines to see if any might cause yeast infections. Wouldn't you know that my asthma inhaler reported that .02% of their regular users reported an increase in yeast infections. I immediately stopped inhaling, and I have had one yeast infection since (in 6 years). My male asthma doctor (did I mention he was bald with 3 earrings?) was really concerned and didn't believe the medicine to be the cause of the yeast infections. Now, I'm very conservative (I didn't even want to tell the male dr that I had yeast infections) and a big rule-follower. But, after two years of suffering I told him in a very strong tone that I'd rather have an asthma attack every day and walk around with an oxygen tank than ever have another yeast infection. I said the only reason Dante didn't include yeast infections as one of his levels of Hell is that he was a HE and hadn't had one. My bald, male, 3 earring wearing, asthma doctor found me a new medicine. We've had a lovely relationship ever since.
Karen
Oh my God that description of your doctor made me laugh. Yup. I can picture him. Took a look at your blog! I've been picking up and putting down The Potato Peel Society (sic) for AGES now. I think I will finally actually purchase it and give it a read. Once I finish the rest of my books. I get twitchy if I don't have a stack of at least 4 ready to go.
tricia
I've done the yogurt thing, (non frozen,) before but have since found something that works even better and isn't messy. There is a product called Candex, that you can find at most health food stores or online. It works even better than an Rx!
Jan
Outrageously hysterical...and quite useful. When you wrote about the un-frozen version, it made me think about in-vitro and how they ask the lady to keep her butt in the air for 30 minutes (although I should have written 'woman' as I'm not sure one can properly represent 'lady' with her butt in the air!). Anyway, not sure if that is even true, but I wonder if it would help the process?
Cindy
Thank you Karen, for that enlightening information! I find it difficult to accept it from someone I still remember as a wee little girl (it is hardly fair that you look barely any different BTW) with whom I went to elementary school, but ...I'll take it anyway =) I'll stick to eating 1 or 2 yogourts a day ATM and forcing one down my daughter's throat while praying it never becomes necessary to attempt any aspects of your adventure. Keep that sense of humour, we all need it!
Karen
Cindy? Cindy who? I remember Cindy Wing from elementary. Or there's Cindy-Cindy from highschool, former manager of Komic Kloz ... wow ... Or there's my sister's friend Cindy. Plus I spent a lot of time watching The Grinch, so there's Cindy Loo Hoo, which would make perfect sense since it IS a post about the Hoo Hoo. Lemme know!
Noelle
Dear Lovely Blondie, can you please write a blog about controlling the outcome of what my friends and I refer to as the "incontinence laugh". I mean.. well you know what I mean. Right? Let me know, 'cause if I'm gonna keep reading your damned blog I reeeeally need an answer.
Love, Feeling a wee bit damp AKA girl with lots of laundry ;)
suzanne
Oh wow... I just recently discovered your blog that I loved this post! I am almost excited to get my first yeast infection so I can try it- ha!
Karen
Ha is right! Thanks Suzanne. I hope you visit again. Perhaps next week I'll get a pussy eye. Fingers crossed! :)
Langela
A pussy eye? Am I the only one who has no idea what that is?
Karen
OH my God. I just realized pussy eye could be read a couple of ways. Um .. I meant an eye filled with puss. Not ... the other thing.
Langela
Is it sad that an eye filled with puss is actually the better option? Whew! Thanks for clarifying.
Lisa
Oh my gosh, I'm being bad and reading this at work and had to stop because I went hysterical at these last few comments. I had to take off my glasses to wipe the tears from my eyes. I just found your blog during my lunch break. You are hysterical!
Karen
Thanks Lisa! Now back to work. Pfttt. Work's overrated. Keep readin'. :) ~ karen
Alex
The face you make at 2:45 is to die for. I will laugh at that forever.
Karen
My grade 4 teacher Miss. Snyder once told me to stop making faces cause one day it'd stay that way. And one boss I had in university (transcribing audio tapes for brain surgeons) demanded none of her workers use facial expressions. Suck on that Miss. Snyder (who I actually loved) and boss whose name I forget!!!
Erica J.
You made my day! I laughed, I cringed, I was glad you said it didn't need to be frozen. I am so very glad that you are brave enough and smart enough to do all the things you do...and then share.
Karen
Glad to be of service Erica!
Amanda
Yogurt works wonders! But, so does a simple clove of garlic. I know most women are gonna say, "Ew!!!", but seriously, if you insert a peeled clove of garlic (organic, of course) into your vayayay the itching is relieved at once, and you can even "wear" it while you work/ride a bike/sing songs. I usually leave it in for 8 hours, and the infection is gone. It can be a little challenging pulling the sucker out, but if you've ever put in a diaphragm it's just about the same... Also, what I LOVE about these methods is that the cost is minimal in comparison to the expensive, yucky, chemical creams sold at the drugstore. Karen, you are brilliantly hilarious. Thank you for writing such a fabulous blog :)
Robin
Yes, garlic works as well and it's easier and less messy! In response to Amandas post about it being tricky to remove simply poke a hole in the center of the clove and thread with dental floss. You can make it into a little garlic tampon. I do it at night and remove in the morning. The funny part is you wake-up with garlic breath!
Kristy
I am just NOW, TODAY, finding this site and THIS topic... You guys have me literally laughing out loud- so much so that I am reading these aloud to my husband! His reply "I can't hear about this stuff anymore!" (insert squinty eyes and a sucked-on-something-sour expression) hahahahahahaha!!
Manelyred
OMG, now THAT one make Me laugh.....a garlic tampon at night and you wake up with garlic Breath......LOLOLOL
Lori
This went PERFECTLY with my evening glass of wine! bwahahahaha! dinner and a show. I loved it. And that, folks, is why you are my ultimate girl crush. hee hee (still laughing and honestly, I'll bet it does work. hat's off to ya)
Karen
Thanks Lori!
sera
Yep! The yogurt totally works - but while initially freezing it sounds like a good idea, cold is just as good. Yep, maxipad, and yep eat some too. And from someone who was plagued by yeast infections and UTI's I highly recommend that the moment a UTI starts coming on, drink tons of straight unsweetened cranberry juice (or take the supplements)and eat the plain yogurt and then you don't end up on those pesky antibiotics that destroy all kinds of good things.
Oonafey @ Little Pink Houses
I have one question:
Doesn't it just all pour out once it un-freezes?
Wait another one:
Isn't it REEEEEAAAALLLLYYYY cold in your hoo-ha?
Karen
Yes and yes.