8:10 am today

Are cleanliness products body shaming?

From Saturday Morning, 8:10 am today
Woman spraying herself in bathroom

Photo: Unsplash

Michelle Spear.

Michelle Spear. Photo: Supplied

There have never been more products or trends to help with our hygiene — but are they all necessary?

Michelle Spear is a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bristol. She believes there's increased pressure for people to be fresh and clean because of marketing campaigns, not actual science.

In the era of body positivity, she says this is an additional form of body shaming.

Michelle tells Susie this has created a flurry of viral trends — like vaginal steaming and ball sprays – that disrupt the body's natural regulating processes. 

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