At some point, “natural” became the wellness world’s get-out-of-jail-free card. Olive oil is ancient. Olive oil is pure. Olive oil is, according to a significant portion of TikTok and Reddit, apparently also a lubricant now — a cheap, accessible fix for vaginal dryness that requires nothing more than a trip to the kitchen.

Dr. Kate McLean, OBGYN and Medical Director at Evvy, told VICE the biology doesn’t quite back that up. “Olive oil simply hasn’t been studied or formulated for vaginal use the way products designed specifically as lubricants have,” she says. The core issue is that oil isn’t water-soluble, meaning it lingers in the vagina rather than clearing out. That creates an environment where bacteria and yeast are more likely to take hold—especially for anyone already prone to recurrent vaginal symptoms. It also weakens latex condoms, making it a poor choice for anyone using barrier methods.

The “natural” argument doesn’t exactly hold up under medical review. “Natural isn’t a medical term, and it doesn’t automatically mean something is safe or appropriate for every part of the body,” Dr. McLean said. The vagina has specific biological needs—a particular pH, a healthy microbial community—and what works on skin or in a pan doesn’t automatically translate.

Damage also isn’t always immediate or obvious, part of what makes this hack so easy to keep defending. Dr. McLean notes that microbiome imbalances can be completely asymptomatic at first. Someone can use olive oil and feel fine until suddenly they don’t. “That doesn’t mean everyone who has used olive oil should panic,” she says, “but it’s also not something I’d recommend continuing simply because it hasn’t caused obvious issues yet.”

Vaginal dryness itself gets routinely misread as a menopause issue, when it can stem from a long list of other causes. Dr. McLean says hormonal contraceptives, antidepressants, breastfeeding, autoimmune conditions, and microbiome imbalances can all play a role. Treating the symptom without understanding the source is how people end up managing the same problem on a loop.

Anyone currently using olive oil should make the switch to a water-based or silicone-based lubricant formulated for vaginal use, according to Dr. McLean. Irritation, unusual discharge, or dryness that won’t quit are all reasons to loop in a provider. “The goal,” she told us, “is to make sure people have evidence-based information to make informed decisions going forward.”