Not long after Kim Kardashian’s brand released its controversial bush underwear, Kourtney Kardashian unveiled her own interesting product for women. On October 27, her brand Lemme announced its Lemme Purr Probiotic Lollipops, which will be sold exclusively by Target. The brand claims the vagina lollipops offer probiotic support and “support feminine self-care,” but to some critics, it seems like Kourtney is simply grifting.
On many occasions, the Kardashian-Jenner family has been criticized for selling solutions to problems that they created. In particular, numerous critics have called the Kardashians out for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, then profiting off women’s insecurities. Lots of women do use vaginal probiotic supplements, and Kourtney is definitely not the only person promoting vaginal probiotics. Though brands like Kourtney’s claim to sell products that boost vaginal health, experts say research on the benefits of these types of products is quite limited.
In 2019, Dr. Caroline Mitchell, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, said, “There is almost no evidence that [probiotics] have benefit for vaginal health,” per Harvard Health.
And this is precisely the issue that a lot of critics had with Kourtney’s latest product drop. Calling the vaginal health lollipops a “cash grab,” critics online suggested that women should seek out health advice from medical experts, not Kourtney Kardashian.
Calling the product “beyond gross,” one critic wrote, “Way to be a part of giving women ANOTHER thing to feel self-conscious about instead of actual education and advice on contacting a doctor if you are unsure.” Another person asserted that “no one needs to lick lollipops for a healthy vagina. That’s her message and it’s WRONG.”
On Reddit, a third critic accused Kourtney of promoting products that are “a placebo or straight up scam.” Several people made it clear that they’re really tired of the Kardashians trying to make more money off of women. “What is the Kardashian’s obsession with vaginas lately,” a fourth person wrote. “First the bush panties now these… I really hope people don’t buy these and think it’s going to help your vaginal health by eating them. It is all pseudoscience.”
Not everyone saw an issue with the product though. Reacting to Lemme’s Instagram announcement, several fans noted that they’re excited to try the lollipops. To some, the idea came across as innovative. “I like the core idea of using lollilops…” one fan wrote on Reddit. “If we are already doing gummies, why not? The claims of this purr line in particular seem [like] BS but I appreciate the out of the box thinking.”
