Vaginal dryness treatment: menopause, perimenopause and after giving birth

Low oestrogen (estrogen) is the most common cause of ongoing vaginal dryness. We explain why in Low oestrogen symptoms: why your vulva and vagina get dry. What helps depends on whether your low oestrogen is temporary or long-term. It can dip for a while after giving birth, while breastfeeding or on some contraception. After menopause, it stays low. This guide covers the treatments the British Menopause Society recommends.

How can I relieve vaginal dryness?

There are two kinds of cream for vaginal dryness. Non-hormonal vaginal moisturisers are sold without a prescription. Vaginal oestrogen cream is usually prescribed. Which suits you depends on two things. Is your low oestrogen temporary or long-term? And can you use hormones, or do you want to? Whatever the cause, the skin outside needs gentle care too. Wash once a day at most, with water. Use an emollient instead of soap. Skip perfumed washes, wipes and sprays. If the skin feels dry, use a plain, unscented ointment, such as Vaseline.

Vaginal moisturisers and lubricants

Use a vaginal moisturiser regularly, at least twice a week, whether or not you’re having sex. The British Menopause Society says vaginal moisturisers can work as well as vaginal oestrogen. Many contain hyaluronic acid, which holds water in the tissue. A lubricant is for sex. It gives short-term comfort, and can be water, oil or silicone based. Using a water-based and an oil-based product together can help. But oil-based products weaken latex condoms.

Choose products that are about as acidic and as concentrated as your natural vaginal moisture. That’s the British Menopause Society’s advice. Very concentrated products can draw water out of the vaginal lining and irritate it. Packaging sometimes lists these as “pH” and “osmolality”. A pH of around 3.8 to 4.5 matches the vagina. For more on pH, see Vaginal pH balance: what’s normal, what upsets it and how to keep it balanced.

Vaginal moisturisers and lubricants are often all you need after giving birth and while breastfeeding. Your oestrogen will recover. They’re also the main option if you can’t use hormones, or would rather not.

Can I use Vaseline or coconut oil for vaginal dryness?

Inside the vagina, it’s best to use products made for vaginal use, with the right acidity and concentration. That’s what the British Menopause Society advises. On the vulva, yes: dermatologists include plain ointments such as Vaseline for the skin outside. Oils, including Vaseline and coconut oil, weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.

Do herbs, vitamins or natural remedies help with vaginal dryness?

Plants have a long history of traditional use for women’s health. That’s something we draw on at re:vulva. But research on natural remedies for vaginal dryness is thin. Most studies are lab-based or very small. Herbs can also interact with other medicines. So rather than picking supplements off the shelf, we’d suggest seeing a medical herbalist. They can take your full medical history and give you individual advice. The National Institute of Medical Herbalists has a register of qualified practitioners. Once you know what works for you, you can source the herbs and supplements yourself. For more on plants and looking after yourself, see our herbs section.

Vaginal dryness while breastfeeding and after giving birth

Oestrogen drops sharply after birth. While you’re breastfeeding, the milk-making hormone prolactin keeps it low. That can leave the vulva and vagina dry, tight or sore, and make sex uncomfortable. Lubricants and vaginal moisturisers are usually enough. Dryness tends to ease once breastfeeding stops and periods return. If it doesn’t, or sex is painful, talk to your GP

Vaginal dryness before or after your period

Oestrogen dips just before and during a period. After ovulation, progesterone rises and cervical mucus gets thicker and stickier. So some people notice a few drier days at these points in their cycle. That’s normal and usually settles by itself. A lubricant helps in the meantime. If the dryness is new, constant or getting worse, see Low oestrogen symptoms: why your vulva and vagina get dry for other causes and talk to your GP.

Vaginal atrophy and dryness in menopause and perimenopause

In perimenopause, oestrogen rises and falls unpredictably. So vaginal dryness can come and go. After menopause, low oestrogen can lead to genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). It used to be called vaginal atrophy, and most people still search for it by that name. The vaginal tissue gets thinner and drier. Some women also need to pee more often, or get repeated urine infections. Unlike hot flushes, vaginal atrophy tends to get worse over time without treatment.

GSM affects the vulva as well as the vagina. Itching that doesn’t settle is worth getting checked. That’s because lichen sclerosus, a skin condition that can scar the vulva, most often starts after menopause.

Vaginal oestrogen

Vaginal oestrogen puts a small dose of oestrogen exactly where it's missing. It comes as a cream, pessary, tablet, gel or ring, and it can be added to HRT. Two products are sold by pharmacies without a prescription: Gina tablets and Ovesse estriol cream. Both are for women aged 50 or over who haven't had a period for at least a year. If you've had breast cancer, talk to your cancer team first. For more on the options, buying over the counter and breast cancer, see Vaginal oestrogen (estrogen): creams, pessaries, Gina and safety after breast cancer.

Prasterone (DHEA) and ospemifene

Prasterone (sold as Intrarosa) is a daily vaginal pessary containing DHEA. The vaginal cells turn it into oestrogen and testosterone, right where they’re needed. You can use it alongside HRT. Ospemifene is a daily tablet that acts like oestrogen in the vagina. It’s an option if you can’t use vaginal oestrogen. That includes some women who have finished breast cancer treatment.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy)

HRT replaces hormones throughout the body. It supports bones, brain and heart. It also eases hot flushes, mood changes and vaginal dryness. Most HRT prescribed in the UK uses body-identical hormones. These are molecularly identical to the ones your body used to make. Most contraceptives use synthetic hormones instead. So a bad reaction to the pill doesn’t mean you’ll react badly to HRT. Even on HRT, some women still get vaginal atrophy and need vaginal oestrogen as well.

If you have premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), you’ll usually need a higher dose of HRT. See Vaginal dryness and POI (premature ovarian insufficiency): what helps.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy

Has vaginal dryness made sex painful? Then your pelvic floor muscles may tighten up, expecting pain. The British Menopause Society says a specialist pelvic floor physiotherapist can help. They teach exercises to relax the muscles, sometimes alongside vaginal dilators.

What isn't recommended

Vaginal laser treatment is widely advertised, but NICE currently restricts it to research, as the British Menopause Society summarises, and ESHRE does not recommend it because of limited evidence on effectiveness and safety.

In short

Vaginal dryness is treatable. Gentle vulval care and a vaginal moisturiser help almost everyone. Vaginal oestrogen or prasterone treats the tissue directly. HRT works on the whole body.

References

British Menopause Society, "Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)," Consensus Statement (November 2025) https://thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause-gsm/

Women's Health Concern (British Menopause Society), "Vaginal dryness," Fact Sheet (October 2023) https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/25-WHC-FACTSHEET-VaginalDryness-OCT2023-B.pdf

MHRA, "Easier access to locally-applied HRT to treat postmenopausal vaginal symptoms in landmark MHRA reclassification," (July 2022) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/easier-access-to-locally-applied-hrt-to-treat-postmenopausal-vaginal-symptoms-in-landmark-mhra-reclassification

British Association of Dermatologists, "Care of vulval skin," Patient Information Leaflet (updated May 2023) https://www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/condition/care-of-vulval-skin/

British Association of Dermatologists, "Lichen sclerosus in females," Patient Information Leaflet (updated September 2026) https://www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/condition/lichen-sclerosus-in-females/

NHS, "Lichen sclerosus," (reviewed December 2024) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lichen-sclerosus/