Boric acid suppositories have been extensively studied for their ability to suppress the growth of harmful pathogens that cause yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV), as well as their capacity to ease symptoms, restore a healthy vaginal pH balance, and prevent recurring infections.
Love Wellness and Intimate Rose are two established and popular brands supplying boric acid suppositories and other pelvic health products. While both provide relief, Intimate Rose Boric Balance Suppositories are known to dissolve faster and ease symptoms within 24 hours, while Love Wellness ‘The Killer’ Boric Acid Suppositories work a little slower and can leave undissolved clumps.
Below, we explain why yeast infections and BV occur, how boric acid suppositories work, and why the more soluble vegan capsule from Intimate Rose provides faster relief and leaves no unsightly clumps the next day.
What Do Boric Acid Suppositories Do for Vaginal Health?
Boric acid suppositories can help relieve irritating symptoms much faster, improve vaginal odor, and provide extra protection against recurring infections.
When vaginal yeast or harmful bacteria thrive, antifungal medication or antibiotics are often required to treat the ensuing yeast infection or BV. Unfortunately, as well as destroying harmful microbes that cause BV, antibiotics also eradicate friendly microbes. And although antifungal medication curbs the growth of fungi, thereby encouraging a healthy vaginal pH, it does not directly restore it.
For many women, this means neither a balanced vaginal microbiome nor a healthy acidic vaginal pH (3.8 – 4.5) is fully restored after an infection has been treated. And it’s often the reason that BV and yeast infections recur. This is particularly true during menopause when hormone fluctuations are at play and the vaginal pH is frequently increased to 5.0.
When boric acid suppositories are used with the prescribed medication, however, the growth of harmful microbes is more suppressed, and the re-establishment of a mildly acidic vaginal pH happens faster.
How Do Boric Acid Suppositories Work?
Boric acid is a white powder compound made with three natural elements: boron, oxygen, and hydrogen. Although it may sound like a modern natural supplement, it has been used to improve vaginal health since the late 19th century.
Interestingly, neither boron, oxygen, nor hydrogen can improve vaginal wellness alone, but once they are chemically bonded to form boric acid, each element can positively influence vaginal health.
For example, with its antifungal and antimicrobial properties, boron can disrupt the structure of the cell walls of harmful bacteria that cause BV and the fungi that cause yeast infections – an action that helps antifungal medication and antibiotics treat infection faster.
The oxygen and hydrogen atoms in boric acid help regenerate protective bacteria known as lactobacilli and restore the vagina’s natural pH.
Do Love Wellness Boric Acid Suppositories Work?
Known for its celebrity owner, trendy packaging, and women-focused supplements, Love Wellness sells supplements, vitamins, probiotics, and hair & skincare that receive mostly positive reviews.
Boric acid suppositories from Love Wellness, known as ‘The Killer’, contain the clinically recommended dose of 600 mg per capsule and are produced in FDA-registered, GMP-compliant facilities. Love Wellness also advertises that their products undergo internal, raw ingredient testing, and they provide educational support for their customers.
However, while Love Wellness boric acid suppositories are effective for many, we wanted to look at why clumps of their suppositories don’t dissolve, why they take longer than 24 hours to provide relief, and why vaginal irritation or vaginal odor sometimes worsens when taking Love Wellness boric acid suppositories.
Following some research, we found that Love Wellness boric acid suppositories are delivered via a gelatin capsule, which is dense, thick, and temperature-sensitive compared to vegan or vegetarian capsules. This means gelatin capsules take longer to dissolve in the vagina or do not fully dissolve at all for some women.
When boric acid suppositories delivered in gelatin capsules take longer to dissolve, the benefits for vaginal health are delayed, and relief from yeast infections or BV is experienced within a few days rather than 24 hours. And if gelatin capsule suppositories don’t dissolve, and more are inserted each day that also don’t dissolve, the vagina owner can experience further vaginal irritation instead of relief.
Why Our Clients Prefer Intimate Rose Boric Balance Suppositories to Love Wellness?
Intimate Rose Boric Balance suppositories also contain the clinically-proven dose of 600 mg. However, Intimate Rose boric acid suppositories are delivered in vegan capsules, which dissolve faster and more consistently than gelatin capsules. This provides quick relief of symptoms within 24 hours and prevents further vaginal irritation from undissolved capsules.
Intimate Rose is a world-renowned health brand, led by Dr. Amanda Olson, DPT, PRPC, a pelvic physical therapist who specialises in treating intimate health, female pelvic conditions, postnatal care, and menopause symptoms.
In addition to boric acid suppositories, Intimate Rose is globally recognised for its supplements, vaginal dilators, pelvic massage wands, Kegel weights, and non-irritating personal lubricants.
All Intimate Rose supplements are manufactured in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified, USA-based facility, and each undergoes strict third-party quality controls to ensure purity, efficacy, and safety. As well as their highly researched, medical-grade quality products, Intimate Rose supports women of all ages with substantial educational content through their free blogs and YouTube videos.
Another advantage of Intimate Rose Boric Balance suppositories is their price point and value for money. Love Wellness ‘The Killer’ Boric Acid Suppositories are priced at $14.99 for just 14 capsules, whereas Intimate Rose sells 30 capsules for $19.99.
How Long Should You Use Boric Acid Suppositories?
How long women use boric acid suppositories typically depends on what they are using them for. For instance, if you’re treating a current yeast infection or BV, it’s recommended that you insert one per day for 7-14 days, depending on the guidance from your healthcare provider.
For recurring or chronic BV or yeast infections, a maintenance plan to keep the vaginal microbiome balanced and the vaginal pH mildly acidic is usually suggested once it has been treated. This might entail inserting a boric acid suppository every 2-3 days for a few weeks or a few months.
When women are prone to imbalances in the vaginal microbiome, they might also be recommended to insert a boric acid suppository on an ongoing basis after sex, or when they sense the onset of vaginal itching, or changes to their vaginal odor.
Are There Times When Boric Acid Suppositories Should Not Be Used?
Yes, boric acid should not be used while pregnant, nor should it ever be ingested orally. Women with open wounds or sores within the vagina due to itching or irritation should also refrain from using boric acid until sores have healed.
Conclusion
Boric acid suppositories can be used to find quick relief from yeast infections and BV, and they can help restore vaginal pH to prevent a repeat infection. They are recommended for women experiencing recurring yeast and BV infections, and vaginal pH disruptions due to intercourse or hormone changes during menopause.
Love Wellness and Intimate Rose are two popular boric acid suppository brands sold online and through Walmart with the same quantity of boric acid per dose. Although both brands are effective and receive positive reviews, Intimate Rose Boric Balance suppositories are considered more fast-acting for quick 24-hour relief from symptoms.
This is largely due to the use of vegan capsules in contrast to the gelatin capsules used by Love Wellness. Scientific research shows that vegan capsules dissolve not only faster but also more evenly within the vaginal environment. Meaning boric acid can be released quickly, and relief is experienced more rapidly.
References
National Institutes of Health - Vaginal pH Value for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Vaginitis - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8618584/
National Institutes of Health - The Female Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Bacterial Vaginosis - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8058480/
National Institutes of Health - Clinicians’ use of Intravaginal Boric Acid Maintenance Therapy for Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis and Bacterial Vaginosis - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6878170/
National Institutes of Health - The in vitro dissolution of theophylline from different types of hard shell capsules - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12455475/
Dr. Barb DePree, M.D., has been a gynecologist and women’s health provider for almost 30 years and a menopause care specialist for the past ten.