Fennel has proved itself invaluable in the vagina, particularly the menopausal, atrophic or low-oestrogen vagina1,2. These pessaries are easy to make at home; nothing fancy is required.
The maceration of fennel seed oil takes two weeks, so you can’t make your pessaries until the fennel oil is ready. Start the oil now—you might even have everything you need in the kitchen—and then you can worry about your other ingredients.
Making fennel-infused olive oil – the ‘mother tincture’
What you’ll need
- 20 grams of dried fennel seed, organic and high quality is best but any will do
- A mortar and pestle to grind the fennel (or any other crushing device – hammer, spice grinder, sheer grit and determination)
- 100ml of extra virgin olive oil (organic best, ensure it comes in a dark bottle)
- A jar with a lid
- A paper bag (or dark-coloured jar) to block light entering the jar
- Two weeks of your life and three shakes a day
How to make fennel oil ‘mother tincture’
- Put the 20 grams of fennel seed into the mortar and grind it roughly with the pestle to increase its surface area. This allows more of the good stuff inside the seed to leach into the oil. It is not meant to be a powder but more like a coarse grind.
- Put the ground fennel seeds and the 100ml of olive oil into the jar. Shake gently to combine the oil and fennel seeds.
- Put the lid on the jar; if it is not dark-coloured, put it into a paper bag or something similar. Place the jar in a place away from direct sunlight, but not too cold, not too hot. A kitchen cupboard is fine.
- Shake the jar three times per day for two weeks.
- After two weeks, strain the oil through muslin or cheesecloth and squish the fennel seeds to get all the oil out of the seeds.
- Discard the seeds.
- Store your beautiful fennel seed oil in a dark amber jar with a lid in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. Label the jar with the date and contents.
Turning your fennel oil into fennel vaginal pessaries/suppositories
What you’ll need
- 10ml fennel oil
- 20g coconut oil or cocoa butter (or extra virgin olive oil in a pinch – needs freezing)
- Optional extra – 2-5ml sea buckthorn oil
- A water bath (pot or bowl of hot water with a bowl floating in it to gently melt oil but not cook or boil it)
- Pessary/suppository moulds or aluminium foil or ice cube trays – you want pessaries to end up looking like a bullet, can be cut up once solid
How to make fennel oil suppositories/pessaries
- Gently warm the coconut or cocoa butter oil in the water bath. Do not boil, fry, or microwave. Just melt the oil until it is liquid, and then remove it from the heat.
- After removing from heat, stir in the 10ml of fennel oil (and sea buckthorn if using) to combine.
- Depending on your moulds and oil, pour liquid oil into the wells and put them in the fridge to solidify. If using olive oil, freeze, if using cocoa butter, fridge (they crack if cooled too quickly). If using aluminium foil, wait until the oil is thicker before pouring—it can get messy and wasteful.
- You want each pessary to be about 2g, or about the size of half a lipstick. It doesn’t matter how much it weighs, but divide your mixture into about 14 pessaries.
- Chill pessaries until you’re ready to use them, then insert deep vaginally before bed or as needed, dressing accordingly. The oil will come out as it melts.
Tips and tricks for making fennel pessaries
- Be gentle, don’t overheat the oil and don’t heat your fennel oil – you want the oils to mix
- Prepare your moulds beforehand, so they are physically on a stable base – hot oil spills very easily
- Lay tissue paper or paper towels down on your work area
- Be hygienic – wash your hands and use clean equipment
- Cocoa butter goes harder quicker than coconut oil
- Olive oil requires freezing to go solid
- Careful when propping moulds up in the fridge
References
- 1.Ghazanfarpour M, Shokrollahi P, Khadivzadeh T, et al. Effect of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Post Reprod Health. Published online October 8, 2017:171-176. doi:10.1177/2053369117733629
- 2.Yaralizadeh M, Abedi P, Najar S, Namjoyan F, Saki A. Effect of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) vaginal cream on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Maturitas. Published online February 2016:75-80. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.11.005
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