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Iners Defend is an all-natural, oil-based blend made to support a more diverse, protective community of vaginal lactobacilli when Lactobacillus iners has become the dominant species.
An L. iners-dominant microbiome tends to be less stable than one led by protective species like L. crispatus. If a microbiome test (Juno, Evvy or MicroGen) has come back high in L. iners, this blend is made for exactly that picture. Read more about what an L. iners microbiome may mean.
Formulated by naturopath Jessica Lloyd and the My Vagina practitioner team, drawing on over a decade specialising in vaginal microbiome health. It is used in our own clinic and refined continually based on clinical results and fresh research.
Iners Defend comes with:
- 50ml bottle of Iners Defend blend with a dropper cap for easy dispensing
- 50 pure vegetable capsules
- Reusable, washable applicator
Benefits of Iners Defend
- Helps support a more diverse, protective balance of vaginal lactobacilli
- Encourages protective Lactobacillus species while the dominance of L. iners eases back
- Supports a more stable vaginal environment
- Gentle and soothing on delicate skin
- Vegetarian and microbiome-friendly
Should you use a vaginal probiotic with Iners Defend?
Many people use a vaginal probiotic like V-Spot on the off-days between treatments — but it is not right for everyone. It depends on what else your microbiome test shows.
Add up your other protective lactobacilli — species like L. crispatus, L. gasseri and L. jensenii. Count only these other lactobacilli species — not L. iners, and not other (non-lactobacillus) bacteria.
If they come to under 30% combined, a vaginal probiotic on the off-days is a helpful addition.
If they are 30% or more combined, skip it. You already have enough protective species, and they will feed on the lactulose in the blend and can multiply too far — tipping you toward overgrowth or cytolytic vaginosis (CV).
If your test shows 80% or more L. iners: this blend may only shift things temporarily, and that level is usually a sign something underlying is going on. L. iners is unusual — it can break open vaginal cells to feed on them, which other lactobacilli cannot, so it survives where they cannot. Keep using the product, but please also book an appointment so we can address the underlying factors it is taking advantage of. On its own, the product cannot fix the tissue-level problems that let L. iners dominate.
Not sure of your levels? A microbiome test shows you.
After the course
The aim is to resolve what is driving the L. iners dominance — not to lean on probiotics ongoing. Once you have finished, you should not need to keep using a vaginal probiotic.
If you complete the course and your L. iners has not shifted, that usually means something else is going on underneath. Book an appointment so we can work out what.
Instructions for using Iners Defend
- Shake before use.
- Use the dropper to fill an empty capsule, replacing the cap.
- Use 1 capsule deep vaginally before sleep every second day for 10 days (5 treatments). Repeat as necessary.
- Check symptoms and vaginal pH on non-treatment days.
- Do not use for more than one month, or more than one bottle, without consulting a practitioner
- If symptoms persist, see a healthcare practitioner.
- Warm the bottle under hot water and shake if the blend thickens. Do not microwave or cook!
For the full step-by-step, see how to use Iners Defend.
Ingredients in Iners Defend
- Olive oil (Olea europaea)
- Lactulose (from dairy)
- Sea buckthorn oil (Hippophae rhamnoides)
- Sunflower lecithin
- Sorbitan olivate
Safety and warnings for Iners Defend blend
- Can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients
- Do not use if allergic to dairy
- Do not use in cytolytic vaginosis (CV) or aerobic vaginitis (AV)
- Avoid using in the vagina if you are trying to conceive around your fertile window — the blend creates an acidic environment that can interfere with sperm, which need fertile cervical fluid to travel past the cervix
- Not compatible with latex condoms or diaphragms — the oils can weaken latex
- Shake well before every use
- Do not use for more than one bottle, or for longer than one month, without consulting a practitioner
- Not for long-term use.
- Made from food-grade ingredients, but not intended to be eaten
Storage of Iners Defend
- Keep out of reach of children
- Refrigerate after opening (oils will oxidise faster outside of the fridge)
- Store in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and heat
- Always close cap tightly
- Use within three months of opening
Simone K. –
✔ Verified Purchase
I had an Evvy test come back at 78 percent L. iners last year and the rest bad bacteria and spent six months trying to find a doctor who thought that was worth treating. One dummy gynecologist said L. iners is technically a lactobacillus so it should be protective. My symptoms and the whole entire internet does NOT agree . Burning I initially thought was yest, sore all the time, feeling off constantly.
I found this site through a fb group and ordered Iners Defend s it matches my test perfectly. The every other day protocol with a probiotic is unusual but makes sense when you read about it. Five treatments over ten days, Vspot proiotic on the off days, then I waited three weeks before retesting even though honeslty I knew after the treatment it had worked as all my symptoms were totally gone and I felt normal for the first time in mnths.
Retest came back at 11 percent iners. From 78 to 11. and the other bacteria are all the good lacto species found in the probiotic with only a few bad ones left which apparently don’t matter much.
To anyone whose doctor keeps telling them L. iners is fine while they suffer, do your own homework and don’t believe everything a dr says! they literally don’t know sh*t about vaginas. Keep advocating for yourself. Love to you all, this is hard work but you’ll get there.
d.k. –
✔ Verified Purchase
I have done this treatment twice and my inners levels are exactly the same as before at 65 %. It was easy to use with no issues but literally did nothing unfortunately! I have filled in the free helpdesk form to get some advice so I will wait to see what they say.
Carol –
✔ Verified Purchase
I am 49 and through I must be in perimenopause. I have had recurring itching and discomfort that no one could explain. Every test came back negative for infection. My daughter, bless her, went down a research rabbit hole and found the (LACK OF) connection between L. iners and perimenopausal symptoms.
My Juno microbe tests show high L iners every time, and their coach has been so helpful explaining everything to me. These tests are truly amazing, if you’re running low on information – I can very truthfully recommend it, as it’s made the world of difference to what I am doing. Every other test is “fine fine fine” my doctor keeps saying “it’s menopause” but I don’t have other signs really, and the blood test showed I wasn’t in menopause yet, so go figure.
I used this website to find Iners Defend, and used as directed, and I have done 5 treatments like the instructions say, and used a V-spot probiotic on the off days. My itching has reduced drastically and I am excited to get my next Juno test so I can see what has happened! I can feel the difference already, so I’m confident it has changed to other healthy bacteria. I’m really happy.
I am so grateful my daughter found this site, what a wealth of incredible information for us women.
Trish –
✔ Verified Purchase
Did the trick. Six weeks in of twice weekly nighttime suppositories and the burning and itch I have had for over a year is completely gone. My naturopath in Melbourne put me onto this.
mckenzie –
✔ Verified Purchase
I am actually going to lose it. TWO YEARS of going to my gyno every few months being told everything is fine, getting swabbed for BV and yeast over and over, all negative, meanwhile I am burning and itching every single day and nobody can tell me why. Finally did an Evvy test on my own dime and it came back 83% L iners with almost no crispatus or other good lactobacillis. I literally cried because finally there was an answer. Found My Vagina through the evvy community facebook group and ordered iners defend that same night at like 2am.
Used it exactly how they said. It’s pleasant enough to use. Retested after 5 weeks and my iners is at 4%. FOUR PERCENT. Crispatus is now 61%. I dont have burning anymore. I dont have itching. I feel normal for the first time since I was 20.
I keep smiling then almost crying about it honestly. Like I lost 2 years of my life being told nothing was wrong with me and all I needed was this. If your doctors cant find anything wrong but you KNOW something is off please get a microbiome test done. Sorry for the essay lol
Anonymous –
✔ Verified Purchase
5 months no symtoms.
Vivien C –
✔ Verified Purchase
The product worked well for the iners, went from 80% down to about 12% which is a big improvement. But after I finished the course I added a probiotic too quickly and got quite a lot of itchy discharge that lasted a couple of weeks. My naturopath thinks the flora was still settling and I overdid it and got temporary CV/lacto overgrowth. So the Iners Defend itself did what it was supposed to, but I would say go slowly with adding other things afterwards. The formula smells lovely though, very natural and not strong. It is oily though so wear a liner.
Anonymous –
✔ Verified Purchase
ZERO iners on my retest!!! Was 71%. Unreal.
Lynn –
✔ Verified Purchase
I’m a wheelchair user and dealt with chronic issues for 2 years with no answers. My Juno test showed very high Lactobacillus iners, which was as surprise as this bacteria doesn’t seem that bad vs my symptoms. I’ve just finished my second round with this product and feel so much better, it’s night and day. Waiting on my retest to confirm, but the relief has been significant. I’m really impressed. Thank you!
Naika –
✔ Verified Purchase
About 3 weeks in and I already feel different. The burning is less, the soreness is getting better. I havent retested yet so idk where my iners actually is but symptoms are improving which is all I care about rn. Will update when I get my retest done. 4 stars for now because I want to see the numbers first before I go full 5.
Sarah G. –
✔ Verified Purchase
Works. 👍🏻 Thanks.
Anonymous –
✔ Verified Purchase
On my second order. Only thing thats worked.
jade macklis –
✔ Verified Purchase
had no idea iners was even a thing until my evvy test came back weird. my gyno hadnt heard of it being a problem either. found this through reddit, used it as directed and honestly the burning i had for 2 years just… stopped. like within a few weeks. i keep waiting for it to come back but its been 2 months now sooo success?
Rebekah O. –
✔ Verified Purchase
Took my biome from 57 % iners to only 2 %. Pretty good, considering NOTHING else has helped me, including clindamycin and metrodinazole. Recommended by my naturopath.
Alyssa Haq –
✔ Verified Purchase
Iners went from 74% to about 15% after one round which is good but not as low as I wanted. My naturopath says I should do a second course. The itching has improved heaps though, like maybe 70% better? Giving 4 stars and will update after round two. The product doesn’t smell at all, and is not unpleasant. It’s not herbal, more like a clear syrup.
Margot B. –
✔ Verified Purchase
Three years. Three years of being told my microbiome was “fine” because iners is a lactobacillus. Three years of itching and soreness that made me dread getting dressed in the morning. Three years of GPs looking at me like I was making it up.
I did my own Juno test because I was desperate and it showed 79% iners. Took that to my GP who said she didnt know what to do with the information. Helpful.
Found My Vagina through a desperate 3am google search and honestly I thought it was too good to be true. Ordered Iners Defend, used it about 8 times over two weeks. Retested. Iners down to 6%. Crispatus up to 58%.
I dont have symptoms anymore. I dont know how to explain what its like to just… not be uncomfortable. Every day. After three years.
I am angry it took this long. I am angry my doctors couldnt help me. But I am so grateful this product exists.
Anonymous –
✔ Verified Purchase
💙💙💙
wellness.jess –
✔ Verified Purchase
My Juno test came back 82% L. iners and my naturopath immediately said to try this. I’d been dealing with this weird burning and itchiness for over a year that didn’t respond to anything. Antibiotics did nothing because it wasn’t standard BV, it was the iners. After using Iners Defend as instructed my retest showed 8% iners and 65% L. crispatus. The relief was immediate once the iners started dropping. This product exists because someone actually understands what’s happening in there. THANK YOU MY VAGINA! What a relief.
Alessandra Ricci –
✔ Verified Purchase
Si sente subito sollievo
meaghan donald –
✔ Verified Purchase
Really like this mixture, it smells very natural and feels like its made out of real ingredients that are not highly processed. I’m very sensitive to perfumes and dyes, so the less processed for me the better. I trust my vagina naturopaths to have only natural ingredients, as they are very strict and don’t use even boric acid.
This product 100% works, that’s for sure, as now according to my Juno test, I am:
77.3% L crispartus
11.2% L gasseri
9.9% Anaerococcus
and the rest some other inconsequential bateria with ZERO inners.
I am giving only four stars because I now have very high lactobacillus and I think I have overgrowth like CV because of discharge. I can’t decide if this is good or not LOL so I am going to stop using this and ask for some advice from the vaginal naturopaths here.
They recommended it to me in the first place, because I had 85% L inners and god almighty it was awful, very itchy and sore and I didn’t realise it at the time but the more probiotics I put in there, the worst it got, because I was doing the wrong thing.
Literally does what it says on the tin. My symptoms now are just discharge, which idk if its even normal or not. I have never had normal discharge so I need to ask someone.
Sal Muscat –
✔ Verified Purchase
Perfect product. THANK YOU. Symptom free for over 3 months and counting. Recommended by my naturopath, who I trust very much.
D –
✔ Verified Purchase
I struggled with a L. iners-dominated microbiome for three years, it was such a nightmare! After using this product exactly as instructed, my BV is completely gone! Highly recommend it.
KellyR –
✔ Verified Purchase
Confirmed clear of INNERS! Bane of my existence, I was getting Bv all the time and the symptoms would come and go, but the inners would always stay the same amount in my tests. I have no Bv anymore and when I have tested, inners is not even in there!
Allyson –
✔ Verified Purchase
I’m amazed at this product, I have had consistent 80% lacto iners for two years, and it’s been a real problem and no doctor will help me becuase they all say it’s not a problem, but to humour me my doctor gave me antibiotics which did nothiong.
I had constant burning and itching, and did Juno tests and it came back repeatedly with iners very high. On my recent test, I now have Lacto crispatus 52%, lacto gasseri 23%, lacto jensenii 18ish%, and iners is sitting at 5% (with a couple of insignificant others) which I am assured by the amazing women at My Vagina clinic is an excellent microbiome!
I have ZERO symptoms, honestly this product is literally the only thing that has cleared the iners away. VERY HAPPY.