#vagina talk

[scientia-rex]

Do you have any moisturization tips? :0

Oh DO I!

Listen, skin has two jobs: keeping you in, and everything else out. Skin has to do a lot of complicated stuff to make that happen. Skin is chock full of glands and pores and whatnot. There's dermis (deeper layer) and epidermis (shallower layer), and 99% of what we're doing from the outside is about the epidermis.

Epidermis grows in as layers--there's a bottom layer that has cells that will just keep dividing forever, and then the cells that divide off that layer will start getting pushed up towards the surface of your skin. As they get pushed up, the cells get flatter and more keratinized and eventually dead.

That "stratum basal" is where you have your forever-dividing cells. So when you start something like Accutane, you can't transform the skin layers above it--you can only start affecting the skin as it marches upward towards its death and flaking off, so you have to give it months to take full effect. And we NEED to have some dead skin. It protects us.

Skin cells have proteins that hold them to each other. The goal is to form a watertight barrier. We need to keep water in because we are basically bags of water. Different protein issues (largely genetic) can cause different skin diseases.

Our skin also has glands that make protective oils (forming a powerful anti-bacterial barrier and trapping moisture inside) and sweat (because we DO want to be able to get rid of water, but only when WE want to).

So here's the thing about commercial moisturizers: none of them can put moisture back in your skin. That's just not a thing. The very best thing they can do is keep further water from leaving your skin. This is especially important if you have eczema, where you stand a good chance (about 50%) of lacking ceramides, which are critical to forming the natural skin barrier. As water evaporates off the skin, it takes more water with it. We don't understand the other half of eczema. Psoriasis involves dysfunction of the keratinization process, which is why those plaques form.

So the best moisturizers are those that create a moisture barrier without evaporating more water off. Any moisturizer where alcohol is a significant ingredient is worthless. Vaseline, or straight white petrolatum, is the best moisturizer. It feels greasy because it is. Its job is to form a watertight barrier, and greasy chemical are a lot better at that than thinner, waterlike chemicals. Moisturizers with silicones, like Aveeno (dimethicone is the active ingredient--I know, the bottle says oatmeal, it's a liar), will provide a fairly robust barrier without as greasy of a feeling. Lanolin, from sheep's wool, is also a great ingredient for forming a barrier, which is why I like Neutrogena Norwegian Formulation. Natural oils like jojoba (the best of the bunch) can be moisturizing, but just FYI, they're a tiny fraction as effective as white petrolatum. Like, less than 10%. I'm too lazy to get up and find my Cosmeceuticals textbook to remind myself exactly how much. So if you want "all natural," resign yourself to worse.

BUT!!!! Your skin is not all the same! You have scalp skin, face skin, neck skin, trunk skin, arm skin, leg skin, skin around your genitals, skin of the palms, and skin of soles of the feet. And all of those can act different. So I can't say "apply Vaseline everywhere" because that might be too much skin barrier for your face--what if your face has oil glands that work perfectly well? What if we need a lighter, less occlusive moisturizer? That's where my personal hell was for the last ten years as I struggled to find a facial moisturizer I like! What if you have oil glands that are overproductive? You may need a totally different moisturizer than I need! No good way to figure it out except trial and error while paying close attention to ingredient lists.

Sunblock is also a good thing to have but as someone who doesn't wear it because a) I don't go outside and b) it always breaks me out, I feel hypocritical talking extensively about it. I wear "dad hats" (at least a 2" brim all the way around) and long sleeves while gardening. You should definitely still wear sunscreen, though. Do as I say, not as I do.

[ratmans-notebooks]

everyone listen to me right now. trans men & transmascs are targets of misogyny. crazy idea i know but when youre seen as a woman and/or shoved into the woman category people will be misogynistic to you. it is fuckign crazy the amount of posts ive been seeing syaing stuff like "trans men think theyre exempt from being mras cause the dr said they were a girl once" or "having a pussy doesnt mean you cant be sexist" and its like. YEAH OBVIOUSLY having a pussy doesnt mean you cant be sexist but jesus christ the presumption that trans men are unaffected by their asab or that theyve never ever experienced anything like misogyny is wilddd!! not to mention why are we still referring to transmascs by their (assumed) genitals. like its obviously vile to reduce transfems & trans women to their genitals but the same people who realize this seem to have no problem doing it to transmascs

[vimbry]

(john linnell voice) bring the vagina guy out

[bogleech]

The first time I ever heard of the Gugs from Lovecraft it was Wayne Barlowe's illustration so that's what they look like to me, sad pink mole rat gorilla guys with vajinus mouths

Thing is that's exactly how they were described in the books, with big bony brow ridges and giant hairy "paws" and a mouth that's just sideways "from the top to bottom" of their head

But positively EVERY other depiction I've ever seen opts for the whole head splitting open, and yeah that's a cool look too, but are they just doing that because they can't resist pushing each characteristic to an extreme or are they afraid to depict something with a mouth that looks like a vaginer??? Give the gugs their gussies back

[butch-chastity]

I said "Jesus's side wound pussy" in a conversation today and no one asked what I meant >:(

[biracy]

I can't remember if I've posted abt this before but regardless: I'm sorry but I really and truly cannot get behind the idea that there is any wide-scale societal "pressure for trans men to be feminine" or "to be twinks" or whatever. You are either conflating a very small online community's beauty standard (usually some kind of transmasc pseudo-appropriation of "femboy" aesthetics, which yes, are often Bad and regressive and fetishized and etc.) with Mainstream Society, or confusing society not wanting trans men to transition with "wanting trans men to be feminine", which are certainly not the same thing. Ultimately if a cis person believes there is any validity to the concept of being trans (i.e. not a Posie Parker-esque "there's no such thing as a trans person" type), they are more likely to think that trans men should be like as masc and buff and hairy as possible or whatever bc that's what cis people think men look like and it's easier for a lot of people to recognize someone who Looks Masc as a man. It is difficult sometimes to see derision of trans guys who are Too Feminine and Not Hairy Enough or whatever (which is not always something someone has control over btw) as anything but "this is Skye who I think is a confused little girl because Skye does not pass" slightly restyled for 2023 "filthcore fagdykes" or whatever lol

[phoenixyfriend]

Imagining the kind of discourse that the tiktok baby queers would make about me if they ran into my Anakin Is Very Gender fanfics and it would give me nightmares if I didn't know most of them are like fifteen

[foldingfittedsheets]

hi, this is a little embarrassing to ask, but i was wondering if you know if it's possible to get pregnant from dry humping??

You're okay. You definitely cannot get pregnant from dry humping. The only way to get impregnated without paying doctors a ton of money, is for semen to get in to your vagina. That's it. So unless a penis is inside your vagina, you're safe.

[freckliephil]

sitting here giggling over two gay men putting all four feet in their mouths trying to discuss how underwear doesn’t just get sucked up into the coochie

[mysicklove]

so glad that cranberry juice makes your pussy taste good bc i be fucking that shit up like no other

[sexygaywizard]

vagina... thank you

[palilious]

*shoves him in your face* LOOK AT MY SON [preesh to @yoteako for the sona/oc template]

[iamonlyhereforthefreefood]

Occasionally the Instagram algorithm will show me posts from dedicated childfree accounts and they're usually funny or relatable memes but the comments are of course filled with the "you're regret it when you're older" "enjoy your cats" etc. comments. But another one I see is "no one cares if you don't have kids but why are you making it your whole personality?"

And like A.) There are lots of single topic Instagram accounts and people only get mad when it's an account about being childfree. No one accuses a guy running an account filled with football memes of making football his only personality. Like an Instagram account does not equal the scope of someone's entire life and interests.

But also B.) Do you know how scary it is to be a kid/teenager and have everyone talk about pregnancy/becoming a mother like it's an inevitability? Like it's just something that happens to you one day whether you want it to or not? People need to know there is an alternative. Openly childfree people are important so people can realize "oh I don't have to have kids if I don't want to? I can opt out?" because there are still so many people having kids just because they're "supposed to"

[sumplysilly]

Always bestounded when progressive establishments say their bathrooms are trans friendly but don't actually take any steps to make them trans friendly. Awesome. I, a trans man, can go in your men's bathroom. Except there's only urinals in there. & if you need tampons, that's a WOMAN thing, go to the WOMAN room for that. I feel so welcomed in this place & not like you just completely glazed over the entire fact that I exist & are just trying 2 save face w your friendly bathrooms

[dullahandyke]

Also sorry to keep banging on about it but 'the barbie move was soooo trans positive' WHERE. how

[leupagus]

Just in case anyone has high hopes that this will be like, art

More from whatever this is gonna end up being (pt 2)

gus: Mostly I want to lean into the idea that sex would be a lot like other appetites for them

gus: sleeping/eating/drinking/reading

gus: ie it literally has not occurred to them before now to even TRY it

kuwdora: love. it.

gus: basically the vibe I want is two kids working on a school project

gus: where aziraphale is the one who's making the diorama and doing all the research and getting really stoked about how to make volcanoes or w/e

gus: and crowley's the kid who's happy to coast on aziraphale's work but doesn't actually take an interest

gus: (at least until they're actually doing the deed and then he's like "woah wait WHAT" and basically comes immediately)

gus: like, it's extremely mid sex but because it's them, with each other, it's great

kuwdora: :chinhands:

kuwdora: that's like so great tho. like whatever the actual sex part but when you are having a genuinely good time with the person

gus: yes exactly

gus: most of the fics I've read either ignore the "angels are sexless unless they want to make an effort," or they have Crowley and Aziraphale be asexual

gus: which are both completley valid

gus: but not what I want

gus: what I want is them going to the Tate Modern to see the Great Wall of Vulva and arguing about how Crowley should best go down on Aziraphale

gus: with both of them playing Where's Waldo with the exhibit deciding which one's the most like Aziraphale's so he can like, point out the relevant bits

gus: I also really want to convey that Aziraphale's enthusiastic about this because it's what humans do, and they've both committed to living as humans even though they aren't, and it seems to make people very happy (although Crowley has fun pointing out how many times it's made people UNhappy), and he just wants to do something nice with his boyfriend basically

gus: meanwhile Crowley can't honestly see why they'd bother, but he's also happy to do what Aziraphale likes -- he's narrating the whole thing so it's gonna be clear that he's anticipating this like taking Aziraphale out to meals, where he gets most of his pleasure out of watching Aziraphale enjoy himself

gus: and he's totally fine with that

gus: and even when he turns out to be a two pump chump, it's not because he didn't know his dick could feel that nice or whatever

gus: it's because of the kind of gross sweat they're making and Aziraphale's heels pressing against hte back of his knees, urging him closer, and way they're still arguing even while they're fucking

gus: it's the love more than the sex

kuwdora: absolutely

gus: and then afterward aziraphale is like "that was AWESOME, ok do we want to try bondage next time or blindfolds, oooh did you hear about this thing called yiffing" and Crowley just laughs and pins him to the bed and kisses him