How pH Hero® works

Created by hormone health and nutrition experts, pH Hero® is formulated with botanicals, prebiotics and targeted live cultures for a naturally balanced and healthy vaginal flora, vaginal comfort, and urinary tract health.
Quick read

How the gut and vagina are linked

The gut and vagina are connected by a number of mechanisms, including nerve pathways and hormones. If the gut microbiome is not healthy, it can have a ripple effect on the vaginal microbiome, and disrupt the delicate balance of the vaginal microbiome. A high-fibre diet full of probiotics and prebiotic foods can really help support gut flora and vaginal flora. Learn more.

How to take it?

  1. Take 1 capsule each day

    Take one capsule daily, morning or evening.

  2. Take consistently

    The vaginal microbiome shifts gradually. Take pH Hero® every day for at least 60 days to begin to enjoy the full benefits.

  3. Adjust when needed

    Take the capsule at least 20 minutes before or after anything hot, because live cultures are sensitive to heat.

What to expect?

2 weeks+

Addresses feelings of vaginal discomfort (such as itchiness, urgency and frequency) as the urinary tract and vaginal pH balance reset.

1 month

Rebalances vaginal microbiome with live cultures. A healthy vaginal microbiome is important for pH balance, protecting against dryness, bacterial vaginosis, and discharge.

2 months+

Improvement in vaginal pH, and fewer signs of vaginal atrophy, feelings of burning, itching, UTIs and discomfort.

Ingredients

Ingredient
Why it's included
What the research says
Cranberry
Urinary health
A Cochrane review of 50 trials found cranberry lowered the return of urinary infections in women who get them repeatedly.1, 22, 27–30
Sea Buckthorn
Dryness and mucous membranes
In a Finnish trial of 116 postmenopausal women, three months of sea buckthorn improved the vaginal lining.2
Lactobacillus Crispatus LCr86
Vaginal microbiome
Lactobacillus crispatus is the species that naturally dominates a healthy vaginal microbiome.9, 14
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus LRa05
Vaginal microbiome
A strain tested in human trials for gut health and microbial balance.3, 10, 16, 17, 25, 26
Lactobacillus Acidophilus LA85
Vaginal microbiome
One of the most widely studied species of lactobacillus.4, 12, 21
Lactobacillus Reuteri LR08
Vaginal microbiome
Lactobacillus reuteri is found naturally in the vaginal and urinary tract as well as the gut.13, 24
Lactobacillus Plantarum PPLP-217
Vaginal microbiome
Tested in human trials for gut health and microbial balance.5, 11, 15, 18, 19
Inulin
Prebiotic fibre
A plant fibre from chicory that the friendly bacteria already living in your gut feed on.20
Stinging Nettle
Kidney function
Nettle root is a long-standing European remedy for the urinary tract.6, 23
Parsley
Excretory function
A culinary herb traditionally used across Europe for the urinary tract.7, 31, 32
Vitamin B6
Hormone regulation
Involved in regulating hormonal activity across the cycle and through the menopausal transition.8
Cranberry
Why it's included Urinary health
What the research says A Cochrane review of 50 trials found cranberry lowered the return of urinary infections in women who get them repeatedly.1, 22, 27–30
Sea Buckthorn
Why it's included Dryness and mucous membranes
What the research says In a Finnish trial of 116 postmenopausal women, three months of sea buckthorn improved the vaginal lining.2
Lactobacillus Crispatus LCr86
Why it's included Vaginal microbiome
What the research says Lactobacillus crispatus is the species that naturally dominates a healthy vaginal microbiome.9, 14
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus LRa05
Why it's included Vaginal microbiome
What the research says A strain tested in human trials for gut health and microbial balance.3, 10, 16, 17, 25, 26
Lactobacillus Acidophilus LA85
Why it's included Vaginal microbiome
What the research says One of the most widely studied species of lactobacillus.4, 12, 21
Lactobacillus Reuteri LR08
Why it's included Vaginal microbiome
What the research says Lactobacillus reuteri is found naturally in the vaginal and urinary tract as well as the gut.13, 24
Lactobacillus Plantarum PPLP-217
Why it's included Vaginal microbiome
What the research says Tested in human trials for gut health and microbial balance.5, 11, 15, 18, 19
Inulin
Why it's included Prebiotic fibre
What the research says A plant fibre from chicory that the friendly bacteria already living in your gut feed on.20
Stinging Nettle
Why it's included Kidney function
What the research says Nettle root is a long-standing European remedy for the urinary tract.6, 23
Parsley
Why it's included Excretory function
What the research says A culinary herb traditionally used across Europe for the urinary tract.7, 31, 32
Vitamin B6
Why it's included Hormone regulation
What the research says Involved in regulating hormonal activity across the cycle and through the menopausal transition.8

How it works?

pH Hero® provides 20 billion live cultures from five Lactobacillus strains, with cranberry, sea buckthorn, nettle and parsley, for vaginal flora, pH balance, intimate comfort and urinary tract health.

In a study of 75 women, 79% found pH Hero® effective and 39% rated it extremely effective, the highest score of any option assessed, including creams and pessaries. Three quarters of those who responded noticed a difference within four weeks.

Why pH is the thing that matters

A healthy vagina is acidic, at a pH of around 3.8 to 4.5. The acidity is what keeps unwanted bacteria and yeast from taking hold, and it is produced by the lactobacilli living there, which convert glycogen from the vaginal lining into lactic acid.

When lactobacilli numbers fall, pH rises, and the conditions that follow include thrush, bacterial vaginosis, recurrent UTIs, itchiness and discomfort. They present as separate problems but often share the same upstream cause, which is why our pH Hero® works on the pH rather than on each symptom individually.

Around a quarter of women in our study reported an improvement in their overall pH balance, and a third in itchiness and general discomfort.

The five strains

Not all lactobacilli are the same, and which species are present matters as much as how many.

pH Hero® provides Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus reuteri, the two species most abundant in healthy vaginal flora, alongside Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum, at 20 billion CFU in total. Taken by mouth, lactobacilli travel through the gut and reach the vaginal tract

Inulin, a prebiotic fibre from chicory root, is included as the food those bacteria feed on.

Dryness and the vaginal lining

Vaginal dryness is the single most common complaint in vaginal health, reported by more than half the respondents in our survey of 1,202 women. Tissue thinning affects sensitivity, and it changes how easily the lining is irritated or infected.

Sea buckthorn addresses this. Its berries are a rich source of omega 7, a fatty acid the mucous membranes use, and in one Finnish trial of 116 postmenopausal women, three months of sea buckthorn improved the integrity of the vaginal lining.

The urinary tract

Most urinary infections start with E. coli travelling from the gut and attaching to the wall of the bladder, and pH Hero® works to stop that attachment.

Cranberry's proanthocyanidins interfere with the tiny hooks the bacteria use to grip, so they are flushed out rather than establishing in the bladder. A Cochrane review of 50 trials found cranberry lowered the return of urinary infections in women who get them repeatedly, and pH Hero® provides cranberry at 4,000mg. Nettle root and parsley both support the kidneys' excretory function and have long European histories of use for the urinary tract.

A quarter of women in our study reported fewer UTIs, and a quarter reported less urgency to urinate.

Hormones across a woman's life

Vaginal pH shifts with the cycle, through pregnancy, and most sharply through perimenopause and menopause, because falling oestrogen reduces the glycogen healthy bacteria feed on.

Vitamin B6 regulates hormonal activity, and pH Hero® provides it at 200% of the daily requirement.

If your client is going through perimenopause or menopause, we recommend PeriMenoFriend® or MenoFriend® alongside pH Hero®.

Gut health and immunity

Over 70% of immune function sits in the gut, and the same live cultures working on the vaginal flora also get to work there.

Cranberry extract is a rich source of vitamin C and plant polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative stress, and nettle and vitamin B6 both support healthy immunity and build resilience against vaginal conditions.

For broader gut support, we recommend Gut Works® alongside pH Hero®.

The evidence behind DRV+

Women's Health

Top-rated nutritional support for vaginal health

pH Hero® supports vaginal pH balance and common vaginal and urinary conditions - from dryness and discomfort to thrush, BV, and UTIs. This evaluation benchmarks it against all other management strategies in a 1,202-woman survey.

75 pH Hero® users (from 1,202 surveyed) July 2024 Cross-sectional customer survey
79% effective (rated users)
39% extremely effective
75% responders within 4 weeks
Study Findings

Of 1,202 women surveyed, pH Hero® users were assessed for effectiveness, time to relief and symptom-level outcomes, benchmarked against creams/pessaries, supplements and cranberry juice.

The results?

78.7% of rated users found pH Hero® effective; its 38.7% extremely-effective rating was the highest top-box score of any remedy - ahead of creams and pessaries (33.8%) and far ahead of cranberry juice (7.4%). Relief spanned dryness, discomfort and itchiness alongside thrush, UTIs, BV and pH balance; 75% of responders noted benefit within four weeks.

What This Means

Highest top-box of any option

38.7% extremely effective - above creams/pessaries (33.8%).

And well above probiotics (16.2%) and cranberry juice (7.4%).

Acts on an upstream mechanism

26.4% reported improved overall pH balance.

A common upstream factor across UTIs, BV and thrush.

Spans chronic and recurrent

Dryness 31.9%, itchiness/discomfort 33.3%, thrush 26.4%, UTIs 25.0%.

Covering both daily-living symptoms and recurrent infection.

Read the abstract
Vaginal Health

Vaginal health across the lifespan

Our survey of 1,202 women reveals how prevalent, chronic and under-discussed vaginal health issues are - and where the menopausal transition changes everything.

1,202 respondents July 2024 Cross-sectional customer survey
55% report dryness or atrophy
33% have had an infection
95% say sex education fell short
Study Findings

We surveyed 1,202 women on the prevalence, recurrence and impact of vaginal health conditions, and how well current remedies perform.

What we found:

55.1% reported vaginal dryness or atrophy - half experiencing it daily or near-daily - and 32.6% had had at least one infection, mostly recurrent. 39.7% of sexually active women reported pain during sex, and 58% said their sex life was affected. Cranberry juice, the most popular remedy, was the least effective (59.3%).

What This Means

Chronic for most sufferers

Half of those with dryness feel it daily or near-daily; infections recur.

These are ongoing, not one-off, conditions.

Menopause is the turning point

Dryness onset averaged 47.5 years; issues worsen with age for 49%.

The transition is the consistent inflection point.

Popular doesn't mean effective

Cranberry juice: most used, least effective (59.3%).

A clear gap for better-evidenced options.

Read the abstract

References

The questions people
actually have!

How should my client store their probiotics?

Probiotics are very sensitive to heat and warm air, so keep the pouch away from any warm air or moisture, including radiators, steam from a kettle or showers in a bathroom. If at all uncertain, store in the fridge if it is frost-free.

How can pH Hero® help my client's vaginal microbiome?

Probiotics help to keep the gut microbiome in check which then has a positive influence on the vaginal microflora. A healthy vaginal microflora is more resistant to the bacteria that cause vaginal infections.

How is pH Hero® different to Gut Works® or Skin Saviour®?

pH Hero® contains specific strains of probiotics that help promote a balanced pH vaginal microbiome, as well as cranberry, nettle and Sea Buckthorn to support urinary tract health, vaginal dryness and maintain a normal menstrual flow.

Can my client take pH hero® with other DRV+ (Formerly DR.VEGAN®) probiotics?

They can. Our probiotics all serve different purposes and can safely be taken together.

Can pH Hero® help prevent urinary tract infections?

Yes, whilst pH Hero® cannot treat urinary tract infections (these must be treated with antibiotics), it can help decrease signs of them. The cranberry in pH Hero® contains 'proanthocyanidins' which prevent E. coli from adhering to the bladder wall, and probiotics can correct the balance of microflora in the colon and prevent E. coli from spreading to the urinary tissues. Together, these ingredients will work to decrease signs of urinary tract infections.