Okay…let’s talk taboo (again)! If you’ve been following the blog, you know I’ve had my fair share of poopchute issues:

I’ve suffered from the occasional anal fissure in the past. I had a polyp inside my sigmoid colon. I’ve had a 2018 bowel resection due to Endometriosis on my small intestine, cecum, appendix, and large intestine. And another bowel resection in 2020 due to Endometriosis on the outside of my sigmoid colon.

And ever since my first resection, I’ve run into a familiar and oh-too-often problem: hemorrhoids. I think I’ve had six or seven since early 2019…and my colo-rectal surgeon says they’re a common occurrence after bowel resections due to the new poopy-habits a healing poopchute can cause.

And oftentimes, between hemorrhoid band ligation procedures, my bunghole can be super tender due to either the hemorrhoids or possibly fissures, or just from all the poopin’ activity. So, I found a product online and texted my surgeon to make sure he was okay with me smearing it on my bum.

AND HE WAS!

I’ve been using it for about a month and am so excited to see him at my next follow-up (this Tuesday) to see if he notices any difference in my poor, puckered butthole. This is an unsolicited review on my part. I wrote the company and asked if I could use their product photo for my blog and they said yes…but the rest of this? It’s just me…wanting to share my experiences with you.

It’s called H-Salve, manufactured by Thena Natural Wellness, and it goes for about $25 a jar. It’s an all-natural, anti-inflammatory salve meant for your troubled bum. And it’s only meant for exterior use. Don’t go slathering it around inside your bits…butts…bits!

It’s cruelty-free and here’s the ingredients (I’m squinting through my reading glasses and using a magnifying glass): avocado oil, organic coconut oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic grapefruit essential oil, canola oil, organic olive oil, Vitamin E, organic beeswax (cera alba), organic St. John’s Wart, organic arnica, organic oatmeal kernel meal, organic witch hazel leaf (non-alcohol), organic yarrow, organic white oak balk, organic comfrey root, organic calendula, organic plantain leaf, organic nettle leaf, and organic rosemary leaf.

And the super important bold print beneath the list of ingredients: Patch Test Before Use. I walked around with a blob on my inner wrist for several hours before testing it out on my super-sensitive bum. And, as always, check with your doc before starting any new routine.

I purchased mine on December 10, 2020, and have used a bit literally every time I go No. 2. And I’ve still got a little over half left in my jar. And I LOVE that it’s a dark amber glass jar. It’s small enough that I carry it in my purse. I’m not kidding: I take it everywhere. And plop on a li’l dab after every poo.

Update May 12, 2021: yesterday I had a very painful procedure to remove external hemorrhoid anal skin tags. Today Dr. Schultzel gave me permission to slather on some of my H-Salve and it brought some relief. *whew* I do enjoy this stuff.

If you’ve had butthole issues, I’m curious what products you’ve used that have given you relief. Drop me a comment below! And if you use H-Salve, how do you like it? I dare say I’m hooked.

**Updated 5/12/21**