Science
The Science Behind The Vulva Co
The Vulva Co was developed from clinical and research work exploring intracrine signaling, tissue responsiveness, and midlife physiology. Research is ongoing, with continued refinement of these published biological models and their clinical applications.
Why Tissue-State Matters
Healthy vulvovaginal tissue response depends on the presence of hormones, but it is influenced by far more than hormone levels alone. Over time, the condition of the tissue itself changes — including hydration, elasticity, local signaling, vascular support, and biological responsiveness.
Estrogen and testosterone, derived in part from DHEA through intracrine conversion within tissue, help regulate and maintain healthy vulvovaginal function. For many women, restoring these signaling pathways is sufficient to improve tissue health and comfort. For others, response remains incomplete. This reflects the fact that midlife tissue health is shaped not only by hormones, but by the broader biological environment in which those hormones act.
The condition of the larger system - including inflammation, metabolic health, stress physiology, circulation, nutrient status, and tissue resilience - can all influence local tissue health. Vulvovaginal tissue is therefore not separate from the rest of the body, but one expression of overall physiological health.
Founder & Research
About Dr. Laura Kelly
Dr. Laura Kelly is a clinician and researcher focused on system-state biology, intracrine signaling, and midlife physiology. Her work explores why biological systems stop responding to intervention, and what conditions are required to restore healthy physiological response and function.
Her published work includes The Drive–Capacity Model: A Systems Biology Framework for Midlife Female Sexual Function published by Oxford University Press Research Connections, and senior editorial and contributing work for Elsevier’s The Implementation of Personalized Precision Medicine.
Dr. Kelly is a Research Scholar with the Ronin Institute.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6586-7308
Learn more about Dr. Laura Kelly’s research and systems.
Selected Publications
The Drive–Capacity Model: A Systems Biology Framework for Midlife Female Sexual Function
Oxford University Press, Research Connections
Introduces a systems-based framework proposing that midlife female sexual dysfunction may reflect changes not only in psychological or hormonal state, but in the relationship between central drive, tissue responsiveness, and broader physiological regulation.
The Implementation of Personalized Precision Medicine
Elsevier / Academic Press
Editorial and contributing work exploring systems biology, individualized intervention response, and the growing role of precision medicine in chronic disease prevention and treatment.
Translational Application
The Vulva Co applies intracrine and tissue-state models to the biology of midlife vulvovaginal tissue. This includes the understanding that vulvovaginal tissue is hormonally responsive, metabolically active, and capable of local conversion of precursor molecules into active steroids within tissue itself.
These formulations are designed around biological processes involved in epithelial integrity, hydration, elasticity, vascular support, barrier function, and local signaling response. Particular attention is given to how these processes change during midlife and menopause, when tissue remodeling, circulation, cellular turnover, and local hormone responsiveness may become altered.
This work also examines why response to intervention varies significantly between individuals. Factors including inflammatory state, metabolic health, stress physiology, nutrient status, and tissue condition may all influence how effectively tissue responds to hormonal and non-hormonal signaling, and drive product creation.
Beyond formulation
The Vulva Co also places strict emphasis on formulation integrity, plant-sourced ingredients, and broader accessibility in women’s health. Ongoing work includes support for underserved women’s health initiatives and participation in international menopause research collaborations.
[Learn more about our philosophy]