Feminine hygiene refers to taking care of your vulva during your period. In particular, avoid soaps, washes and fragranced products which kill healthy bacteria or alter the natural pH balance of the body – these will harm healthy bacteria while disabling its role as part of its immune defenses.
Maintaining effective intimate hygiene practices is of vital importance for women at every age and stage in life, beginning as early as childhood and continuing throughout adulthood.
Maintain a Healthy Vaginal Environment
The vulva and vagina naturally have an acidic environment which protects them against bacteria. When we wash with soap or chemicals, however, this ecosystem can become disrupted, leading to unpleasant odors, yeast infections, or painful itching sensations.
To maintain healthy vulva and vagina, it’s essential that you cleanse the external genital area daily using warm water and unscented soap, while avoiding douches or other products with fragrance that could irritate or alter its natural pH balance. Wear breathable yet comfortable underwear and wipe the area from front to back after using the bathroom.
Care of your vulva is key for overall health, comfort and self-confidence. Jefferson nurse midwife Jessica Hayes offers some key recommendations for maintaining an intimate ecosystem that works effectively – including avoiding harsh soaps and douches.
Avoid Harsh Soaps
The vulva requires gentle cleansing with pH-balanced products that won’t irritate skin, since harsh soaps may disrupt natural flora that protect against infections and lead to increased infections. Douching or harsh soaps should not be used because this could potentially disrupt natural defense mechanisms and lead to increased infection risk.
Women across many cultures use external feminine hygiene products such as pads and tampons for personal care, with pads typically made of cloth that could be washed and reused, though Kotex was introduced as the first disposable sanitary pad in 1921 with cellucotton (a wood pulp product similar to cotton) enclosed within a gauze sheath created to serve wartime bandage applications.
Adopting daily hygiene practices designed to protect and promote vaginal health are an excellent way to protect vaginal wellness, from using gentle fragrance-free feminine wash and using pads or menstrual cups frequently to change them off, to wearing comfortable clothing that ensures protection and discomfort during menstruation.
Wash Daily
Feminine hygiene refers to a daily regimen of cleaning and caring for both the vulva and vagina, two parts of the female reproductive system. The vulva refers to external parts such as labia, clitoris and urethra; vagina is internal area with the cervix. While many women learn a hygiene routine during childhood years, maintaining one throughout adulthood for optimal health and wellness. Washing daily with gentle pH-balanced cleanser such as pH-D along with using feminine wipes and sprays can help avoid vaginal odor as well as other common issues such as vaginal odor and other issues related to vaginal odor and other issues related to vaginal issues related to vaginal health or wellness issues related to vaginal health issues or related health concerns related to vaginal health concerns or issues associated with vaginal hygiene issues that arise.
Don’t Douche
Douching refers to the practice of washing one’s vulva with water or fluid mixtures for feminine hygiene purposes. While many consider this an essential practice, in reality it may lead to health complications.
Douching alters the balance of bacteria in the vulva, increasing infection risk while simultaneously decreasing acidity levels, increasing yeast infections.
Women should avoid douches and instead opt for gentle, unscented soap designed specifically to treat sensitive skin. A pH-balanced feminine hygiene product will help ensure the vulva is cleansed without stripping away beneficial bacteria and risking yeast infections; alternatively plain water may also suffice. It should be cleansed post-sexing sessions or just before menstruating begins for maximum hygiene benefits.
Keep It Clean
Female intimate areas require special hygiene routines when it comes to cleanliness. Female genitalia are highly susceptible to bacteria and hormones; therefore a good feminine care routine should not only be considered essential during puberty and adolescence but can be invaluable throughout adulthood as well.
Normal and unpleasant vaginal odor is expected, while it should never become painful or discomforting. Vaginal discharge should also occur naturally. If it becomes unpleasant or causes any pain it is important to visit a physician immediately.
Maintaining healthy feminine hygiene requires using products with natural, non-chemical ingredients that don’t contain harsh chemicals and fragrances, like pH-D’s intimate wash, rinse, wipes, and spray which contain holistic components designed to promote intimate health and hygiene.
