Accessing feminine hygiene products and information regarding safe and sustainable practices are critical. The goal is to mitigate environmental harm as well as the risk of toxic shock syndrome associated with synthetic materials tampons with high absorbency levels.
Just as brushing your teeth and washing between your toes are integral parts of self-care, caring for your vulva should also be. Explore here the various internal and external feminine hygiene products available here.
Wash Your Body
As the vulva is an intimate area, regular hygiene is essential to its wellbeing. A good routine will help avoid painful odours and irritation; daily cleansing with mild soap or pH-balanced feminine wash should help. Over-washing may irritate sensitive skin; be mindful not to overdo it as that could further dry it out. Furthermore, be sure to wash before and after sexual relations for maximum efficiency.
ANSES has conducted an expert appraisal on several popular feminine hygiene products such as tampons, menstrual cups and sea sponges used for feminine hygiene purposes – such as tampons, menstrual cups and sea sponges – to assess their chemical content as well as risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Their expert evaluation showed that these items pose less of a threat of TSS than previously assumed due to lower concentrations of certain chemicals present.
At least once annually, it is crucial that you visit a physician for a wellness exam that includes pap smears and pelvic exams. Furthermore, any unusual smells or pain should be reported immediately as these could be signs of health concerns.
Wash the Folds and Pits
As this area’s skin is delicate, it is important to gently wash your vulva area using warm water and mild soap or cleanser. Doing so helps reduce vaginal odor and protects against irritation that could lead to itching.
Maintaining the cleanliness of the vulva is key for preventing infections caused by menstrual blood or bacteria, and should be changed every 4-6 hours or before they get saturated by your flow (depending on how often they soaked through). Cotton underwear should also be worn to keep this area fresh while you wash your hands after touching any item used on it.
Intimate hygiene can be a complex topic. In this article, the focus is on the physiology and relevance of transient and resident microbiota to common vulvovaginal disorders as well as global feminine hygiene practices and their effect on overall vulvovaginal health as well as any potential benefits and risks of new female intimate wash products available on the market.
Wash the Underarms
Cleansing the skin down there is just as essential to overall body hygiene. Avoid using harsh soaps that could irritate sensitive vulval skin; try something pH-balanced like Ouai’s feminine wash, which contains moisturizing ingredients like rosehip oil and glycerin for a more gentle solution.
Clean your arms regularly and thoroughly after sweating or working out to maintain fresh smelling armpits, such as this benzoyl peroxide formula from Olay. Sweat contains bacteria which may create unpleasant smells if left to mix together. Keep things odor-free by using an anti-odor body wash, such as this formula from Olay that features benzoyl peroxide as an effective anti-odor agent.
Make sure to change your underwear frequently for optimal health. Otherwise, clogged pores could lead to itchy discomfort as well as increasing the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and infections such as pelvic inflammatory syndrome. A recent survey discovered that 64% of women without enough funds used cloth rags and even toilet paper during their periods!
Wash Your Teeth
The vagina is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms known as a microbiome that plays an integral role in protecting women from infection, supporting fertility, and increasing overall health. Good feminine hygiene includes washing with soap and water daily and not using internal sanitary products like tampons or menstrual cups internally as well as keeping panties, tight shirts or pants away from vulva area that might cause friction.
In 2018 ANSES received a formal request to conduct an expert appraisal on the safety of feminine hygiene products, and published additional tests conducted on menstrual cups and tampons by late 2019. Their tests concluded that most internal sanitary protection products contained low concentrations of chemicals without calculated cancer or non-cancer risks that exceeded health protective guidelines.
However, due to affordability and accessibility issues, some women do not have access to feminine hygiene products due to affordability issues. Some have even been forced to choose between food and tampons; these circumstances have resulted in a movement for eliminating sales taxes levied against feminine hygiene products.
