With a flood of information around intimate hygiene on the internet, it can be really confusing to navigate through and decide on the practices you should keep and the practices you should ditch. First of you should know, that the vagina has a self-cleaning system in place. It cleans itself whenever it deems fit. However, a little assistance from our side can really contribute to our vaginal health. Moreover, if we’re careless towards our intimate hygiene, then we might have to deal with the consequences too. So, here are tips that are absolutely necessary to keep your vagina clean and healthy.
As easy and tempting as it might seem, like a quick fix to personal hygiene, douching is definitely a self-destructive practice. You need to stop believing in the myth that douching creates a clean and odour-free vagina, it might just give you an infection. Douching might mess with the pH of your vagina which can also cause itching and rashes. At the same time, we understand your need to maintain hygiene down there, for that you can get an intimate hygiene spray for use during the day. You can try the Hi Life intimate hygiene spray. Our vaginal spray will keep your intimate area clean & infection-free. With a 100% alcohol-free formula, the vaginal hygiene spray kills 99.9999% of germs and provides assured relief from itching, rashes and irritation.
2. Wash your hands before masturbation or sex.
Fingers touch all sorts of surfaces and are exposed to all kinds of germs. The last thing you would want is to be exposed to germs especially when you’re out to get pleasure. It’s best to keep your and your partner’s hands clean before you get down and dirty together or separately.
Surprisingly, ditching the briefs at night can be a great move to improve your vaginal health. Cotton briefs, although breathable, also trap moisture against the skin to a certain extent, which makes it wearing at night uncomfortable and a storehouse for bacterial growth. Instead, where breezy cotton PJs or shorts to bed.
4. The vagina starts to mimic what you eat.
You must’ve heard people getting probiotic food recommendations during a yeast infection and cranberry juice during a UTI. This is because your vagina needs to maintain a certain pH level to stay healthy and ward off all kinds of infections. Eating fermented foods with high probiotic levels, like yoghurt or kimchi salad or even taking probiotic supplements, can help prevent yeast infections and keep the vaginal biome balanced.
5. Don’t forget to change your pad every 4-6 hours.
As a general rule of thumb, change your sanitary napkin every 4-6 hours. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. it’s okay to sleep while wearing your sanitary napkin, as long as you change it as soon as you wake up.
Often confused and used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the two. The vulva is the external part of your ladybits, everything that meets the eye when you look down at your pubic area. It’s a broad term for the external parts of the female anatomy which includes the labia majora, labia minora, and the visible part of the clitoris. On the other, the part of the vagina that you can see is just the vaginal opening that leads up to the cervix and the uterus.
Even the externals parts, i.e vulva is fragile and needs to be cleaned with care. You can’t just use a loofah drenched with soap down there like you can on the rest of your body. In fact soaps, loofahs can prove to be harmful if used down there, they can easily cause abrasion, inflammation, and rashes.
8. The vagina is self-cleaning, just like an oven!
A self-cleaning feature in an oven minimises your efforts when it comes to cleaning it. The vagina works in a similar fashion. With a naturally low pH, it discourages the growth of outside organisms inside it and maintains a clean atmosphere, all on its own with no outside help.
9. Ban scented products for use down there.
From scented briefs, vaginal perfumes, scented soaps, scented detergents, fragranced sanitary napkins, and scented vaginal creams, all these products are really bad for your vagina. Stay away from products that promise a vagina that smells like ‘flowers’, that’s definitely an invite to a terrible infection for your vagina.
10. Get out of sweaty or wet clothes ASAP.
Once you’re done working out, make sure to take a shower or at least change out of your workout gear. Again, clothes drenched in sweat aren’t just bad for the vagina, they can give you a skin infection as well that takes weeks to heal.
11. Stick to cotton briefs.
Bacteria grows in damp and moist environments. Non-breathable fabrics enable that kind of atmosphere that could lead to itching or a possible infection. Cotton briefs are breezy and more comfortable as compared to synthetic, lacey briefs or even thongs for that matter.
12. Always pee after sex.
It’s a habit that you’ll have to consciously develop over time. Make a mental note to pee before and after sex. This significantly lowers the risk of catching a UTI.
13. Always wipe front to back.
When you’re taking a dump, this rule comes in handy. After all, one misstep can get you an infection in no time. When you’re using toilet paper, always wipe from front to back. Wiping from front to back decreases the chances of exposure to bacteria from the rectum to your vagina or urethra. Bacteria near the rectum can lead to infections and irritation quite easily if it reaches the vagina.
14. Buy your lube and condoms wisely.
There are far too many variants of lubes and types of condoms available out there today. If latex-based products don’t suit you, don’t worry. Simply search for other variants available in the market, and you might just be surprised with what you find. In fact, your gynaecologist will be happy to suggest alternatives if your skin is sensitive down there.
15. Clean your sex toys post-use
We hope that you’re cleaning your sex toys post-use in good faith. But if you’re not, here’s your friendly neighbourhood reminder to do just that. Just like you wash your underwear every single day, post-use for maintaining hygiene, you also need to make sure you’re not letting your used sex toys sit in your bedside drawer for weeks on end. A mild intimate wash can do the job well.
16. Buy your sanitary napkins wisely.
Are you aware of what materials comprise your sanitary napkin? You should ideally be aware of what’s in the product before you wear them. Certain sanitary napkin brands include harmful chemicals called phthalates, otherwise known as ‘endocrine disruptors’ that can interfere with your hormones. Dioxins, a byproduct is usually mixed in as well to bleach the sanitary napkin. Although the level of dioxin found in sanitary napkins today is much lower than in previous years. Organic, unscented pads are your best bet going forward. We recommend you try the Hi Life Organic Period Pads. These sanitary napkins are perfectly soft and exceptionally-absorbent for all kinds of flow during periods. Moreover, free of chemicals and unwanted scents, you’ll be stress-free during your periods about catching an infection or suffering from a rash.
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