We all want to have a healthy vagina, but what do we do to make sure it stays that way?
As a woman, you need to know about your vaginal PH balance, proper grooming, and sanitary habits for a healthy vagina as well. If you didn’t already know, the vagina has a PH balance that needs to be maintained for it to be healthy.
The PH of our vaginas is rather acidic (not alkaline) and is healthiest around 3.5 to 4.5 on the 0-14 PH scale. The acidity of our vagina is important because most bad bacteria will not survive in an acidic environment.
Things that can throw our PH off balance are things like: Douching, fragrance, unwanted bacteria, and even moisture. Below are 7 things you should be doing for a healthy vagina:
- Avoid fragrances
Ditch the fragrance. This includes in your pads & tampons, soaps, deodorants, and anything else you put on your skin (especially under your clothes).
A lot of us ladies are actually allergic to fragrances and don’t know it. Another thing I didn’t know was that when our blood mixes with the artificial fragrance in pads, it can actually make the smell worse.
Worse, these fake fragrances can be harmful, cause organ damage, and could even cause cancer because of the possible carcinogens.
- Wear cotton underwear (or go commando)
We are all naturally warm between our legs, which means we naturally trap moisture there. For a healthy vagina, one of the best things you can do is to avoid excess moisture in your lady parts.
This means cotton panties (even though let’s be honest, not sexy). These types of underwear keep us the driest during the day and are very breathable.
Another option while you are not menstruating is to go commando, and skip the underwear altogether, save the silk and lace for sexy time, wear cotton underwear for a healthy vagina
- For a healthy vagina, don’t douche
You would think this vaginal cleaning technique would help keep you nice and clean, but you’d be wrong.
Your vagina can actually clean itself. As weird as it may sound, a lot of Gynecologists refer to the vagina as a “self-cleaning oven”.
This is because when your vagina secretes discharge each month, this is its way of cleaning itself. Inserting anything that could potentially get rid of our vagina’s good bacteria is not recommended, and while it may make everything smell “fresh and clean” down there, could end up hurting us in the long run.
There is actually an increased risk of infection, PID, possible cervical cancer, and even pregnancy complications related to regular douching.
READ ALSO: 9 reasons why women need to start talking about sex
- Keep wet wipes near the toilet
I would have never really thought about this, but a You Tuber I watched mentioned it in a video once, and it makes total sense.
As well as wiping front to back, Use wet wipes to clean up after a bowel movement. If I was changing my son and I got poop on my arm or hand, I wouldn’t just use toilet paper to clean up. I would use a wipe, or soap and water.
We should be treating our privates the same way. Especially because feces getting into our vaginal area can cause irritation and infection. Remember to keep these unscented.
- Don’t shave it bare
Your pubic hair is there for a reason. While it may feel sexy to go completely bare, there are a few good reasons you shouldn’t trim it all away.
Your hair keeps unwanted bacteria out of your vagina and helps to protect it from infection.
It also acts as a cushion between harder objects (chairs, bike seats, getting hit in the privates) and our soft, fragile genitals. Of course, it’s totally up to you what makes you feel your best. You just might want to take this into consideration the next time you are grooming down there.
- Urinate after sex
I can’t stress this enough, but you should definitely pee after sex. Urine is sterile and can help clean up your lady parts after sex. Peeing after having sex can help you prevent a painful UTI.
Just in case you were wondering though, peeing after intercourse DOES NOT prevent pregnancy.
- Use a supplement for vaginal health
This goes back to the PH balance of your vagina. The Private Part has a Ph. and urinary tract health supplement that also supports a healthy yeast balance.
The main ingredients are probiotics and cranberry, which are both great for vaginal support. Using a supplement to help balance your PH is a great idea, and prevention is always a good idea.
However, eating foods like yogurt (high in probiotics) and other fermented foods, drinking cranberry juice (keep away UTIs), citrus fruits, apples, and foods high in omega fatty acids can all help with the lubrication and health of your vagina. Taking an Omega 3-6 supplement also might help with vaginal dryness, as well as its multiple other benefits