Why Less Is More When It Comes to Feminine Hygiene

Too many ladies feel conscious of how their vaginas appear and smell at all times. Maintaining a healthy vagina is a must, but some people can be overprotective to the degree of being harmful. As a sensitive part of the female body with distinct needs, vaginas have special features that can make caring for them complex. They can cleanse and protect themselves, and typically, you don’t need any products to keep them clean.

However, the narrative projected onto women about genital care is different today. If you look into the women’s care section in department stores, you will encounter various hygiene wash products. Some of them can indeed help improve your vagina’s pH balance, but most contain ingredients like alcohols, scents, and more that shouldn’t be anywhere near your lady parts. Instead of keeping your vagina healthy, these products can disrupt the natural ecosystem of your private regions and, in the end, encourage the growth of yeast and bacteria.

What You Should Know About Good Feminine Hygiene

Vaginas have natural acid that helps keep them in healthy and good condition at all times. Thanks to the high level of lactic acid, diseases like bacterial vaginosis (BV) are prevented.

Despite this fact, there are still many procedures and products recommended for women care that are not always essential. However, there is a time and place to use them. How do you know what your body needs? Here is our basic guide to feminine hygiene:

About Your Vagina’s Smell

• Vaginas will always have scents, and it won’t be all candy and flowers. It shouldn’t be! However, tangy, overly sweet, or fishy smells can be signs that your nether regions need some TLC. Vaginal odours often do not come from the vagina itself but rather the inner thighs and folds. Avoid putting deodorant, powder, or perfume anywhere near your labia and vagina. Instead of helping you improve its condition, you might worsen or infect it. You can try an alcohol-free, paraben-free cleansing product to see if there is any improvement, but if not, pay a quick visit to your doctor!
• Maintaining good hygiene can help reduce any odours “down there”. The build-up of sweat and bacteria doesn’t help the scent situation, meaning that if you’ve gone for a run or walked around in the sun, taking a shower and washing your body is a good idea.

About Your Innerwear

• Tight undergarments don’t necessarily have to be sworn off, but having your vagina and thighs suffocated at all times isn’t healthy. Practice balance. As much as possible, let these areas breathe by adding loose pants or skirts to your wardrobe or opting for loose clothing at home.
• Consider not wearing underwear at night. Vaginas are prone to produce more moisture at night. Because of this, women are more susceptible to acquiring vaginal irritation and inflammation during sleeping hours, especially when wearing underwear.
• The most recommended panties are white cotton panties, which are considered the healthiest option. Cotton is a natural fibre gentle to the skin. It is comfortable and breathable. The colour white also means that no other chemicals or colourants are added to it.
• Make sure to wash your underwear separately from your other clothes. Only use mild detergents when doing so.

About Your Period

• When you’re on your period, it’s even more important to practice good hygiene. Consider using a menstrual cup for a clean, hygienic, and eco-friendly way to collect your menstrual blood. Make sure to change and clean your private area with an alcohol- and paraben-free product to prevent leakage.

About Sex

If you are worried about your vaginal health before and after sex, here are the only things you should do:

• Before sex: Wash up with warm water.
• During sex: If you experience unusual discharge during sex, consider wearing a condom to avoid irritation. You should know, though, that vaginal discharge is normal. Seek the help of a professional assessment to understand if your case is different. 
• After sex: Urinate right after and make sure to avoid douching.

Conclusion

The media has bombarded females with unnecessary information that makes them conscious of their vagina’s health. Along with major marketing campaigns, people in the media industry teach women how to clean their vagina to sell more products when, in reality, vaginas do not demand more. It’s normal to wonder how to clean your vagina, and there are certainly times to use high-quality products to do so. In general, though, less is more. When you are looking for a cleansing product to use in your private areas, seek gentle products that will only help the natural acid of the vagina do its part while also balancing your pH level.

Imbue Natural is an all-natural feminine hygiene product that believes in simple products that help women maintain healthy vaginas as gently as possible. All ingredients are plant-derived, making products vegan, cruelty-free, alcohol-free, and paraben-free. Check out our offerings today!