So we all talk about fashion, style, beauty crimes, makeup, skincare, hairstyles, lifestyle choices and many other topics, but we hardly talk about personal feminine topics, like feminine hygiene care. Forgetting that all these other topics mean nothing when there is a major cause of hygiene concern. I can see why many shy away from talking about feminine hygiene both online and offline, but it is still very important, and still needs to be addressed.
At first you’ll think that every woman is aware of basics of feminine hygiene. I mean most of us pay attention to what people can see, so our hair, outfit, makeup is always top notch, but we neglect some of our most important body parts. The prevalence of infection and diseases due to lack of feminine hygiene shows that this is one thing a good number of us don’t know about or do shy away from talking about.
Well I have written up some handy feminine hygiene issues. I hope someone learns a thing or 2:
Cleaning “down there”
The vagina on its own cleans herself. Now that explains the secretions. It makes use of these secretions to clean herself. That is how it protects herself from infection. Just because the vagina can take care of itself when it comes to cleaning doesn’t mean we should not take care of it.
Use water to wash your vagina taking care to remove any possible dirt or debris. If you want to use soap or cleansers, make sure you use a mild soap or a pH-balanced gentle cleanser. Make sure it has the right pH level of about 4.5-5.5 and it contains mild ingredients like lactoserum and lactic acid. Never clean the inside of your vagina. That could ruin its pH level. Although it’s good to clean “down there”, avoid excessive washing and douching and stay clear of harsh cleansers and soaps. This may cause an imbalance in the normal growth of bacteria (yes, some bacteria can be good too) and prevent stripping away the protective barrier of the vagina. This will make the vagina prone to infection.
Avoid Baths. Take more showers
The bath water contains bacteria from the body so sitting in the bath will cause the bacteria ridden water to enter into the vagina. This will increase the possibility of urinary tract infections. Take showers instead. The bacteria from the body flows downwards and does not have the chance to enter your vagina. I love taking baths, but I try not to take them too frequently.
Menstrual care
You need to take extra care during your period. Wear a sanitary pad or tampon but make sure you don’t leave it on for more than 4-6 hours. Change when saturated or uncomfortable. Avoid scented pads or tampons. These will irritate the vagina and cause infections. Do not douche during your period. Douching causes debris to enter your reproductive tract which will lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.
Wipe the right way
When you want to wipe after using the bathroom, use soft unscented toilet paper. Ensure your hands are clean. Bacteria on your hands have the chance of going to your genital region. Also, make sure you wipe from front to back. This will ensure that bacteria from your butt does not go to your vagina and cause infection.
Mind the odour
Every woman has a natural scent. The good news is that it’s not detectable on your clothes. Whenever you perceive a fishy scent coming from you, that could be a sign of an infection. Make sure you get it checked out.
Let the air flow
Wear cotton underwear or underwear with cotton lining on the crotch. This allows for a free flow of air. Lack of air causes the area to be moist which promotes the presence of bacteria and growth of fungi. This is the common cause of vaginal yeast infection.
So ladies have these valuable tips in mind. These little changes can make a big difference to your overall well-being.
Do you have any tips to share? Don’t be shy, leave a comment.
This is something that is so important, but really isn’t spoken about enough. Well done for highlighting it and sharing some tips too.
Thanks for reading Dannii x
I do love baths. But you’re right I can imagine how much bacteria there is in the water!
Yea loads..
This is good Stella. I do agree on not washing the Vagina because many women seem to be doing this and they end up with serious infection.
Working in the lab for my first degree, I dealt with a lot of this infection issues 🙂
By the way, I actually just edited a video talking about this same thing scheduled to go live soon.
Do have an amazing day
X
Ah nice. I can’t wait to watch it xo
Na wa o. This topic….. Should be on Huffington
LMAO..
Brilliant, wonderful and informative post – I genuinely couldn’t praise this enough! There is SUCH a stigma around talking about feminine hygiene – in fact a stigma about periods, orgasm, feminine anything that could involve genitals or body functions – and as a result so many young women don’t know about hygiene. They think douching is “all important”… thank you so much for writing such an important post – I will be sharing over social. 🙂
Glad you like the post Harriet. The stigma annoys me so much. We should be able to talk freely about these things.
A very brave blog post here, well done. Also worth noting that showers save water and money too – even more reasons to have a shower over a bath!
Yea showers are a lot cheaper than baths.
Such great tips and something every woman should do. Very forward topic and I love how forthright you were.
Thanks for reading Tp.
Well done for highlighting this! It’s something that should be common knowledge to all women but we just don’t want to talk about such things
Yea we shy away from talking about these issues and we really shouldn’t.
This is a fantastic write up. Issues that are very important but less talk about. I salute your courage baby. Well done. Thanks for letting them out. Beautiful.
Glad you like the post Osime.
A great post here! I actually learnt something haha.
I am allergic to scented pads. I remember when they first came out, tried them and I was so sore down below
They smell nice but it is best to avoid using them.
Thank you for the blog post, it’s a useful reminder!
Thanks for reading Keely.
Haha thanks for the detailed advice, very helpful.
Thank you for reading.
Such important tips and ones which more girls need to be aware of x
True that.
Well written and thank you for not shying away from what society perceives to be a delicate subject. It is not a taboo and should be spoken about freely!
Yea it should. Thanks Ana x
Well written hun and such great tips, especially about the pH balance x
Thanks Rachel xo
a very informative post that every woman should read
Thanks Nicol.
I think this post would be really useful for teen girls and young women as no-one really talks about this kind of thing with them x
Yea..
Some interesting tips here – never knew about not douching but it makes sense
Thanks for reading Kara xo
So glad you posted about this as none talks about this topic!!
I know. Thanks for reading Hannah x
i love the fact that bloggers cover ALL topics, and say things that mainstream media never say.
Yea I love that too.
Gives a whole new meaning to ‘Mind the Gap’… #PunAlert
I know, LMAO!
I’ve heard that about baths, so I’m glad you confirmed it. Good point emphasizing the proper direction to clean oneself.
Yea many have no clue.
This is such a great post and something us women need to talk a lot more about, I agree with the bath situation – I try to only have them as a treat.
Yea I rarely have baths.
Great post. I’m in the process of teaching my 9 year old how to clean herself, it is something all women need to be taught at one point
Oh good. Yes it is. Well done.
Lucky I’m more of a shower person then and taht I wear cotton undies 😉
Ah nice one xo
I prefer a shower over a bath because its so much quicker and fuss free anyway! I use the Femfresh range and love their products xxx
I should try the range. Heard a lot about it.
Awesome post people often shy away from topics like this but you were definitely brave enough to speak about. This is a really great post with great tips that I tend to follow 😉
Thanks for reading Leslie. A lot more still needs to be said about personal hygiene.
Very courageous yet useful and necessary topic. The one good thing about getting older is the menstrual Tim is no more. I went trough the change quite early too. Yes it should be spoken of more.
I cant stand B.O and will remove myself from any given situation I find it in as politely as possible. There is no need for it IMHO. It makes me heave. I am very sensitive to smells.
As for our vagina area it is I agree the moat important area to keep clean. I have some health related issues around their I wont go into however it makes me extra vigilant of cleanliness in the nether regions as my late Mom always called them.
I also change my underwear more than once a day as I use a bidet when using the bathroom at home.
I am quite sensitive to smells too so I can understand. Thanks for stopping by xo
Some lovely tips you’ve shared.
Thanks.
What a sensible post, and no mention of all those unnecessary ghastly products that prey on women’s insecurities about their bodies. Bravo!
Thanks Helen x
This is a really good post. Fab tips. Well done for talking about it x
Thanks for reading Kerry.
There really needs to be more awareness on this topic. Great post!
Thanks Jemma
I agree…
Nice