9 Simple Things To Do For Vaginal Hygiene

A healthy vagina is the basis of stellar sexual health and wellness. By practicing healthy habits and awareness, it's possible to avoid itches, rashes, and infections. Start by wiping right after a bowel movement. Avoid douches, scented soaps, and feminine hygiene products. Eating probiotic food like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut can keep the vaginal balance intact. Add in some Kegel exercises and yoga asanas to keep your vagina strong and flexible.

Everyday Habits For a Healthy Vagina:

• Wipe Properly And No Douching
• Stop Using Feminine Hygeine Products, Eat Probiotics
• Change Pad Every 6-8 Hours And Practice Safe Sex
• Visit A lady Sexologist When Needed And Practice Yoga

9 Ways To Keep Vaginal Problems In Check

1. Wipe From Back To Front

Wiping after a bowel movement seems like a trivial task. Yet, there is a healthy and safe way to go about it. Start from the front and move backward. In women, the openings of the anus and vagina are fairly close together. If you wipe from back to front, you increase the risk of bringing bacteria from the anus into the vagina. This move can trigger bacterial vaginosis, a vaginal infection characterized by a fishy smell, discharge, and itching. It is also marked by a burning sensation that amplifies when you urinate. So make it a point to start from the back and work toward the front. It may take some getting used to, but it’s the type of habit that will protect your vaginal health.1

2. Avoid Douching

Douching is the act of cleaning the vagina by spraying it with water or other fluids. Many believe that this practice will get rid of bad odor and menstrual residue. It’s much different than a simple rinse around the vagina, though. (The latter doesn’t do any harm, and can be a part of a regular shower or wash.) However, about 1 in 4 American women ages 15 to 44 years douche. Popular products include prepackaged douches containing vinegar, iodine, and baking soda. These douches are made to be inserted into the vagina using a nozzle or tube.

Unfortunately, this can adversely impact the natural balance inside the vagina. From dryness to irritation, douching can cause problems that weren’t there in the first place.3Douching doesn’t just flush out the good bacteria but can also help bad bacteria flourish, leading to conditions like a yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis. A healthy vagina needs certain levels of both bacteria, after all. And if you already have a bacterial infection? Douching can encourage the bacteria to move into the uterus, ovaries, and Fallopian tube. This can also cause an infection that can transform into pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious inflammation of the reproductive organs.4

Needless to say, douching should be avoided for prime vaginal health. The vagina naturally cleanses itself by emitting discharge and mucus. And while it may be tempting to speed it up, the vagina is perfectly capable of handling it on its own.

3. Ditch Feminine Hygiene Products 

But do we really need them? Most soaps are basic in nature, while the natural vaginal pH tends to be acidic. When you wash the vagina with these soaps too often, the natural state is thrown for a loop. It gives harmful microbes a chance to grow, causing bacterial vaginosis and fungal infections. Fragrances in soaps, cleansers, and gels can also irritate the vagina. While there’s a ton of debate on this topic, there’s no proof yet that vaginal washes can actually maintain an acidic pH. Yet, many products claim to do so. The vagina can maintain a healthy pH by itself. And if it is unable to do so, symptoms of itching and a foul-smelling discharge will manifest. At that point, a doctor’s intervention is the only thing needed.

4. Eat Probiotics

While a nutritious, balanced diet is important for reproductive health, probiotics have an exceptionally special role. The vaginal canal has a natural level of good bacteria that keep it healthy. Most notably, this includes the Lactobacillus bacteria. Research even speculates that inadequate amounts of Lactobacilli in the vagina can lead to a greater susceptibility to infections, from yeast infections to HIV type 1.8 So if you’re looking to optimize your vaginal health, eat foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria. Need ideas? Yogurt and fermented foods like kimchi, or miso are all tasty options.

5. Maintain Good Menstrual Hygiene

With the invention of high-absorbency pads, it’s easy to forget how important it is to change them regularly. Otherwise, bacterial overgrowth, rashes, and general discomfort may occur. To prevent these from conditions from developing, experts recommend changing pads every six to eight hours.9

Tampons aren’t much different. Leaving them in for longer than eight hours has been known to increase the chances of a potentially fatal condition called toxic shock syndrome. Your best bet is to change them at least four to five times a day.10 The Women’s Voices for the Earth report also points out that the dioxins, pesticidal residues, and fragrance chemicals in tampons and sanitary pads may pose a risk to reproductive and endocrine health, aside from causing allergies and infections.11Looking for an alternative? Consider a reusable menstrual cup instead of these conventional products. You can also try Namyaa Intimate Hygiene wash to maintain the pH level of the vagina.

6. Practice Safe Sex

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with protecting your sexual health when you’re with a new partner (or multiple partners). Use physical barriers such as condoms and diaphragms to protect yourself from contracting a sexually transmitted disease.13

Another safe sex practice is urination after sexual intercourse. This simple habit can help get rid of bacteria in the urethra and bladder. You can also wash around the vagina after sex to prevent unwanted bacteria and foreign bodies from entering the vaginal canal after sex. But remember, these actions won’t prevent sexually transmitted infection. A physical barrier is still your best option.

7. Visit A Lady Sexologist For Preventive Care

Whether you have a mild itch or a suspicion of something serious, a doctor is a good person to turn to. If you have a persistent itch for more than a week or if it turns into inflammation with a smelly discharge, see a doctor immediately. And if there’s a new vaginal hygiene practice that catches your attention, a doctor is the best person to assess if it is right for you.

8. Perform Kegel Exercises

The vaginal canal is made up of muscles just like the arms and legs. Pelvic floor exercises that involve contracting and relaxing muscles in the hip region can be very helpful in keeping the vagina strong and flexible. This is especially ideal post-pregnancy when the vagina loses some of its elasticity. By doing these exercises often, it can be restored to its previous physical state.

9. Give Yoga A Shot

Performing yoga regularly can also help your vaginal muscles. The ashwini mudra (horse pose) can increase blood flow to the pelvic region, tone the vaginal muscles, and keep the vaginal tissue healthy.17Specifically, this move entails contracting and releasing muscles in the pelvic region.