Washing your vulva: the right habits, the right products, the right routine
How should you wash your vulva properly? Should you use a specific product or just water? How do you take care of your intimate hygiene? How often? What are the risks of over-washing?
Intimate hygiene is a big topic! Between myths, old wives’ remedies and your friends’ advice, it can be hard to know what to do. Yet intimate hygiene is an important and sensitive issue. You need to do it properly, have a regular routine, and use the right products to protect your vaginal flora and maintain a healthy pH balance.
Feeling lost? Don’t worry, Louloucup is sharing all the tips you need today to wash your vulva safely and gently, without irritating it.
🛀🏽 Vulva, intimate washing and vaginal flora
First, a quick refresher on some key terms and definitions is in order.
The vulva
A cycle is irregular when it’s too short and lasts less than 25 days. This is called polymenorrhea. A menstrual cycle is also irregular when it’s too long compared to the average. This phenomenon is called oligomenorrhea and lasts more than 35 days. As a reminder: a regular menstrual cycle considered normal averages 28 days. Of course, no woman has perfectly regular 28-day cycles all her life. Cycles will evolve, change and shift between puberty and menopause. This is neither worrying nor serious. On the contrary, it’s completely normal and natural. However, it’s considered irregular when short or long cycles persist over time.
Intimate hygiene
Intimate washing or intimate hygiene includes washing the vulva, as well as the intergluteal cleft where the anus is located. Vaginal douching is never recommended. It can lead to infections or yeast infections. We’re talking here about external washing only, of everything that is visible.
The vaginal flora
The vaginal flora, or vaginal microbiome, is, just like in the gut, a community of micro-organisms that naturally live in the vagina. This flora is constantly balancing good and bad bacteria. If you clean too aggressively, you disrupt the pH balance, which can have many consequences.
Did you know? Conventional disposable tampons can disrupt the vaginal flora and dry it out, increasing the risk of yeast infections. The tampon ingredients (containing chlorine, pesticides, etc.) is a real issue for women’s intimate health. By contrast, the menstrual cup in medical-grade silicone BPA- and latex-free, it’s a very appealing internal alternative: healthy and clean!
Three must-have Louloucup menstrual underwear styles 🥰
🛀🏽 Washing your vulva: vaginal pH
Gentle, regular, and suitable cleansing preserves the pH balance of your vagina. Just like your pool water, its pH must not be thrown off, or harmful organisms can grow in excess.
The ideal vaginal pH is between 4 and 4.5. It’s therefore an acidic ecosystem. The vaginal mucosa is slightly acidic because of the good bacteria it produces, the lactobacilli.
The acidity of lactobacilli helps fight off fungi and other microbes that would love to settle in your vagina. These good bacteria, the lactobacilli, are so acidic that they’re actually responsible for bleaching your underwear.
Good to know: vaginal pH changes slightly throughout the menstrual cycle depending on the different events and phases it goes through. During your period, blood, which has a pH of 7.2, makes the vagina less acidic, bringing it to around 6. During ovulation, so that sperm find a welcoming environment, the vagina becomes even less acidic and turns neutral (around 7.5). In the luteal phase, the vagina becomes more acidic again and returns to its pH of 4.
Over-washing, unsuitable intimate hygiene or using the wrong product can disrupt vaginal pH. The good bacteria are then no longer numerous enough to fight off potential external attacks and infections.
🛀🏽 What are the risks of improper washing?
If you don’t wash your vulva, or don’t wash it properly, you risk some nasty discomfort.
Irritation, burning sensations, itching, but also bad odors, thick, discolored and foul-smelling discharge (white, brown or other)—the symptoms vary, but they’re all unpleasant. Your sexual intercourse may also become painful. Lubrication is no longer effective, and sex becomes irritating and uncomfortable.
The development of a vaginal yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis is quite common, but must be taken seriously.
Cystitis or urinary tract infections can also be caused by improper washing of the vulva.
🛀🏽 What are the right habits to adopt?
So you’ve got it: it’s essential to take care of your vaginal flora and to properly clean your vulva. But how should you do it?
We recommend adopting a routine that’s gentle, respectful, non‑aggressive, simple (no need to pile on products) and consistent.
Regular doesn’t mean several times a day! Overwashing can actually have the opposite effect to what you want. By washing your vulva too often, you make it more vulnerable and fragile. Once a day is enough, when you take your daily shower. If you shower twice a day, simply rinse with water the second time.
To wash your vulva, use a small amount of an intimate gel or intimate cleanser with a neutral pH and a gentle formula, ideally without fragrance or alcohol. Ask your gynaecologist or midwife for recommendations. Go to a pharmacy or drugstore. Avoid soaps (Marseille soap and other processed soaps), shampoos or regular shower gels, which are not suitable for your intimate area. Also avoid intimate wipes and other lotions or perfumes.
Always make it a habit to wipe from front to back, just like when you use the toilet. It’s important to wash your vulva first and then your anus, not the other way around.
To dry, don’t rub; gently pat with a terry towel.
🤔 Other habits to adopt
To respect your intimate area, avoid clothes that are too tight.
Slip on cotton underwear rather than synthetic. All our Loulou period panties are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton and carry the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label.
If you’re particularly sensitive, or if you’ve already had yeast infections or urinary tract infections, make sure you stay dry, especially in summer. Think about bringing spare underwear, change your period panties regularly when you have your period, and get changed quickly after swimming so you’re not keeping a damp swimsuit against your intimate area.
Turn to dietary supplements, such as probiotics, to rebalance your vaginal flora.
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