Women’s hygiene has been a taboo topic for many years. We wish to change that. Maintaining proper hygiene of the body, especially the particularly sensitive places like the genitals, is incredibly important for your overall health. That is why we wish to talk openly and candidly about healthy feminine hygiene practices.
Women have been taught for years that they need to use scented soap in order to stay clean and smelling nice. However, this is not the case. In fact, using scented soap can actually do more harm than good.
What’s wrong with scented soaps?
One of the main ingredients in scented soap is fragrance, which is a mixture of chemicals that are used to give a product a particular smell. Fragrance can contain hundreds of different chemicals, and many of these chemicals are known to be harmful to human health. Fragrant soap can:
- Disrupt the vaginal pH
- Increase your chance of yeast infection
- Irritate and inflame the sensitive skin
- Worsen your vaginal odor
Another problem with scented soap is that it can mask the natural smells of the body. This can make it difficult for women to detect when they have an infection or when they are starting to ovulate.
Healthy Feminine Hygiene Practices
If you have been washing with scented soap, it’s time for a change. As a general rule of thumb, you should use unscented soap on parts of your body that do not grow hair. These areas are generally more sensitive and prone to infection. Unscented soap is healthier for you and will not contribute to the above health risks.
Other healthy feminine hygiene practices include:
- Wash your vulva (the outside portion of the vagina) thoroughly but gently with warm water
- Do not wash inside your vagina. Your vagina is self-cleaning and does not need to be washed with soap.
- Change into clean underwear after showering
So go ahead and ditch the scented soap – your body will thank you for it! If you have any more questions regarding feminine hygiene, don’t hesitate to ask our team at New River Women’s Health! Call 540-605-7566.
