SEXUAL WELLNESS 101: The Best Hygiene and Wellness Practices For Your Vulva

Our life-giving yoni’s are powerful, and yet delicate in nature. They have their own microbiome, and it’s a flourishing, yet delicate balance, prone to infection and upset. While we don’t need to spend the majority of our days thinking about vulva maintenance, there are some rules to live by:

Don’t use harsh soaps or cleansers.

For starters, the vagina is a self-cleaning oven, so to speak. The microbiome takes care of any bad bacteria that may try and enter, and by stripping the area of all bacteria, we are lowering our defenses to foreign invaders, which can result in a UTI or yeast infection. We also want to be confident that we are not messing with our vagina’s natural pH—we want to maintain a pH of between 3.8 and 4.5. And by all means, stay far away from products with toxic artificial fragrances— the chemicals found in those products are hormone disruptors we want nowhere near our reproductive organs.

Wear cotton panties.

A girl’s gotta breathe! Wearing polyester underwear traps moisture in close and keeps it there, breeding more heat and moisture and making a petri dish of bacteria that can’t escape. Stick to natural fibers and blends like cotton or silk, and of course a little rayon and spandex for stretch. If you need to wear some spandex poly blend of a workout, just make sure to bring a change of panties and clothes and remove the sweaty garments immediately post-workout, and shower.

For the love of all that is holy please do not douche.

We don’t know who needs to hear this now that it’s the year 2021, but not only is there no need to douche, but it is bad for you. Douching blasts through our vaginal canal, wiping out all of the beneficial, crucial bacteria that protects us from infection. Douching leaves us sterilized (not sterile… but in a way) and inflamed, with our first and best line of defense nowhere to be found.

Bring a second pair of panties with you if it’s a hot day.

If you’re someone who is prone to yeast infections, be easy on yourself. You’re not yucky, it’s typically genetic and there are steps you can take to avoid infection. On extra warm days that you know you’ll be a little extra sweaty, pack another discrete pair of cotton panties in your purse for a midday refresh. Ah, nothin’ feels better.

Use delicate wipes specifically for that area.

If you’re looking for another way to hit that midday refresh, or maybe you want to do a mild workout on your lunch break and don’t have time or access to a shower, there are wipes specifically designed for that delicate area. Make sure the ingredients are mild and safe, non-drying, and do not contain fragrance of any kind.

Pee after sex.

We aren’t here to talk about just the fun stuff, let’s get real. Many of us are prone to UTI’s and the friction involved in penetrative sex can exacerbate this risk by pushing and pulling bacteria into the urethra. Urine is naturally sterile, so making sure to pee after sex will naturally cleanse the area and rid you of this risk.

Use safe sex toys

There are some sex toys made with toxic materials. These are usually known as jelly toys, and this jelly material is derived from a toxic type of plastic. Using these products for vaginal (or any) stimulation will introduce phthalates and other toxic solvent absorption into the delicate mucous membranes of the body, causing headaches, cramps, and nausea. Stick to silicone.

Take a probiotic.

To maintain those good bugs that keep the bad ones at bay, take a daily probiotic to make sure that not only your digestive health stays active and bustling.