The female folk are blessed with one of the most powerful, life-bringing organs of humankind—the vagina. That’s precisely why it needs to be treated like the sacred sanctuary that it is.
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But the truth is that we know dangerously little about what’s good or bad for our cooch and so many of us end up doing things to it that sends it out of whack—including inserting certain substances that should not be there in the first place.
If you’re interested in keeping your vagina safe, happy, and most importantly balanced, here are some things you should definitely avoid putting inside your pleasure cave.
Scented soap
Your vagina is never going to be the nicest-smelling part of your body. That’s a fact that you sadly have to just accept. Sometimes, especially at the end of the day, the sweat can make it smell musty and that’s completely normal.
But in an effort to keep your down-under smelling like a field of flowers, some vagina owners resort to washing their insides with scented body washes and soaps. That’s a huge no-no. Stephanie Taylor, an intimate health expert, told The Sun:
While the inside of your vagina is self-cleaning, with discharge acting as a natural way to cleanse your body of bacteria, using any [product] to wash the vulva can disrupt your natural bacterial balance and result in bacterial vaginosis, thrush or even cystitis.
If you are using mild soap to clean your intimate area, make sure you stick to the external part of your vagina.
Vaseline
Our favourite petroleum jelly may seem ultra safe because it’s used to heal cracked lips, dry hands, rashes, and whatnot. But its multipurpose function should definitely stop above the waist.
That’s right. It may seem like an effective lubricant, but you should definitely not be using this to make sex more slippery with your partner. Not only will it trigger a build-up of bacteria inside your sacred cave, it may also cause you to have an unwanted pregnancy. Stephanie explained:
Unlike lube, Vaseline will last longer inside the vagina, causing bacteria to build upon the remnants, making it more likely to get bacterial vaginosis or a bad yeast infection.
Plus, during sexual intercourse, the oil molecules will break down the latex of the condom, causing it to break, which could result in you contracting an STI or an unplanned pregnancy.
Steam
Off-late steaming your vagina has become the new craze—thanks to the one and only Gwyneth Paltrow. But this practice, which apparently ‘heals and regenerates’ the vagina, is actually not that great for it. How come?
Experts say that there is no research that actually proves that it is in fact beneficial for the vagina. And on top of that, many females who attempt to steam their nether region end up burning their skin! Lynette J. Margesson, MD, said in conversation with Women’s Health:
Why would one do this? The steam almost never gets inside the vagina. Steaming would just affect the vulva and potentially scald the skin. Unfortunately, women mix up the vulva and vagina all the time. They, too frequently, are taught that the genital area is a taboo, dirty area—how sad!
Water
There is a common misconception that the vaginal canal is dirty and hence you need to shoot water or a saline solution inside to clean it out. However, experts at Healthline have stressed that doing this can actually wash out the good and necessary bacteria inside the vagina and increase your chances of getting an infection.
Furthermore, douching is simply an unnecessary practice, especially given that a vagina is actually a self cleaning organ.
