Expert Talk: Using Intimate Hygiene Products Is Not Really Safe

Women pay extra attention to their intimate health to protect themselves from any risk of infection. A lot of intimate hygiene products are rapidly gaining popularity among women. These intimate washes and sprays are extensively sold in the market with promises that they can help with reducing odour, and dryness, and cleaning the vagina or vulva. But how safe are they really? Experts suggest that using these products can cause infections.

In 2018, researchers from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, found that “Women using feminine washes or gels were almost three and a half times more likely to have a bacterial infection and two and a half times more likely to report a urinary tract infection.”

We talked to Dr. Jagriti Varshney, M.S Obstetrics & Gynaecology, to find out more about the association between intimate hygiene products and vaginal health.

Does Vagina Need Cleaning?

The vagina contains a lot of good bacteria that helps in maintaining the ideal pH balance, which is slightly acidic. The acidic pH makes it hard for bad bacteria to thrive and cause infections. However, using different products to wash your vagina can interfere with its ability to self-clean. So, if you want a clean and healthy vagina, then leave it alone.

You don’t need to wash your vagina, which is the inner canal inside your body because of its self-cleaning mechanism, but you should wash the vulva. The vulva is the outer part around the vagina such as the clitoris and inner and outer labial lips.

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How Feminine Hygiene Products Affect Intimate Health?

You don't need to buy hygiene washes or sprays to maintain the health of your vagina. Instead, using these products can in fact be detrimental to your intimate health. These products can alter the pH of the vagina by allowing entry to certain bad bacteria. Then these bacteria fight the existing good bacteria and grow around the vulva, which may result in issues like UTI, irritation, itching, etc.

While certain gynaecologists may prescribe specific intimate hygiene products for specific conditions, they shouldn't be used on a daily basis.

So until your gynaecologists are not prescribing these washes to you, it's better to avoid them.

The best way to deal with itching and irritation in the area down there is to keep up with your intimate hygiene.

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How To Maintain Intimate Hygiene?

• Wear cotton panties and avoid panties made of synthetic materials.
• Change your panties every day.
• Always dry your underwear outside in the sun after every wash. It ensures that any fungal elements on the fabric will be killed by the high temperature.

How To Clean Intimate Area?

• To wash your vulva, use warm water. You can also use a mild soap that doesn't irritate your skin.
• Always clean your vulva from front to back after using the restroom. Start by washing your vagina first to prevent the spread of bacteria, which could lead to infections.

If you are concerned about vaginal discharge changing colour, discomfort, irritation, or acquiring an odd smell, speak to a gynaecologist to check for a potential infection.