How to Maintain a Healthy Vagina

Keeping your vagina in pristine condition is just as important as washing your hair, or keeping other parts of your body clean. There are simple ways to maintain healthy vaginal hygiene, that can be easily squeezed in to your busy daily schedule.

Here are some tips on how to keep your down low parts squeaky clean, and in great physical shape.

Take Regular Showers

The vaginal area contains the body’s apocrine glands, which are slightly larger than regular sweat glands. They account for the body odor you endure when you start to secrete sweat. The sweat itself is colorless, and odorless, but starts to take on a certain smell when it combines with bacteria on the skins surface.

Keep your vagina clean by using soaps that leave your skin feeling moisturized instead of dry. Avoid using anything inside the vagina, such as a douche, because these tend to cause more damage than they are worth. Douching is such a thing of the past. So give your grandmother her old box back, and tell her you’ve found something better … a hot relaxing shower.

You should also try to avoid baths if you are suffering from any kind of infection. A bath can irritate the area even more, and decrease healing potential.

Moisturize the Right Way

Try to avoid sprays, even if they advertise vaginal wellness. These are outright unnatural, and contain inorganic chemicals. If it’s difficult for you to stop putting perfume on your friend down there, then rub a lotion or spray on the outside of your groin area instead. This will work better, anyways, because that is where the odor is actually coming from.

Another way to cut back on unwanted odors is to wear cotton underwear that is more breathable. Tight pants are also a culprit, and can cause chaffing and irritation.

Your Body is a Temple

Your diet also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy vagina. Make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water, up to 8 glasses a day. Eat healthy and try to avoid foods high in fat, cholesterol and sugar.

Yogurt is a great food source that has live probiotics intended on helping you combat overzealous yeast that may be growing out of control. Often times this can lead to a yeast infection, which can take weeks to treat. Help your body prevent the infection by introducing some probiotics into your diet.

The yogurt people would like for you to think that their product will help you combat a yeast infection … but the truth is, yogurt doesn’t actually have enough probiotics in it. Try taking a probiotic in pill form instead; many kinds can be found online, or at your local pharmacy or grocery store.

If you experience any unwanted problems after trying any of the suggestions listed above, visit your gynecologist. You should be seeing your OB/GYN on a regular basis, and getting yearly checkups.

If your one of those people who forgets to ask questions when you’re in the office, write them down before you go, so that your doctor can address all your needs.

All these tips, combined with regular visits to your OB/GYN will ensure that you keep your vagina in great shape.