Ever wondered how to look after your vajayjay? You need wonder no more. Here are our top 7 tips for a healthy vajayjay or whatever you like to call it!

1. You Are What You Eat

Even your lower department gets affected by what you eat. Some women suggest that drinking unsweetened pineapple juice makes you smell, well, sweeter down below. Whilst this has not been studied, there are scientific studies that have been done to prove body odor changes with what we eat (meat eaters smell different from vegetarians for example).

It is also true that eating well and having great health in general will help with your vaginal health. So start munching lots of veggies, get as much sleep as possible, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine and do your exercises if you want to keep your vajayjay happy and hygenic.

2. Exercise

Exercising your pelvic muscles, as well as your vaginal muscles will keep your vagina happy. Not to mention it will help keep you from peeing in your pants when you laugh! So keep them Kegels going and also do some effective pelvic floor exercises.

3. Good Bacteria Is Good for You

You may have heard about one of the latest crazes in the health industry: probiotics, or “friendly bacteria.” Our body has plenty of it if it’s healthy, especially our gut and vagina and it helps ward off viruses and harmful bacteria.

If you aren’t eating well, your internal bacteria might be unbalanced. And if you take antibiotics you actually kill off the friendly bacteria together with the harmful bacteria. As a result, your vaginal health may suffer – many women end up with thrush after taking antibiotics. Therefore, it’s important to always eat probiotics when you take antibiotics.

Probiotics are found in foods like sauerkraut and yoghurt and drinks such as kefir and kombucha. You can also buy supplements which provide these bacteria in large doses.

4. Keeping Clean

There has been a myth circulating that states doing internal douches to clean the vagina is good for you. Far from it. It might actually lead to increased risk of thrush, bacterial infections and STDs. The vagina is a self-cleaning part of your body and does not take kindly to being “cleaned.” Cleaning only leads to killing off the friendly bacteria or upsetting the pH balance, which is supposed to be acidic.

Using a perfumed soap, or any soap at all for that matter, on the outside parts of your vagina can also affect the area negatively and lead to itching and dryness. Some warm water is all you need to clean your lower parts. Maybe during your period you want to use a gentle, fragrance-free soap to clean the area due to unpleasant smells, but that’s about it and even that does not come recommended.

5. Condoms

It’s well-known today in most societies that condoms protect against an array of STDs. However, if you have oral sex with someone and don’t use a condom, you are still susceptible to many STDs. And even with a condom you can’t protect yourself from HPV, which can lead to genital warts and cancer in rare cases. This is why regular smear tests are so important as they detect cell changes early and can help prevent cancer. Also, bear in mind that if you use a condom for oral or anal sex, you need to change it before having vaginal sex.

6. Tampons and Mooncups

With the risk of tampons causing toxic shock, which, in worst case scenario, can lead to death. This is why it’s so important to change tampons regularly. Even so, there is no guarantee of not getting it.

Using a mooncup, on the other hand, is a safer option – at least no cases of toxic shock have ever been reported. What’s more, you don’t have to change it nearly as often as you do tampons – you just empty it once in the morning and once at night. Though some companies claim that emptying it three times daily is safer due to the potential of toxic shock syndrome, even if there has been no reported cases.

Another benefit to mooncups is that they are eco-friendly. One mooncup can last a whooping five years! Which also makes it a budget-friendly option if you compare it to pads or tampons.

7. Dryness and Discomfort

Many women experience dryness in their vagina, which can be because they are dehydrated in general. So ensure you get enough fluids every day!

It can also be due to hormonal changes, or taking various medications. If you experience severe dryness, it is therefore important to see a doctor.

A lot of women also experience dryness during their period due to wearing pads or using tampons. Tampons, in particular, can dry out the vagina, upsetting the pH balance, and therefore, causing thrush (though there isn’t scientific proof of this many women swear tampons indirectly cause thrush, myself included).

To avoid this, you can use natural oils like coconut oil, or olive oil, which will work as a moisturizer. Note that the oils have to be natural (no petroleum jelly, fragrances, etc.) and avoid any oils you may be allergic to. Even if you aren’t having your period, but are prone to dryness, a bit of oil can work wonders in preventing discomfort and thrush.

Oil does break down condoms, though, so don’t apply it before sex if you are using condoms as protection.

Another thing that causes discomfort is wearing underwear – thongs in particular. If you often end up itchy, or easily get thrush you may want to try going commando says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. This leaves the area dry and well aired out. Though, if you are at the gym you should keep your panties on as gym equipment tends to be covered in germs and you don’t want those close to your most sensitive parts! And when biking you need padded shorts, or pants, so as to prevent hurting your sensitive bits.

If wearing underwear, opt for cotton as it can breathe.

It’s also important to change out of wet bikinis as soon as possible, as well as sweaty gym clothes.

And one last thing: sex if you aren’t properly lubricated can cause problems. You can use natural oils for this if you are not using a condom, and if you are using a condom opt for water based lubricants.

That’s it on the vajayjay hygiene tips. Got some of your own…tell us in the comments below!

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