Dear Jamie,

I have heard a lot about feminine washes being bad. Why are people so against them?

Andrea R.


Hey Andrea!

This is a great question, and one that a lot of people have because I think we all wish our vulvas (area outside my vagina) could smell like pumpkin pie ALL the time…right? But! I am an advocate for embracing your natural smell. No delicious pastry smell can change the fact that I do NOT want a yeast infection or BV. 

Let’s rewind a bit. What are feminine washes? They are a hygiene product that are advertised as something to use to help balance out your natural PH, eliminate odor, and stay fresh. There are a few things wrong with that.

 

  • Your vulva does not have a PH balance, your vagina (the internal area)  does. These products rarely highlight that this is for your vulva and in fact, say this product is for your vagina.

 

  • Feminine washes are NOT supposed to be used internally so how does it balance your internal PH?????

 

  • If you have a bad odor, that could be a situation that should be addressed with a doctor.

 

So how should you clean your vagina and vulva? Well, vaginas are self-cleaning. You know that discharge that randomly appears on your underwear? That’s your vagina doing a quick rinse cycle. As far as your vulva goes – some people just use water, some people use a light unscented soap. This is not to shame anyone who uses feminine washes. If your vulva and vagina act fine toward feminine washes, keep smelling like a fresh summer day.

Another problem with feminine washes is that they do not do anything aside from cleaning. Companies focus on insecurities that people with vaginas have to make them think something is wrong with the way they smell or put expectations on what fresh is supposed to feel like. Their advertising and instructions contradict themselves and ultimately, your natural smell is beautiful. Let’s embrace it.

With Pleasure,

Jamie Rose

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