Your Vagina Is Actually A Self-Cleaning Wonder
by Amy Leisner
Ah, the vagina. Practically every woman has her own special journey and relationship with it.
There’s the initial discovery when you’re little, to whatever name your mom had you to call it. There’s the anatomy chart (or 3D model if you’re lucky) you get to see in the fourth grade when the boys go in one room and the girls in another. There’s the fear around your first period, fear around how much it’s going to hurt to have sex, and fear about what’s going to happen to it before, during, and after giving birth. She’s a big part of our lives, and yet there’s so much mystery around her.
How do we know if we’re treating her with the care and respect she deserves? Are we doing too much, or maybe not enough to keep her healthy? How did this whole feminine hygiene industry come to be, and who’s really calling the shots? All great questions. So let’s get into it.
A quick feminine hygiene history lesson.
First, let’s look back at how far we’ve come. The first documentation of a menstrual pad was around the 10th century when a Greek Alexandrian philosopher named Hypatia was seen throwing a used menstrual rag at a gentleman caller who she was not in the mood to see. We hear you, Hypatia.
In the 1700s, women would use the same rags as they would use for diapers (hence the lovely saying “she’s on the rag”), and in the 1800s, the first commercial sanitary pads finally went on sale. After that, we got tampons, reusable menstrual cups, “fashionable” tampons without applicators, individually wrapped pads, pads with adhesive backing, extra absorption, and much more.
But unfortunately, the personal care industry hasn’t always taken the proper precautions to assure that all of these products are safe for our vaginas. Thankfully, we now have more natural and organic options, as well as more studies and research, which are helping us learn what’s actually healthy.
Ultimately, how you treat and care for your vagina is up to you. But making an informed decision tends to bring more peace of mind than an uninformed one. The research is super accessible now, thanks to the Google, and it tells us the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” of feminine hygiene; but there are still some less-than-ideal products lurking in the feminine hygiene aisles.
Are we actually serious with the scented tampons?
Okay, so there can be a certain “scent” that comes along with having your period. We’ve all experienced it, and it’s not something to look forward to, but it’s natural. While this scent might be annoying, it’s only there for a couple of days, and chances are the only person who would ever notice it is you. And yet, sitting there on the shelf at the drug store as you’re reading this is that box of lilac scented tampons. Beware the scented tampon! These can do much more harm than good to your vagina. They can cause swelling, rashes, and just generally unpleasant irritation. Even worse than that, they can disrupt your natural pH balance, which can lead to yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis. No thanks.
The best place for talcum powder is probably on the shelf.
Women have been taught that our vaginas are dirty or smelly for years. And who wouldn’t be self-conscious about that? (Good news ladies - a healthy vagina is neither dirty or smelly.) The industry has unfortunately identified this fear and amplified it to sell more products, including talcum powder (otherwise known as baby powder.) But talcum powder should actually stay far away from your vagina due to its strong links to ovarian cancer and claim that it contains asbestos. A court in Missouri even found in favor of 22 women who used talcum powder and claimed it contributed to their own ovarian cancer, awarding them $4.14 billion in punitive damages.
Can we finally be done with douching?
While “your body, your choice,” is the ultimate truth, this one is just bad. Douching is when you “wash out” your vagina with a water and vinegar solution. People usually do it to get rid of unwanted odors, rinse out their vagina after a period, get rid of STDs, and avoid pregnancy. But (not so) shockingly, according to health experts, it accomplishes none of these things. In fact, it actually increases the risk of infection, could complicate pregnancy, and could even be linked to cancer. Your vagina has got it covered, ya’ll. Let it do its thang and you’ll be so much more healthy in the long run.
If you’re gonna clean, clean with this.
Just so we’re clear - your vagina cleans itself. This is a proven fact. But if you would feel fresher, cleaner, and happier cleaning your vulva (that’s the outside part) go for it. And really the best way to do so in a healthy way is to keep it simple. Use a mild, unscented soap, and gently wash with your hands. Even washcloths and loofas could be “too much” for your sensitive vaginal area.
Your vagina is pretty magical. It’s the source of human life, and it deserves some caution and care. A little research, reading labels, asking questions, and moving on from old stigmas can do a world of good for her health and happiness.
Amy Leisner is a Long Beach-based freelance writer who covers wellness for The Candidly. You can find more of her articles here.
