Let’s talk about vaginas. Taking care of our lady parts can seem confusing and intimidating. With a flood of information online, it’s very easy to get it all wrong. However, today taking care of your vaginal health has become more easy and accessible than ever before. But firstly, you need to know what consists of your vagina, to begin with. The vagina can be broadly defined as a closed muscular canal that consists of the vulva—the outside visible area of your genitals. This includes the inner and outer labia, clitoris, and perineum. It then extends to the cervix or the lower part of the uterus. Now, the vagina is endowed with cutaneous fat membranes that are permeable with a fragile pH level balance.
What’s A Healthy pH Balance For The Vagina?
The pH balance of a healthy vagina is between 3.8 and 4.5. This is the ideal vaginal pH level that helps keep bacterial and fungal infections at bay. This natural pH balance is created by the lactobacilli bacteria that lives inside the vagina and secretes lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide, both of these are responsible for the vagina’s acidic pH level. Several conditions and infections like bacterial vaginosis, UTIs (Urinary Tract Infection), presence of semen, taking antibiotics, using harsh and fragranced soaps that affect the vagina can affect the vaginal pH balance.
What Happens When The Vaginal pH Balance Is Ticked Off?
When the pH level of the vagina is off, one might experience visible symptoms like rashes, redness, and inflammation to name a few. It could even result in a vaginal infection.
What Are Some Of The Healthy Practices You Can Follow?
1. Don’t Douche Down There
Don’t wash your vagina using soapy water and more specifically don’t douche inside your vagina, it can tick off your pH levels. When it comes to cleansing, regular water works just fine.
2. Use Organic Sanitary Pads
Using plastic or synthetic pads can result in an increased risk of exposure to bacteria and yeasts inside of the vagina. The wetness accumulated from the collection of moisture can be a breeding ground for bacterias. Moreover, the very reason why synthetic sanitary pads look white is that factories use a chemical called dioxin to achieve the ‘whiteness’ in them. However, WHO (World Health Organisation) labels dioxin as a pollutant and carcinogen, and something that is definitely not good for us. Clearly, the effects, dioxin can have on the body are much more serious than just the surface-level irritation and inflammation of the skin. Finally, synthetic pads are not that breathable and wearing them for too long increases your chances of getting a bacterial infection simply because the vulvar and the vaginal skin both are made of permeable membranes that easily absorb anything in close proximity. This also means that the skin will be exposed to dioxin and other harmful chemicals if one wears synthetic pads regularly. Organic pads, on the other hand, are gentle to the skin and can be more absorbent than regular pads. A good option out there is the Hi Life organic period pad. You can easily buy them online on our website. They are made of GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton sourced from Texas. These pads are thoughtfully designed to support you during your period days, for all kinds of flow: heavy, medium, or low.
3. Don’t Use Harsh Products
Sometimes, we tend to get lazy and use the same products meant for our skin down there like soaps and shower gels, these are usually scented, may have a high pH level, and can be too strong for the vagina. These products when used down there can cause dryness, and alter the pH of the vagina leading to irritation or worse an infection that can take weeks to heal.4. Use Intimate Hygiene Products To Clean Down There
The vagina is self-cleaning; however, the vulva (the outer part of your intimate area) is not. The vulva produces sweat which coupled with urine (that gets trapped in the pubic hair follicles) throughout the day can cause severe irritation down there. An excellent way to stay clean and fresh all day long is to use an intimate wash. However, a wash can only be used when you take a shower. To stay clean and safe all day long, you can choose the Hi Life intimate hygiene spray that you can carry around in your bag and use in instances when you use the public washroom or are at a friend’s place. To that effect, you can buy the Hi Life Intimate Hygiene Spray online on our website. Our vaginal spray has an aqua-based, mild, and balancing formula that is gentle for your vagina. It also has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties that help you fight rashes, redness, and irritation down there. More importantly, unlike other intimate hygiene washes or sprays, our vaginal spray is unscented, keeping in mind vaginal health. It comes in a small bottle that is so handy, you can carry it around with you whenever you step out.
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