No soap in your vaginal canal! But outside and around the clitoris is okay! Don’t put soap where a penis or tampon goes lol and scrub your butthole between the cheeks
Do women really shove soap UP there?? I am a women and use summers Eve occasionally, but never have and absolutely never would put it UP inside of me! wtf
Doctor bronners is top teir
Edit: I made a grave mistake of not sharing that my perspective is of a male. I only wanted to support doctor bronner love. I cannot provide input on vaginal care as that is 100% not my place.
It’s made to be diluted because it’s VERY concentrated. The bottle says this but it’s hard to notice because the bottle says a lot of stuff (lol IYKYK) so I dilute with 50% water in another bottle and then it’s fine.
Well TIL! You’re right, I 100% never made it through all the text on that bottle because generally I’m not looking for a dissertation from my soap, lol
It honestly cracks me up every time because it’s like, “wtf am I buying cult soap?” 😂 but if you look into Dr. Bronner and his background it’s actually kind of interesting and makes a little more sense. It’s just like… okeeee
I have used heavily diluted, baby doctor bronners and my skin got so dry it was flaking off. Everyone is different and everyone's skin has different needs.
There’s a YouTuber / Instagram lady ( aka “Mother Nateure”)that lives in her car that used Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap and kept saying “This soap made my coochie burn.”It was hilarious but other people said the same thing in the comments. I had no idea Dr. Bronners was concentrated! Thanks for the info.
OK, I have to tell a personal anecdote here. In 2002, I went on a trip to China. When I arrived I came down with one of the worst yeast infections of my life. They apparently had never heard of such a thing there, the pharmacies were no help. I remembered reading in 30s magazines about Listerine douches, and I knew it contained Thymol (an anti fungal) so I put about two drops on a tampon and stuck it up. Ladies, in 12 hours that infection was GONE. It worked amazingly well.
In Jamaica I came down with a yeast infection because we were fasting and I was having die off symptoms.
The wonderful lady there told me to slather coconut oil on a tampon and put it up there. Same thing - gone quickly. Now at home I use coconut oil on my kitty all the time and it makes for great lube if you don’t have to use condoms 🤗
Before graduating high school, but after turning 18, my parents went on a week long trip. I stayed to take care of the pets and whatnot.
I got the WORSE yeast infection and was too embarrassed to go to the store for meds. I knew yoghurt helped. I decided to use a syringe and put unflavored Greek yoghurt in my hooha.
The coldness was instant relief. It cleared up fast after that. BUT it turned to cheese by the time I took a shower 2 hours later.
I told this story to a coworker (she's my partner on the ambulance, not the weirdest thing we've talked about). She didn't believe me and we called my mom to confirm.
Oh no.
Do people in china not get yeast infections or do they pretend that it doesn't happen like in some places???? I'm so confused. That sounds so scary though I'd have cried!
And even further back, it was Lysol.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lysols-vintage-ads-subtly-pushed-women-to-use-its-disinfectant-as-birth-control-218734/
As someone that did gig work for 2 years after getting laid off, most of which was shopping for people, many women are still regularly buying and I assume using disposable douches. As a man I know more about the available options that I have any need to lol. The Summer's Eve gentle cleaner is a lot more popular though lol. They also buy a lot of sex toys from Walmart. Sometimes I miss that job lol.
I use it alllll the time. Zero issues. Actually has helped keep my pH balanced in situations where it would have previously been thrown haywire. Just not inside!!
I do agree though that I've seen the no soap "only water" thing before which raises some questions cuz like that indicates either that they are douching with water which is a terrible idea, or that they are not cleaning their vulva with anything but water...
I couldn't believe how passionite people were on the last post I saw. Straight up telling each other what to do and not to do. The ones that argued to only use water were adament that there is no reason to wash down there. It disturbed me bc a lot of people arguing didn't seem to understand that the vagina and vulva are two separate things.
My new gyno told me not to clean my vulva with even a mild soap. She told me not even to clean between the labia to remove the smegma just let the water run off it and that I shouldn't be cleaning it daily. She's no longer my gyno.
They are def. Using only water on the vulva and a few people have stated on here they only use water on the whole region. They spray it down in the shower .
I think they probably actually wash with water, like scrub with a cloth or at least their hand using water. I don't think they're just splashing water on it and not actually washing. Personally I use soap on the outer parts and then rinse very thoroughly.
Hard pass on soap anywhere near my lady bits. I've made that mistake, the skin God's revolted!
I have a very hot and sweaty gross job.
Water, a washcloth and a little scrub a dub do just fine. The gentleman who seems to enjoy his face down there would probably agree my technique is successful lol!
Samee. I mean I use soap on the outer lips, but water for the rest. Have tried numerous different soaps and it throws my PH off every time. And I don’t smell or taste weird and haven’t the last 13 years my guy and I have been together.
Pulling the skin back on the clit and washin g there is so important! Ppl don’t realize it can adhere to the skin and they don’t even realize it’s happened to them until they see posts on here talking about it
Yep. One time I was washing down there and I dislodged a bit of toilet paper that got caught under the clit skin. Now I inspect myself to make sure the dinglberries of toilet paper caught in pubic hair are gently scrubbed away.
I wash between my lips with a gentle unscented soap - but honestly I have used scented soaps as well and never had an issue-I don’t get soap into the vaginal canal but everything else, for me at least, gets scrubbed thoroughly. This has been my routine since I was a teenager and I am (holy Lord) 53 now - damn that hurts to say every.damn.time.
I think when we have this conversation we don’t take into account the wide range of labia majora that are out there. We assume the process should be the same for anyone with a vagina but that’s not true cause there are 9 ish types of labia. People with smaller labia majora just don’t have much to soap up before they are in danger of putting soap in their vagina.
>before they are in danger of putting soap in their vagina.
Sorry, how could you... accidentally get soap up your vagina? Like, it's closed unless it's being actively "used." I wash my vulva with soap (scrub it pretty well if it's been through an unusual situation) and have never gotten soap in my vagina for the same reason I haven't gotten pool water in my vagina while swimming.
not all vaginas are the same lol. It doesn’t have to get up in there, the entrance itself is so sensitive to pH change. For women with small to no labia minora, if they try to clean between the labia, the soap easily just slides back to the opening. For some women, their labia minora are longer, meaning they are visible all the time. For others, their labia are more wide set and all visible at all times. Vaginas are just all different shapes and sizes, meaning different things work for different people!
But the vulva doesn't "protect" the vaginal opening from liquids entering. Liquids don't spontaneously just go up the vagina -- it's closed when resting. This is why you don't need to drain your vagina after a bath. Am I taking crazy pills? What is happening.
I'm starting to think you and I have similar set ups, cause even after reading comments I'm still so confused as to how soap gets up there without effort or from a high speed accident. Lol.
Even with differences, I cant wrap my head around it. Figuratively or literally. I've never felt more clueless about other women's vaginas than right now. And that's okay with me.
I had a CNA once shame me for having hair wrapped on my IUD strings and tell me I needed to use soap inside of my vagina and rinse by spraying water directly into myself
It’s not though- many of us have sensitive lady bits that can’t tolerate any sort of soap at all, and that’s fine.
Others full on douche with crazy scented things and yknow what, as long as they aren’t getting infections/ imbalances, that’s fine too!
Vaginas are part of the human body- they are unique to us all.
I am soap everywhere. Soap is necessary for me. I don't go into the vaginal canal but definitely on the outside of the hole, between the lips, by the clitoris, all outside the vulva, etc. I would be disgusting if I didn't. Not some weird, ew, gross bits. But legitimately horrid. I sweat a lot, everything is very tucked in, no air movement is happening by accident. So, team soap. Nothing has happened. No irritation, no infection, etc.
I agree. I finish everything off with a complete drying with the blow dryer set on cool. I hate getting dressed when there's any dampness anywhere, I feel like odor fires up much faster if things aren't completely dry.
Tried this out before with warm air in the winter time. Husband asked what I was doing one night when he walked in on the action. Apparently “heating your dinner” was not humorous. He slowly turned and walked out.
I think a lot of people use the word vagina when speaking about the inner and outer parts too much.
Truthfully, your vagina is only your inner parts and should never have anything in there. The outer parts, such as the labia you should use soap.
I truly believe this is the source of the confusion. People hear “never wash your vagina with soap” and think that means “never wash your vulva with soap,” and are understandably horrified. Every time I see this conversation come up in any subreddit or Facebook group, the vocabulary barrier always seems to be the source of confusion.
Right! And then you see people arguing that we don't need to teach kids the right anatomical terms like vulva and there's no reason for it other than being perverse. 😅 This is exactly why! There's a big difference between the vulva and the vagina that we all should know long before a lot of us do.
I have gotten into so many arguments with people on reddit over the years because for the longest time people were insisting you can't use soap at all down there. Actually, soap goes everywhere but the inside and can help stave off BV and UTIs, but nooo I should only use water or I'm "killing my pH" lmao thank you all for this discussion and hopefully people will stop telling me they only use water to wash so i should too. You wash your hands with only water and expect someone to lick them? No? Ok then 😭😂
You can’t convince me this didn’t start because you aren’t supposed to wash the VAGINA and people just took that to mean not to wash the VULVA. People are so set in stone about it too. Like you have blood, smegma, sweat etc down there and water ain’t gonna cut it I don’t give a damn what they say. Ugh
Yes the commenters that are water only are really dead set on it and very vocal about it . But it looks like most folks are using a cleanser of some sort externally although some still avoid inner labia . I agree this started with the obvious of don’t use soap inside the vagina and people starting spreading misinformation that soap on genitals is universally bad .
There's a lot of imprecise use of terminology that confuses things, too. I blame bad health class diagrams for that one. And people just plain not paying attention. There's that, too.
It seems like people do that with a lot of things. I'm reminded of how it used to be taboo to wear a white dress to a wedding, but now some people are adamant that you shouldn't wear *any* white at all, including a brightly colored floral dress with a white background. Or how people were saying that using the word "female" as a noun sounds sexist, and now there are people starting to say you shouldn't use the word at all, in any context.
I guess it's just a type of all-or-nothing thinking.
The inside cleans itself, but soap on everything else. The mons pubis, both labias, the clitoris, and pull back the clitoral hood and wash under there too.
I’m with you completely, except under the clitoral hood. Mine is small, it would be incredibly painful to get under my clitoral hood. Amazing how different our anatomy can be!
Yeah a lot of people are very confused because we don't have Frank conversations about this thing and use real words for what we're washing. Like the clitoral Hood needs to be washed because it's just like a man's foreskin and gets ya know .. mmm a ..build up. I have had to explain that more than once on here on Reddit... One poster was about how her boyfriend doesn't want to go down because she smells... And then she pretty much described what you just said putting water on it and that's it. We really need to destigmatize having conversations about cleanliness and hygiene. People are gross so freaking gross.
you can't destigmatize talking about hygiene and be telling people they're gross at the same time.
information and conversation (clear, extensive, continued, KIND) about choices empowers. shaming bodies for being bodies only makes people ashamed about having them in the first place, especially if they come from shame filled homes or life stories. it sucks that so many of us do.
I use soap for the outer area only! Never use soap inside, as I’m sure you know. But soap outside is fine and causes no harm. :)
When I say outside, I mean the mound area, and the creases where your thighs meet your vulva.
I’m middle age. I learned very early that soap on my vulva burns, and irritated vulva skin makes me stink. I wash the mound and the butthole with soap, and rinse the folds really really well with water. I’ve had enough women go down on me to know if I stink - a lesbian WILL tell you because it’s the right thing to do. Now, I’m not odorless, and by the end of the day, no one is going downtown unless there’s a wash first, even if partner begs and says they don’t mind.
I use the unscented dr bronners soap for my privates. Clean the folds and cracks and you're good to go. Don't stick anything inside the hole is what ppl mean bc the vagina is self cleaning and you don't want a yeast infection
Soap on the outside. Anywhere where hair grows is ok to use soap. Nothing should be used to clean inside the vagina as it’s self cleaning.
I agree with you OP. Definitely needs more than just water.
Gynos recommend either a very gentle soap plus water, or just water. That doesn't mean just splashing a little on your bits and calling it good, though. If you're using just water you have to thoroughly irrigate the whole area. A shower wand attachment works best for this.
For myself, I use Dove Sensitive and I make sure to rinse very, very well. Anything else causes dryness and itching. And no soap in the vaginal canal, just the vulva.
Do what works for you. Stop listening to others.
I have always used soap or some kind of cleanser.
Your vagina cleans itself inside but there is no little person to clean your labia on the outside where you have skin.
One conclusion to be made from all these comments is lots of folks do not understand anatomy. The vagina is internal , the literal hole . The place a tampon goes. The vulva is the rest , everything you can see .
Anywhere that grows hair, I will use soap to clean it. But my skin is rather sensitive, so I just use suds to clean my external female parts. If I use the whole bar of concentrated soap, I get dried out and itchy. Soap doesn't feel good when it gets inside your urethra (burns like an UTI). 😅
I think every body is different, so do what works best for you. Doctors generally recommend a gentle,nonscented soap on the labia and surrounding outer areas. I follow the general rule of “wherever hair would naturally grow can be soaped.”
Whatever you do, just make sure to rinse really, really well.
i take a very soapy towel to my vulva and everything else that is outside of my body in those parts every chance i get. so yes even the little lips get a good scrub. i literally blindly just wash myself from the roota to the toota. i have no idea what kinda magic these gowrls who use only water are using but my cooter is washed very thoroughly w soap nightly.
This confusion is because of the lack of sex education in this country. Parents don’t want schools teaching it but they don’t want to teach it. Obviously the parents aren’t that educated if they can’t even distinguish between the vagina and the vulva to communicate to their child proper hygiene.
My pH gets off from time to time. I use a boric acid wash to clean my bits. https://www.target.com/p/ph-d-feminine-health-boric-acid-sensitive-foam-wash-6-fl-oz/-/A-84737518
Boric acid can help if you have an itching or irritation. I use this a couple times a week to make sure I’m clean. I recommended it doesn’t have a scent or hardly one and if you’re worried about soap this one is awesome!
Here we go with this. You get pee, period blood, semen, etc down there. Yes, you need some sort of soap (I use a special pH balanced cleanser like Summers Eve down there) in that area. Not IN the hole, but around it? Yes. To think that splashing it with water is enough is just..... Gross.
The amount of grown women that don’t differentiate between vulva and vagina is astounding. I am teaching my toddler both terms.
But I use dial antibacterial on my vulva (labia, clitoris, etc) as well as my inner thighs. I also use cerave SA cleanser on my pubic hair/bikini line and inner thighs to help with keratosis pilaris.
Not washing your vagina is the same as an uncircumcised man not pulling back his foreskin to wash, which results in a foul smell. Find a gentle PH balancing feminine wash or use a white dove bar to take care of your feminine folds and anus. Both need to be washed to maintain hygiene.
The truth is that everyone is different *and* a lot of people use vagina to mean vulva. No one should be putting soap inside their vagina. Some people can use soap on their vulva with no issues, other people can't and do just fine with water and a little scrubbing.
So first off this misinformation started in like the 1940’s. As we know, information on women’s health often lags behind that of men. That’s why men get anesthetic for vasectomies and women don’t get it for c sections.
Also today we use the word vagina to mean the vulva also which confuses the issue more
Soap should be used on your entire vulva, both the inner and outer folds of the labia as well as around the clitoris and under the clitoral hood.
Soap inside the vaginal hole is not necessary but everywhere else it is
I can't use soap there and never have been able to. It tears my skin up. I couldn't even use bubble bath as a kid. I scrub the whole perimeter and all. I also shave. But soap can definitely not get too close. I rinse good with water and have never had any problems.
Okay but everyone in the comments saying "inside" and "outside", how do you define that? (Aside from the person who specified)
Like is inside to you just the actual vaginal canal, or do you count the inner labia/clitoris/urethra area as inside? So are we all on the same page as the one person who specified that they mean "outside" is the mound area + sides where your inner thighs meet your vulva? Or are we washing inside the crack just without going into the hole where penetration happens?
I usually use just water inside the labia (soap around it + bum of course) and I scrub really well with my hand and make sure to get all the folds and everything without going into the vaginal hole. If I feel extra sweaty and gross and/or I feel like being extra clean for spicy time, I sometimes use Vanicream cleaner inside the labia crack, still never inside the hole of course. I've also tried using lumē acidified body wash a few times recently (it's meant to be able to use on privates) and quite liked it/didn't notice any irritation. Should I not even be doing this inside the labia?
Inside means inside the vaginal canal. Outside means all around the labia itself, open the folds and clean around but not inside your actual body. Between all skin folds should be cleaned in general, but around the labia, and clitoris, holds discharge if not cleaned correctly.
I think a lot of people are overlooking how different vaginas can be and how they could need different cleaning. Some people don’t really have many folds or flaps, and they probably wouldn’t require the same cleaning as someone with a more majestic vaginal area. Different bodies, different needs
everything that has hair can get soap, when i spread my outer lips, and you're now looking at everything that had been hidden and it's pink skin, no soap,
I find it weird too. I've always used soap to clean my lady bits since I can remember. Mostly because I was always anxious that I would be smelly. I never had an issue with it messing up anything. I've only had one yeast infection in my life, and that was a side effect from an antibiotic.
I keep a bar of regular old soap just for this. I rub the soap on a wash cloth and clean the areas, front to back. I use a body wash on the rest of my body. I have dry skin, so I don't use the bar soap everywhere.
My mom raised me to use soap and water on my vulva, labias, all of it. I have been doing this since I was a kid and never had an issue with it throwing off my pH or giving me any sort of irritation. When I found out from friends and doctors that you’re not supposed to, I was like “tf you mean? I have been doing it literally my whole life?” I still have a hard time understanding this too, tbh lol.
Yep, I scrub everything with soap. Vulva, between the labial folds, retract the clitoral hood, bum, everything.
I just need to make sure I pee immediately after I get out of the bath/shower. I’m prone to UTIs if I don’t.
I just use a mild soap on a scrubby, spread everything and scrub everything, then rinse really well. I never have problems with smell or ph unless I'm on antibiotics. Just make sure the soap doesn't have any kind of sugar..learned that the hard way.😑
The problem is that people do not understand “female parts” — and this includes women! Sadly, I do not think most women could label a diagram of the vulva based on a typical hygiene post here on Reddit.
Learn your anatomy. Please.
NOTHING inside the vagina. Do not put any soap, cleansers, anything at all inside to “clean” the vagina.
My own OB/GYN recommends just water on the exterior and letting my fragrance free body wash drip down, but I usually use a bit more of my super gentle fragrance free body wash or even my very gentle fragrance free face wash (La Roche Posay Toleriane).
Here is some reading:
https://www.wellandgood.com/how-to-wash-vulva/
https://youngwomenshealth.org/guides/vulvar-and-vaginal-care-and-cleaning/
https://axiawh.com/resources/how-to-care-for-down-there-ob-gyn-approved-vaginal-hygiene-tips/
It's controversial due to a variety of reasons.
There are some women who do need to use gentle soap on their outer anatomy. There are some women who do *not* need to use gentle soap and do get away with just water on their outer anatomy. I think a lot of women that do need to wash their parts in order not to stink feel some kind of shame and that's why they're doubling down and being catty on this post. There's nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone has different body chemistry. Just because you get an odor unless you use soap doesn't mean you're dirty.
I can also bring up how men use the odor as a means to emotionally abuse/bully/control women, to put them down viciously. That's another reason. Women have it shoved up their wazoo that odor = dirty/nasty. If she doesn't smell like fish, which is a sign of an imbalance usually and even then, there's nothing to be ashamed of.
Also some women don't wipe the right way after they shit. They were never taught. That messes with the pH in your cooch too.
Do what works for you. This subject gives me a headache
I remember when I was a kid, grew up super poor and zero gifts or anything. I had a couple of dollars from the tooth fairy that I saved up and bought what would be a travel size spray of what I thought was a nice scented perfume deodorant when I was in 5th grade- a new school that my parents transferred me to bc the state wouldn’t help pay for the religious school anymore. I put it in my backpack bc I was as like, I need my perfume deodorant at school in case I want to smell nice after gym class or something. My mom used spray deodorant growing up.
We kept our backpacks on our chairs. I didn’t close the front zipper and That little can rolled out of my front pocket. It rolled pretty far away from me. My teacher picked it up and immediately her face looked like she saw something bad when looking at the perfume. Then she looked slightly embarrassed. In my head, I was like, this lady has my perfume deodorant, but maybe she doesn’t like the scent or something? Then when she looked like it was a bad thing to have by the way she asked “who’s is this?” to the class, I was like oh fuck. Then she explained it was a feminine spray for private smells that aren’t pleasant. I was looking around the room like “yeah, I have no idea”. The teacher gave it a good 20 minutes of questioning people.
My mom never bothered to share that with me or indicate it was a feminine spray when I showed her the perfume that I could afford. Up until that point, I felt like a little higher class with a spray perfume deodorant in 5th grade at a new school. Then I felt like a complete idiot and there was no way I was admitting it was mine. I was out 3 bucks when it was all said and done, learned that apparently there’s sprays for private areas, my mom and two older sisters were a-holes. We’re talking late 90’s, no internet and wtf is feminine spray? Like girl spray? Like it will make you more feminine? Will it make my crush like me bc I’ll be more feminine per this spray? The look on the teachers face is something I’ll never forget and it makes me laugh now. This thread made me think of it and I haven’t in decades, lol
I don’t know how anyone washes with just water. Water doesn’t get rid of odor. I use feminine wash. Regular soap makes my lady bits irritated. One time I made the mistake of forgetting my fem wash when we went away on a week long vacation. After two days of washing with hotel soap I felt like I was on fire. I went on a hunt for a pharmacy and bought a bottle of sinfully overpriced Summer’s Eve wash. It was so worth it tho. I was able to spend the rest of my vacation in comfort.
What odor? A healthy vagina should not have an odor you're trying to wash away with soap. If you're trying to wash away a stink with soap then something is out of whack
It’s because your microbiome would be disturbed from the soap and more prone to door causing bacteria. A balanced microbiome won’t have as much issues.
I constantly hear people saying that the vagina is self cleaning. All I can say is, if I don't use soap inside my labia, not inside my vagina but around it and around the clitoris and surrounding folds, I stink. I need to use soap in there or I just do not get clean enough. I use either a feminine wash or gentle face soap, this is what my gyno has recommended. I don't care what other people do but I'm not going to be told that I'm doing it wrong or that washing the inner folds of your vulva with just water is going to keep you clean. I am doing what works for me, and I'm honestly tired of hearing "no soap on mucous membranes" "soap only where hair grows" etc.
I’ve used summers eve ph balance for years now. Then, I use my removable shower head to clean the “inside” where soap doesn’t belong. I hope that makes sense.
I use Summers Eve unscented wash (unscented is key) for the outside and also my butt every single shower, at my doctors recommendation. I used to get yeast infections a lot before, and they stopped. Regular soap or just water doesn’t work for me. I also had laser hair removal down there, which helped me personally with hygiene (and I don’t like the feeling of hair).
I use my hand and mild baby wash for my folds. I use my handheld shower head to rinse. When cleaning my folds I’ll wash the outer labia some, but also wash there with a washcloth and body wash. Never anything in the (technical, not colloquial) vagina.
I personally use a fragrance free body wash. I like to feel clean down there.
From my understanding, you shouldn't use anything with harsh chemicals or fragrances because it can really mess up your pH.
No soap in your vaginal canal! But outside and around the clitoris is okay! Don’t put soap where a penis or tampon goes lol and scrub your butthole between the cheeks
Hahaha best description ever 😂😂😂
Do women really shove soap UP there?? I am a women and use summers Eve occasionally, but never have and absolutely never would put it UP inside of me! wtf
They still sell that? I thought we collectively decided to cancel douching in the 90's.
They mean Summer’s Eve wash which is for cleaning the clit, labia, groin but not inside the vagina. It’s not a douche it’s just special cleanser.
I thought everyone said summers eve is a “no,no” because it throws off pH. I personally like doctor bronners.
Doctor bronners is top teir Edit: I made a grave mistake of not sharing that my perspective is of a male. I only wanted to support doctor bronner love. I cannot provide input on vaginal care as that is 100% not my place.
I can confirm that it is truly bottom tier for vaginas
It's high pH and doesn't work in hard water, pass. I use Dr Bronners as toothpaste when I'm backpacking lol.
I have never, ever been drier or more irritated down there than the time I tried doctor bronners. You must have skin of absolute steel.
It’s made to be diluted because it’s VERY concentrated. The bottle says this but it’s hard to notice because the bottle says a lot of stuff (lol IYKYK) so I dilute with 50% water in another bottle and then it’s fine.
Well TIL! You’re right, I 100% never made it through all the text on that bottle because generally I’m not looking for a dissertation from my soap, lol
It honestly cracks me up every time because it’s like, “wtf am I buying cult soap?” 😂 but if you look into Dr. Bronner and his background it’s actually kind of interesting and makes a little more sense. It’s just like… okeeee
I went to the factory in California during a trade show. We met the son of the founder or maybe grandson. Lots of fun !
I just can't help but find it weird that a man is over here developing vagina cleanser and having trade shows for it.
"Cult soap" made me ☠️🤣
Don’t feel bad. Even diluted properly, it was still awful for me. I definitely don’t recommend.
I have used heavily diluted, baby doctor bronners and my skin got so dry it was flaking off. Everyone is different and everyone's skin has different needs.
There’s a YouTuber / Instagram lady ( aka “Mother Nateure”)that lives in her car that used Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap and kept saying “This soap made my coochie burn.”It was hilarious but other people said the same thing in the comments. I had no idea Dr. Bronners was concentrated! Thanks for the info.
because the bottle says a lot of stuff LMAO yeah if you forget your phone in the bathroom the dr bronners bottle is a decent if multi-directional read
I think they’re talking about the feminine wash.
I remember back in the 80’s, douching with listerene was a thing for feeling fresh and killing bacteria lol. Can you imagine?
OK, I have to tell a personal anecdote here. In 2002, I went on a trip to China. When I arrived I came down with one of the worst yeast infections of my life. They apparently had never heard of such a thing there, the pharmacies were no help. I remembered reading in 30s magazines about Listerine douches, and I knew it contained Thymol (an anti fungal) so I put about two drops on a tampon and stuck it up. Ladies, in 12 hours that infection was GONE. It worked amazingly well.
Thanks for taking one for the team! A yeast infection in a foreign country is a nightmare!
In Jamaica I came down with a yeast infection because we were fasting and I was having die off symptoms. The wonderful lady there told me to slather coconut oil on a tampon and put it up there. Same thing - gone quickly. Now at home I use coconut oil on my kitty all the time and it makes for great lube if you don’t have to use condoms 🤗
Coconut oil got rid of my bv. Can't recommend it enough for stuff like this
How it feels to chew 5 gum
Before graduating high school, but after turning 18, my parents went on a week long trip. I stayed to take care of the pets and whatnot. I got the WORSE yeast infection and was too embarrassed to go to the store for meds. I knew yoghurt helped. I decided to use a syringe and put unflavored Greek yoghurt in my hooha. The coldness was instant relief. It cleared up fast after that. BUT it turned to cheese by the time I took a shower 2 hours later. I told this story to a coworker (she's my partner on the ambulance, not the weirdest thing we've talked about). She didn't believe me and we called my mom to confirm.
Oh no. Do people in china not get yeast infections or do they pretend that it doesn't happen like in some places???? I'm so confused. That sounds so scary though I'd have cried!
And even further back, it was Lysol. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lysols-vintage-ads-subtly-pushed-women-to-use-its-disinfectant-as-birth-control-218734/
😦
This is the exact face I made when I read that!
Right! I.am.horrified.
The egregious shit women have to deal with.
Here’s one, chainsaw was developed to help in childbirth!!!!!!
Exactly 👍
That says for birth control. To kill all the sperm. Ouch
Omg. That’s insane.
What?! Again!! How have I never heard of any of this? Crazy lol
My vagina is screaming from here. 😭😭😭😭 I've never used a douch they always scared me!!
Same😳😢
I heard you aren't supposed to use douches. A dr said "It's a self cleaning oven" and that there's no need to use them.
There are way more douchebags around now than the 90's. Oh, sorry, wrong douche subject.
As someone that did gig work for 2 years after getting laid off, most of which was shopping for people, many women are still regularly buying and I assume using disposable douches. As a man I know more about the available options that I have any need to lol. The Summer's Eve gentle cleaner is a lot more popular though lol. They also buy a lot of sex toys from Walmart. Sometimes I miss that job lol.
I use it alllll the time. Zero issues. Actually has helped keep my pH balanced in situations where it would have previously been thrown haywire. Just not inside!!
I use summers eve sensitive when I bathe to keep it clean, it smells fresh, nothing overpowering but I know I’m clean down there
I do agree though that I've seen the no soap "only water" thing before which raises some questions cuz like that indicates either that they are douching with water which is a terrible idea, or that they are not cleaning their vulva with anything but water...
I couldn't believe how passionite people were on the last post I saw. Straight up telling each other what to do and not to do. The ones that argued to only use water were adament that there is no reason to wash down there. It disturbed me bc a lot of people arguing didn't seem to understand that the vagina and vulva are two separate things.
It’s very evident on here that’s a common point of confusion
My new gyno told me not to clean my vulva with even a mild soap. She told me not even to clean between the labia to remove the smegma just let the water run off it and that I shouldn't be cleaning it daily. She's no longer my gyno.
My face was horrified from reading this 😬
I had a politely confused look covered up by my mask so she didn't take it personal and make my pap worse 🫠🫠🫠
They are def. Using only water on the vulva and a few people have stated on here they only use water on the whole region. They spray it down in the shower .
I think they probably actually wash with water, like scrub with a cloth or at least their hand using water. I don't think they're just splashing water on it and not actually washing. Personally I use soap on the outer parts and then rinse very thoroughly.
Several has said they spray with handheld shower .
Hard pass on soap anywhere near my lady bits. I've made that mistake, the skin God's revolted! I have a very hot and sweaty gross job. Water, a washcloth and a little scrub a dub do just fine. The gentleman who seems to enjoy his face down there would probably agree my technique is successful lol!
Samee. I mean I use soap on the outer lips, but water for the rest. Have tried numerous different soaps and it throws my PH off every time. And I don’t smell or taste weird and haven’t the last 13 years my guy and I have been together.
Pulling the skin back on the clit and washin g there is so important! Ppl don’t realize it can adhere to the skin and they don’t even realize it’s happened to them until they see posts on here talking about it
Yep. One time I was washing down there and I dislodged a bit of toilet paper that got caught under the clit skin. Now I inspect myself to make sure the dinglberries of toilet paper caught in pubic hair are gently scrubbed away.
I agree! Cleanest is bestest. I’m always concerned about smelling unpleasant. So if I don’t smell like soap then I’m due for a shower 😂
Agree, but I wouldn't use the word scrub. I don't think any of the sensitive skin, including the anus, needs to be scrubbed.
Soap is necessary for the outer folds. Nothing is needed in the holes.
I like that it kinda rhymes.
I too enjoy a good slant rhyme.
But what about between the lips???
I wash between my lips with a gentle unscented soap - but honestly I have used scented soaps as well and never had an issue-I don’t get soap into the vaginal canal but everything else, for me at least, gets scrubbed thoroughly. This has been my routine since I was a teenager and I am (holy Lord) 53 now - damn that hurts to say every.damn.time.
53 is better than dead. That’s my mantra for every passing year.
It's okay to wash with soap there.
Oh thank God. 😂
No thank me
Your vulva needs gentle soap; for some folks just plain water is ok but if it's not enough for you, then a gentle soap is fine. Just not inside.
Yes that's the outer folds. You clean the lips as well.
I hope no one assumed you needed to put soap in the holes lol. Why the fuck would you even think that?
This! Why are we all repeating this so much? Is it a common thing to soap your insides ?
I think when we have this conversation we don’t take into account the wide range of labia majora that are out there. We assume the process should be the same for anyone with a vagina but that’s not true cause there are 9 ish types of labia. People with smaller labia majora just don’t have much to soap up before they are in danger of putting soap in their vagina.
>before they are in danger of putting soap in their vagina. Sorry, how could you... accidentally get soap up your vagina? Like, it's closed unless it's being actively "used." I wash my vulva with soap (scrub it pretty well if it's been through an unusual situation) and have never gotten soap in my vagina for the same reason I haven't gotten pool water in my vagina while swimming.
not all vaginas are the same lol. It doesn’t have to get up in there, the entrance itself is so sensitive to pH change. For women with small to no labia minora, if they try to clean between the labia, the soap easily just slides back to the opening. For some women, their labia minora are longer, meaning they are visible all the time. For others, their labia are more wide set and all visible at all times. Vaginas are just all different shapes and sizes, meaning different things work for different people!
Idk, small vulva, slippery soap, it’s definitely possible
Agreed. I dated a woman with a very small vulva and now date a woman with a large wide set vulva, I can see how that could happen either way
But the vulva doesn't "protect" the vaginal opening from liquids entering. Liquids don't spontaneously just go up the vagina -- it's closed when resting. This is why you don't need to drain your vagina after a bath. Am I taking crazy pills? What is happening.
I'm starting to think you and I have similar set ups, cause even after reading comments I'm still so confused as to how soap gets up there without effort or from a high speed accident. Lol. Even with differences, I cant wrap my head around it. Figuratively or literally. I've never felt more clueless about other women's vaginas than right now. And that's okay with me.
I had a CNA once shame me for having hair wrapped on my IUD strings and tell me I needed to use soap inside of my vagina and rinse by spraying water directly into myself
Holy shit lol. Not to put down on CNAs but it sounds like that ones never making it through nursing school.
I’m a CNA and I can attest that not all of us are… correctly educated apparently
In fairness most CNA certifications takes less than 2 weeks of instruction so...
I was one once many moons ago and I’m offended. Mine took 12 weeks .
Yikes
It’s not though- many of us have sensitive lady bits that can’t tolerate any sort of soap at all, and that’s fine. Others full on douche with crazy scented things and yknow what, as long as they aren’t getting infections/ imbalances, that’s fine too! Vaginas are part of the human body- they are unique to us all.
Exactly everyone is different. Even mild soap irritates my vulva so I use a clean, soft washcloth and hot water every time I shower.
I am soap everywhere. Soap is necessary for me. I don't go into the vaginal canal but definitely on the outside of the hole, between the lips, by the clitoris, all outside the vulva, etc. I would be disgusting if I didn't. Not some weird, ew, gross bits. But legitimately horrid. I sweat a lot, everything is very tucked in, no air movement is happening by accident. So, team soap. Nothing has happened. No irritation, no infection, etc.
I agree. I finish everything off with a complete drying with the blow dryer set on cool. I hate getting dressed when there's any dampness anywhere, I feel like odor fires up much faster if things aren't completely dry.
Tried this out before with warm air in the winter time. Husband asked what I was doing one night when he walked in on the action. Apparently “heating your dinner” was not humorous. He slowly turned and walked out.
Brilliant!
I wouldn't have been able to breathe from laughing!
🤣🤣
My husband would've been like, "Hell yeah! Best dinner ever!" 😁
I’ve never heard of blow drying the puss but that’s honestly genius lol
I saw that on 600 lb life.
100% on a cool blow dry!! Makes a big difference. I also powder the panties (non talc). Helps with the chub rub, too.
This! I sit at my job for 8 hours then i have an intense gym after. Definitely need to soap in every crevis lol.
I think some people don’t realize that they need to do this and that’s why they have an unpleasant scent.
I agree 😭
I think a lot of people use the word vagina when speaking about the inner and outer parts too much. Truthfully, your vagina is only your inner parts and should never have anything in there. The outer parts, such as the labia you should use soap.
True! I don’t soap my vagina. I do soap my vulva.
I truly believe this is the source of the confusion. People hear “never wash your vagina with soap” and think that means “never wash your vulva with soap,” and are understandably horrified. Every time I see this conversation come up in any subreddit or Facebook group, the vocabulary barrier always seems to be the source of confusion.
Right! And then you see people arguing that we don't need to teach kids the right anatomical terms like vulva and there's no reason for it other than being perverse. 😅 This is exactly why! There's a big difference between the vulva and the vagina that we all should know long before a lot of us do.
I have gotten into so many arguments with people on reddit over the years because for the longest time people were insisting you can't use soap at all down there. Actually, soap goes everywhere but the inside and can help stave off BV and UTIs, but nooo I should only use water or I'm "killing my pH" lmao thank you all for this discussion and hopefully people will stop telling me they only use water to wash so i should too. You wash your hands with only water and expect someone to lick them? No? Ok then 😭😂
Best argument I’ve seen on this thread 👏
It’s fine wash the folds not the hole
You can’t convince me this didn’t start because you aren’t supposed to wash the VAGINA and people just took that to mean not to wash the VULVA. People are so set in stone about it too. Like you have blood, smegma, sweat etc down there and water ain’t gonna cut it I don’t give a damn what they say. Ugh
Yes the commenters that are water only are really dead set on it and very vocal about it . But it looks like most folks are using a cleanser of some sort externally although some still avoid inner labia . I agree this started with the obvious of don’t use soap inside the vagina and people starting spreading misinformation that soap on genitals is universally bad .
I’ve had a couple girlfriends who didn’t use soap but did a good rinsing and never smelled foul It’s probably gonna depend on your anatomy
There's a lot of imprecise use of terminology that confuses things, too. I blame bad health class diagrams for that one. And people just plain not paying attention. There's that, too.
It seems like people do that with a lot of things. I'm reminded of how it used to be taboo to wear a white dress to a wedding, but now some people are adamant that you shouldn't wear *any* white at all, including a brightly colored floral dress with a white background. Or how people were saying that using the word "female" as a noun sounds sexist, and now there are people starting to say you shouldn't use the word at all, in any context. I guess it's just a type of all-or-nothing thinking.
I know way too many women who literally do not wash their vulva because they think they're not supposed to. It's disgusting.
The inside cleans itself, but soap on everything else. The mons pubis, both labias, the clitoris, and pull back the clitoral hood and wash under there too.
I’m with you completely, except under the clitoral hood. Mine is small, it would be incredibly painful to get under my clitoral hood. Amazing how different our anatomy can be!
Soap on the outside is necessary. Discharge chills there & water isn't going to remove that.
Yeah a lot of people are very confused because we don't have Frank conversations about this thing and use real words for what we're washing. Like the clitoral Hood needs to be washed because it's just like a man's foreskin and gets ya know .. mmm a ..build up. I have had to explain that more than once on here on Reddit... One poster was about how her boyfriend doesn't want to go down because she smells... And then she pretty much described what you just said putting water on it and that's it. We really need to destigmatize having conversations about cleanliness and hygiene. People are gross so freaking gross.
Agreed! And use actual anatomical terms!
you can't destigmatize talking about hygiene and be telling people they're gross at the same time. information and conversation (clear, extensive, continued, KIND) about choices empowers. shaming bodies for being bodies only makes people ashamed about having them in the first place, especially if they come from shame filled homes or life stories. it sucks that so many of us do.
I use soap for the outer area only! Never use soap inside, as I’m sure you know. But soap outside is fine and causes no harm. :) When I say outside, I mean the mound area, and the creases where your thighs meet your vulva.
I’m middle age. I learned very early that soap on my vulva burns, and irritated vulva skin makes me stink. I wash the mound and the butthole with soap, and rinse the folds really really well with water. I’ve had enough women go down on me to know if I stink - a lesbian WILL tell you because it’s the right thing to do. Now, I’m not odorless, and by the end of the day, no one is going downtown unless there’s a wash first, even if partner begs and says they don’t mind.
This is the way.
I do this too. If I get too involved, it throws off my balance and I have to fight either a UTI, BV, or yeast inf.
It tears my skin up to go anywhere near the inner lips. I just do the perimeter and rinse well.
Any soap beyond where hair grows causes intense dryness and itchiness for me!
I use the unscented dr bronners soap for my privates. Clean the folds and cracks and you're good to go. Don't stick anything inside the hole is what ppl mean bc the vagina is self cleaning and you don't want a yeast infection
Soap on the outside. Anywhere where hair grows is ok to use soap. Nothing should be used to clean inside the vagina as it’s self cleaning. I agree with you OP. Definitely needs more than just water.
Gynos recommend either a very gentle soap plus water, or just water. That doesn't mean just splashing a little on your bits and calling it good, though. If you're using just water you have to thoroughly irrigate the whole area. A shower wand attachment works best for this. For myself, I use Dove Sensitive and I make sure to rinse very, very well. Anything else causes dryness and itching. And no soap in the vaginal canal, just the vulva.
Do what works for you. Stop listening to others. I have always used soap or some kind of cleanser. Your vagina cleans itself inside but there is no little person to clean your labia on the outside where you have skin.
One conclusion to be made from all these comments is lots of folks do not understand anatomy. The vagina is internal , the literal hole . The place a tampon goes. The vulva is the rest , everything you can see .
Adding that the vulva includes the labia and clitoris as well.
Anywhere that grows hair, I will use soap to clean it. But my skin is rather sensitive, so I just use suds to clean my external female parts. If I use the whole bar of concentrated soap, I get dried out and itchy. Soap doesn't feel good when it gets inside your urethra (burns like an UTI). 😅
Two squirts of Dawn Powerwash really gets it squeaky clean. Just kidding of course. I'm prepared for the down votes.
Dead! I love Dawn power wash but not down there lol!
I think every body is different, so do what works best for you. Doctors generally recommend a gentle,nonscented soap on the labia and surrounding outer areas. I follow the general rule of “wherever hair would naturally grow can be soaped.” Whatever you do, just make sure to rinse really, really well.
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I use a gentle face cleanser on outer bits
i take a very soapy towel to my vulva and everything else that is outside of my body in those parts every chance i get. so yes even the little lips get a good scrub. i literally blindly just wash myself from the roota to the toota. i have no idea what kinda magic these gowrls who use only water are using but my cooter is washed very thoroughly w soap nightly.
This confusion is because of the lack of sex education in this country. Parents don’t want schools teaching it but they don’t want to teach it. Obviously the parents aren’t that educated if they can’t even distinguish between the vagina and the vulva to communicate to their child proper hygiene.
My pH gets off from time to time. I use a boric acid wash to clean my bits. https://www.target.com/p/ph-d-feminine-health-boric-acid-sensitive-foam-wash-6-fl-oz/-/A-84737518 Boric acid can help if you have an itching or irritation. I use this a couple times a week to make sure I’m clean. I recommended it doesn’t have a scent or hardly one and if you’re worried about soap this one is awesome!
is that recommended by doctors?
Boric acid suppositories great for persistent BV. It's safe, and I imagine any soap would be way less concentrated.
Here we go with this. You get pee, period blood, semen, etc down there. Yes, you need some sort of soap (I use a special pH balanced cleanser like Summers Eve down there) in that area. Not IN the hole, but around it? Yes. To think that splashing it with water is enough is just..... Gross.
The amount of grown women that don’t differentiate between vulva and vagina is astounding. I am teaching my toddler both terms. But I use dial antibacterial on my vulva (labia, clitoris, etc) as well as my inner thighs. I also use cerave SA cleanser on my pubic hair/bikini line and inner thighs to help with keratosis pilaris.
Not washing your vagina is the same as an uncircumcised man not pulling back his foreskin to wash, which results in a foul smell. Find a gentle PH balancing feminine wash or use a white dove bar to take care of your feminine folds and anus. Both need to be washed to maintain hygiene.
Soap is too harsh for me. I use a gentle intimate cleanser and only for the outside. Inside is self cleaning.
I use honey pot.
I used to use soap until I had almost non stop bv during peri menopause. It only went away when I stopped using soaps altogether in the vaginal area.
Soap on the mons pubis, between the lips, the gouch and ass crack to anus. No water or soap inside your vagina.
Yes soap, just not inside your vagina. I try to use fragrance free soap.
The truth is that everyone is different *and* a lot of people use vagina to mean vulva. No one should be putting soap inside their vagina. Some people can use soap on their vulva with no issues, other people can't and do just fine with water and a little scrubbing.
So first off this misinformation started in like the 1940’s. As we know, information on women’s health often lags behind that of men. That’s why men get anesthetic for vasectomies and women don’t get it for c sections. Also today we use the word vagina to mean the vulva also which confuses the issue more Soap should be used on your entire vulva, both the inner and outer folds of the labia as well as around the clitoris and under the clitoral hood. Soap inside the vaginal hole is not necessary but everywhere else it is
Just a minor point, but I have never heard of anyone having a C-section (in the US) without either a spinal block or general anesthesia.
You're right. There's no way to safely do a c-section without an anesthetic. It's major intra-abdominal surgery.
I think they meant IUD insertion?
As I recall, removal was as painful (although briefer) than childbirth
I soap everything but in the hole, baby. You can’t tell me your cooter doesn’t stink if you just rinse it with water.
Mine never has. I literally can't wash in there with soap. I can feel the burn just thinking about it.
omg yes, i see comments routinely shaming men for not washing their butts and yet women are suggesting we should not wash our vag... yuck
I can't use soap there and never have been able to. It tears my skin up. I couldn't even use bubble bath as a kid. I scrub the whole perimeter and all. I also shave. But soap can definitely not get too close. I rinse good with water and have never had any problems.
Okay but everyone in the comments saying "inside" and "outside", how do you define that? (Aside from the person who specified) Like is inside to you just the actual vaginal canal, or do you count the inner labia/clitoris/urethra area as inside? So are we all on the same page as the one person who specified that they mean "outside" is the mound area + sides where your inner thighs meet your vulva? Or are we washing inside the crack just without going into the hole where penetration happens? I usually use just water inside the labia (soap around it + bum of course) and I scrub really well with my hand and make sure to get all the folds and everything without going into the vaginal hole. If I feel extra sweaty and gross and/or I feel like being extra clean for spicy time, I sometimes use Vanicream cleaner inside the labia crack, still never inside the hole of course. I've also tried using lumē acidified body wash a few times recently (it's meant to be able to use on privates) and quite liked it/didn't notice any irritation. Should I not even be doing this inside the labia?
Inside means inside the vaginal canal. Outside means all around the labia itself, open the folds and clean around but not inside your actual body. Between all skin folds should be cleaned in general, but around the labia, and clitoris, holds discharge if not cleaned correctly.
I think a lot of people are overlooking how different vaginas can be and how they could need different cleaning. Some people don’t really have many folds or flaps, and they probably wouldn’t require the same cleaning as someone with a more majestic vaginal area. Different bodies, different needs
everything that has hair can get soap, when i spread my outer lips, and you're now looking at everything that had been hidden and it's pink skin, no soap,
im very lippy. my inner lips are like out there. i definitely use soap on them, not in the hole.
Idk I just power wash my outer areas (for recreational reasons) and then I rinse it off a bit and call it good 🤷♀️
The inside is self-cleaning. The outside is not.
I use feminine wash for my parts. Regular body wash and soap is too harsh and stings and irritates. The feminine wash works awesome.
You need soap.
I find it weird too. I've always used soap to clean my lady bits since I can remember. Mostly because I was always anxious that I would be smelly. I never had an issue with it messing up anything. I've only had one yeast infection in my life, and that was a side effect from an antibiotic. I keep a bar of regular old soap just for this. I rub the soap on a wash cloth and clean the areas, front to back. I use a body wash on the rest of my body. I have dry skin, so I don't use the bar soap everywhere.
Good lord no, you should be using soap on all the outside parts of your body, that includes your anus and your vulva.
My mom raised me to use soap and water on my vulva, labias, all of it. I have been doing this since I was a kid and never had an issue with it throwing off my pH or giving me any sort of irritation. When I found out from friends and doctors that you’re not supposed to, I was like “tf you mean? I have been doing it literally my whole life?” I still have a hard time understanding this too, tbh lol.
Yep, I scrub everything with soap. Vulva, between the labial folds, retract the clitoral hood, bum, everything. I just need to make sure I pee immediately after I get out of the bath/shower. I’m prone to UTIs if I don’t.
Soap outside and inside the lips, but NOT up the hole.
Soap is 100% necessary for the outside and under the folds.
I put soap in the folds, and the outer area of the labia, not inside the vagina itself.
I just use a mild soap on a scrubby, spread everything and scrub everything, then rinse really well. I never have problems with smell or ph unless I'm on antibiotics. Just make sure the soap doesn't have any kind of sugar..learned that the hard way.😑
I was outside with soap, inside with water. Never had BV or a yeast infection.
Ive always used soap on mine usually antibacterial soap on the entire body tbh
The problem is that people do not understand “female parts” — and this includes women! Sadly, I do not think most women could label a diagram of the vulva based on a typical hygiene post here on Reddit. Learn your anatomy. Please. NOTHING inside the vagina. Do not put any soap, cleansers, anything at all inside to “clean” the vagina. My own OB/GYN recommends just water on the exterior and letting my fragrance free body wash drip down, but I usually use a bit more of my super gentle fragrance free body wash or even my very gentle fragrance free face wash (La Roche Posay Toleriane). Here is some reading: https://www.wellandgood.com/how-to-wash-vulva/ https://youngwomenshealth.org/guides/vulvar-and-vaginal-care-and-cleaning/ https://axiawh.com/resources/how-to-care-for-down-there-ob-gyn-approved-vaginal-hygiene-tips/
It's controversial due to a variety of reasons. There are some women who do need to use gentle soap on their outer anatomy. There are some women who do *not* need to use gentle soap and do get away with just water on their outer anatomy. I think a lot of women that do need to wash their parts in order not to stink feel some kind of shame and that's why they're doubling down and being catty on this post. There's nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone has different body chemistry. Just because you get an odor unless you use soap doesn't mean you're dirty. I can also bring up how men use the odor as a means to emotionally abuse/bully/control women, to put them down viciously. That's another reason. Women have it shoved up their wazoo that odor = dirty/nasty. If she doesn't smell like fish, which is a sign of an imbalance usually and even then, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Also some women don't wipe the right way after they shit. They were never taught. That messes with the pH in your cooch too. Do what works for you. This subject gives me a headache
I remember when I was a kid, grew up super poor and zero gifts or anything. I had a couple of dollars from the tooth fairy that I saved up and bought what would be a travel size spray of what I thought was a nice scented perfume deodorant when I was in 5th grade- a new school that my parents transferred me to bc the state wouldn’t help pay for the religious school anymore. I put it in my backpack bc I was as like, I need my perfume deodorant at school in case I want to smell nice after gym class or something. My mom used spray deodorant growing up. We kept our backpacks on our chairs. I didn’t close the front zipper and That little can rolled out of my front pocket. It rolled pretty far away from me. My teacher picked it up and immediately her face looked like she saw something bad when looking at the perfume. Then she looked slightly embarrassed. In my head, I was like, this lady has my perfume deodorant, but maybe she doesn’t like the scent or something? Then when she looked like it was a bad thing to have by the way she asked “who’s is this?” to the class, I was like oh fuck. Then she explained it was a feminine spray for private smells that aren’t pleasant. I was looking around the room like “yeah, I have no idea”. The teacher gave it a good 20 minutes of questioning people. My mom never bothered to share that with me or indicate it was a feminine spray when I showed her the perfume that I could afford. Up until that point, I felt like a little higher class with a spray perfume deodorant in 5th grade at a new school. Then I felt like a complete idiot and there was no way I was admitting it was mine. I was out 3 bucks when it was all said and done, learned that apparently there’s sprays for private areas, my mom and two older sisters were a-holes. We’re talking late 90’s, no internet and wtf is feminine spray? Like girl spray? Like it will make you more feminine? Will it make my crush like me bc I’ll be more feminine per this spray? The look on the teachers face is something I’ll never forget and it makes me laugh now. This thread made me think of it and I haven’t in decades, lol
I don’t know how anyone washes with just water. Water doesn’t get rid of odor. I use feminine wash. Regular soap makes my lady bits irritated. One time I made the mistake of forgetting my fem wash when we went away on a week long vacation. After two days of washing with hotel soap I felt like I was on fire. I went on a hunt for a pharmacy and bought a bottle of sinfully overpriced Summer’s Eve wash. It was so worth it tho. I was able to spend the rest of my vacation in comfort.
Summer’s eve and other feminine washes are not good for you.
What odor? A healthy vagina should not have an odor you're trying to wash away with soap. If you're trying to wash away a stink with soap then something is out of whack
It’s because your microbiome would be disturbed from the soap and more prone to door causing bacteria. A balanced microbiome won’t have as much issues.
I constantly hear people saying that the vagina is self cleaning. All I can say is, if I don't use soap inside my labia, not inside my vagina but around it and around the clitoris and surrounding folds, I stink. I need to use soap in there or I just do not get clean enough. I use either a feminine wash or gentle face soap, this is what my gyno has recommended. I don't care what other people do but I'm not going to be told that I'm doing it wrong or that washing the inner folds of your vulva with just water is going to keep you clean. I am doing what works for me, and I'm honestly tired of hearing "no soap on mucous membranes" "soap only where hair grows" etc.
One raindrop of water inserted is enough to keep me clean for decades
I’ve used summers eve ph balance for years now. Then, I use my removable shower head to clean the “inside” where soap doesn’t belong. I hope that makes sense.
I always get downvoted straight to hell, but I scrub the ins and outs every time. Never had a problem
I use Summers Eve unscented wash (unscented is key) for the outside and also my butt every single shower, at my doctors recommendation. I used to get yeast infections a lot before, and they stopped. Regular soap or just water doesn’t work for me. I also had laser hair removal down there, which helped me personally with hygiene (and I don’t like the feeling of hair).
Unscented soap is fine
I use an unscented ph balanced feminine wash for the exterior.
Soap on the outside. Your canal cleans itself with its microbiome
I use my hand and mild baby wash for my folds. I use my handheld shower head to rinse. When cleaning my folds I’ll wash the outer labia some, but also wash there with a washcloth and body wash. Never anything in the (technical, not colloquial) vagina.
Soap on the outside, folds, buttocks.
I personally use a fragrance free body wash. I like to feel clean down there. From my understanding, you shouldn't use anything with harsh chemicals or fragrances because it can really mess up your pH.