Ladies!!! I know Coco Chanel said that “perfumes should be put on places where you want to be kissed by a man” but please, not in your vagina! There's been a craze on feminine washes and sprays in the feminine hygiene industry and here's our take on whether you should use them or not.
Feminine washes or sprays are hygiene products intended to freshen up the vagina and they are also made to reduce odour and cleanse the vagina.
Why do ladies use them?
- Women use feminine washes to help decrease abnormal vaginal discharges.
- They use vaginal washes and sprays to fight against common infections like yeast infection, B.V, UTI and many more.
- They use it to balance the vaginal PH
- Women use it to protect the vagina from infections and inflammations.
What's in it?
Popular feminine washes contain water, glycerin, coco-betaine, lactic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, decyl glucoside, sodium chloride, disodium EDTA, polysorbate 20, fragrance.
Why are they harmful?
One Saturday, I and a group of friends argued the popular debate of whether to wash or not to wash your vagina and one of my friends was against it because in her experience, she used a feminine wash and still got an infection.
Her situation is not unpopular as many ladies have complained about similar occurrences. One thing to note is that your vagina doesn't need any help from you to cleanse, as it cleanses itself and is often referred to as a "self-cleaning oven".
It cleans itself by secreting vaginal discharge which plays an essential role in keeping your vagina healthy. Also, You don't need your Vagina to smell like roses, because this is a misconception sold to you by intimate hygiene brands just to sell more products.
Anything we put in the vagina can potentially disrupt the vaginal flora. So we suggest that if you want to use vaginal washes regardless of its side effects, you should use and "unscented" wash or spray to avoid irritations in your vagina
Side-effects
- It disrupts the vaginal flora and this could lead to bacterial vaginosis(B.V), yeast infection, and other infections.
- According to medical health online, a study found an association between the use of intimate washes and a 3.5 times higher risk of bacterial infections, and more than twofold higher risk of having a urinary tract infection (UTI).
- These products may be deterring the growth of the healthy bacteria needed to fight off infection.
- It can cause a weakened immune system
- In a research on the effects of feminine hygiene products on the vaginal mucosal biome in2013, the results provide "experimental warning that women who have used feminine hygiene products may have a weakened vaginal barrier"
So we advise women not to use vaginal washes and sprays because the disadvantages outweighs the advantages. Rather we advocate for the use of Vaginne refreshing intimate gel as it acts as a preventive and curative measure for vaginal infections. It is also 100% natural and safe for the vagina.
References
- https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/ vulva-vagina-products#Your-vagina-doesnt-need- special-products,-but-your-vulva-might-benefit
- www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/ your-vagina-cleans-itself-why-vagina-cleaning-fads-are- unnecessary-and-harmful-88150 www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325360#Which- products-are-unsafe?
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source =web&rct=j&url=https://www.healthline .com/health/womens-health/vulva-vagina.com/health/womens-health/vulva-vagina-products&ved=2ahUKEwim392Dnb3xAhXc _7sIHZmeDKkQFjACegQICBAF&usg= AOvVaw1uJgnecWyKGU-yZBoaVvBl
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/ sodium-chloride-injection-route/proper-use/ drg-20068846?p=1
- https://www.summerseve.com/feminine-hygiene- products/vaginal-wash/fragrance-free-cleansing-wash
- https://www.cts.co.il/? CategoryID=348&ArticleID=380