MYTH: Vaginas are smelly and dirty and need to be washed

FACT: Vaginas are self cleaning

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It is a huge misconception that you need to clean your vagina regularly, to make it ‘clean’.

The facts are plain and simple: The vagina is self cleaning.

It doesn’t need any additional help from soaps or deodorants, especially ones that are perfumed or scented. In fact, doing this can cause far more harm than good.

Douches, cleanses, deodorants, steams, vinegar (!) and pH balancing products all can harm the good bacteria that lives in your vagina. Ironically, it can CAUSE odour due to increased levels of bacteria growing in the vagina to compensate for everything washed away or killed.

If the bacteria in your vagina change, this can lead to infections like thrush and bacterial vaginosis, which often show symptoms through smell and itching.

A healthy vagina will produce a number of smells, but it’s never going to smell of a ‘floral scent’ or ‘ocean air’ - nor should it.

The vulva and vagina are unique to every person. We all have our own unique odour, and it is important to understand what is normal for you in order to be able to spot changes.

If there is a pungent or overpowering smell being given off by a vagina, it could be a sign of infection and shouldn’t be masked with products, but looked at by a medical professional.

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Image: Charlotte Willcox, 2019