Are Female Hygiene Products Safe for Your Vagina

Are douches, wipes, lubes, gels, deodorants, or any other products women use on their reproductive parts, for one reason or another, useful? And most worryingly, are they safe for female reproductive health

We take a comprehensive look into the entire matter to separate facts from rumors and help you make an informed decision.

Many women worldwide are buying such staff (and in the process) funding a growing Female Hygiene Products Market oblivious of the harmful effects of some of the items.

Statistics Show an Increase in Use despite Warnings by Medical Experts.

According to Statistica.com, the Female Hygiene Products Market sector raked in millions of dollars in many countries, in 2017, but the US and China dominate the group.

The same report also cites 2018 sales worth over 40 million USD in douching products, more than 280 million in vagina treatment products, and a whopping over 305 million in other female hygiene items — minus what we’d consider must-haves like tampons, sanitary pads & party-liners.

All these go on despite frequent warnings from the medical field that the femal genital wall has its self-cleaning mechanism- the vagina's self cleaning mechanism 

Medical experts insist that vaginal walls secrete a natural discharge that cleans all the bacteria and dead cells, so it remains clean without the need for manufactured cleaning products.

Know Your Reproductive System

Again, it is important to understand the difference between the vagina and the vulva. While the vagina refers to the inner sections of the vagina (from the opening to the cervix), the vulva refers to the outer parts, which can comprise the clitoris and other openings like the urethra.

To keep a healthy vulvo-vaginal (vaginal and vulvar) health, a woman must take note of two critical factors about vagina's self cleaning mechanisms.

1. The PH of the vagina, or its acidity/basicity
2. The balance of bacteria in the vagina

For vulva, research shows a pH range of 3.5 to 4.7, while that of the vagina fluctuates by age and the phase of the menstrual cycle.

For instance, a young girl who hasn’t begun experiencing periods has a pH of 7 (which stands for neutral in the pH-scale), pH may drop to 3.8 to 4.4 in a reproductive woman. At menopause, vaginal pH maybe 6.5 to 7 or 4.5 to 5 if they do a replacement therapy.

A balanced bacterial load in the vagina is tricky to understand, though, with the microbiome ecosystem varying by menstrual cycle stage and ethnicities, according to studies.

What is Not Safe for Your Vagina?

Because the medical world has insufficient information on the vaginal ecosystem, it can be difficult to tell what products to use and which ones to avoid.

But given the delicate environment of the vagina, douching and cleansing products will definitely ruin its bacterial composition.

Still, some studies have linked female hygiene products to infections in the vagina and drawn some substantial deductions as to what products and things to keep off when taking care of your vulvovaginal health.

Using a douche involves “cleaning” the vagina with cleansers, which sometimes include DIY solutions. Yet it is not helpful in any way and could be a health hazard. Research shows that it can tamper with the bacterial composition of the vagina and make one more prone to sexually transmitted infections, inflammation of the pelvis, and cervical cancer. 

Two years ago, Canada-based University of Guelph found that using gel cleaners can increase the risk of a yeast infection eightfold and increase the risk of a bacterial infection 20X.

Those who flush the internal parts of their vagina were found to be at more than twice the risk of urinary tract infection.

Best Reproductive Health Practices to Maintain a Clean Vagina

Follow these best practices to keep your vagina clean, healthy, and maintain its natural pH and microbiome ecosystem.

• Use clean water to soapless water, clean your vagina, and vulva. Soaps can interfere with the pH and bacterial composition of your reproductive system.
• Avoid douching and the use of cleansers or soaps. These practices interfere with the natural environment of the vagina and can make one vulnerable to diseases.

Any foul smells or abnormal discharge should be addressed with thorough washing or flushing with sanitizers; instead a doctor’s advice should be sought.

Final words

Avoid cleansers, douching products, deodorants, or any female hygiene products that can interfere with your vagina. The best way to stay safe is to trust your vagina’s self-cleaning mechanism.