7 Intimate Hygiene Tips Every Girl Should Know

Now that you’re growing up, you are responsible for your body and keeping it healthy and clean. That includes your intimate areas. You may be in search of some solid teenage hygiene tips. Intimate hygiene is so much more than just washing your vagina while you’re in the shower (which – of course – is a must!)

Try these intimate hygiene tips for a fresh, clean, and (most importantly) healthy vagina.

Keeping yourself (and your vagina!) clean is perhaps one of the most important feminine hygiene tips there is. Especially as you move through puberty, the changes in your body make keeping clean all the more critical. Things like getting your period, daily vaginal discharge, and increased sweat from your sweat glands make keeping clean increasingly important as you grow up. Following this key intimate hygiene tip is the first step.

Regular soaps and shower gels aren’t designed to be used on your vagina. That’s because they have a pH level – aka a level of acidity – designed for the surface of your skin. However, your skin has a pH of 5.5, whereas a healthy vaginal pH level ranges from 3.8 to 4.5. Altering the pH of your vagina can upset its delicate bacterial balance in your vagina that keeps it healthy and free of infection. Instead, try a special “soap” intended just for your lady parts. You can find specially designed women’s hygiene washes at the shop in the feminine care section that are pH-balanced for your vagina.

The inside of your vagina has its very own self-cleaning mechanism. It doesn’t need to be washed, scrubbed, or cleaned. This also means no douching. Stick to washing just the outside of your vagina, more accurately known as the vulva. This includes the inner and outer vaginal lips and the clitoris.

Girls’ hygiene doesn’t require any special equipment – just some specialised soap and water. For a cost-saving intimate care tip, ditch the gloves, sponges, and loofahs when it comes to washing down there. The skin in your intimate areas is very sensitive and can be irritated by the abrasive scratchiness of these implements. Furthermore, bacteria tend to build up and grow on sponges and gloves and you don’t want to introduce them into your vagina. Your hands are enough.

To dry off after a shower or bath, use a towel that is soft and completely dry. Change your towel every two to three days. Women’s hygiene is personal. Don’t share your towel with anyone else. It’s just for you.

This feminine care tip is meant to keep outside bacteria from entering your vagina. When washing your intimate area, don’t let water get directly into your vagina. Instead, let water run down from the top of your intimate area over your vagina.

You may have heard this intimate care tip before, but it’s worth a reminder. When you go to the loo, be sure to wipe front to back – and never back to front! This ensures that no harmful bacteria from your anus get in your vagina. If they do, these bacteria can create an uncomfortable (and smelly!) infection that would require antibiotics in order to clear up.

Wearing cotton knickers is important for girls’ hygiene. Cotton is a very breathable fabric, so it allows any excess moisture from sweat or discharge to evaporate, instead of becoming a breeding ground for bacteria (and unpleasant odours!). This doesn’t mean that the whole pair of knickers must be made of cotton, just the crotch insert – you know, the little triangle piece of fabric sewn into the part that goes against your vagina.

Wear a panty liner daily to help absorb vaginal discharge. Discharge is your body’s healthy way of cleansing your vagina from toxins and staying clean and moisturized. But this doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable in a wet pair of knickers. Wearing a panty liner every day is a great feminine hygiene tip. Panty liners work just like pads, but they’re much thinner and can be used daily for discharge. ALWAYS Dailies are super thin and flexible for a barely-there feeling that will keep you feeling fresh all day long – like you just put on a new pair of knickers.

We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” Well, in the case of this intimate hygiene tip, “you are what you drink.” Sugary drinks can affect the bacterial balance of your vagina. So can being dehydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water to give your body a boost when it comes to flushing out toxins “down there.”

Incorporate these intimate hygiene tips into your life in order to keep your vagina clean and healthy, and you smiling and confident. Cheers!