Should you be using intimate wipes for your vagina?
When it comes to intimate care, the topic of using intimate wipes for your vagina often sparks debate. While the market is flooded with various products promising to enhance hygiene and freshness, it’s important to understand whether these products are truly beneficial or if they could disrupt your natural balance.
Yoni eggs, vagacials, magnetic therapy, intimate wipes – when it comes to self-care for your nether regions, the world really doesn’t shy away from giving you options galore.
The theory is quite simple: your vagina is self-cleansing. But, does it need that extra helping hand from intimate wipes to stay fresh all day long? “Feminine wipes are manufactured to ‘clean your vagina’. They contain chemicals and fragrances that will apparently make you smell like roses down there.
Cleanliness, convenience, or just a need to fragrance your vagina, these wipes might just be another marketing ploy. “First things first, the vagina is a self-cleaning organ just like your nasal or anal passages. One does not need to use any soap or cleansing products down there. The vulva has now become prey to the ever growing market of making the ‘vagina’ smell like a bouquet of flowers.
Vaginal washes and intimate wipes often contain high levels of lactic acid and other chemicals that aren’t really vagina friendly. In the process of cleaning, they disrupt the natural pH levels resulting in a whirlwind of issues. “Intimate wipes induce a 3.5 times higher risk of bacterial infections and two-fold risk of UTIs, owing to the presence of chemicals and parabens in them. These interfere with the vaginal equilibrium and often cause more harm than good.
While these intimate wipes are marketed pretty well for a ‘fresh and clean’ vagina, experts definitely do not recommend using them. Wipes may be travel-friendly, however they have the same content as feminine washes and therefore we don’t suggest using them (unless it’s once in a while, for emergency purposes). As Indians we already have an acidic vaginal pH due to the spicy food we consume. And wipes also contain high levels of lactic acid. Plus, the way people use the wipes is also incorrect.
The direction in which the wipes are used are very important. If they’re taken from back to front, people risk transferring organisms present in the vaginal and anal area, to the urethra. This increases the chances of contracting a UTI. Even the high moisture content in these wipes can trigger vulval infections.
Since smelling clean and fresh is the modus operandi for intimate wipes, it’s important to note that vaginal odour is normal and natural. Intimate wipes and washes simply mask it. You’re just taking out the smell but you’re not acknowledging the reason behind that smell. So, we need to go to the root cause of what’s triggering it, instead of opting for wipes or washes.
Adding to this point “We aren’t supposed to smell like a bouquet of flowers. If one experiences an unusual odour coupled with itching or burning, they need to seek professional help and not resort to fancy smelling washes.”
The verdict is out — your vagina really isn’t high-maintenance and definitely doesn’t require more than just soap and water to keep it clean. Vaginal wipes and washes are unnecessary and avoidable!