Good Clean Fun: Too Much Soap Can Take the Wet Out of the Wet and Wild
Everyone wants to look and feel clean, and it seems like everyone I know takes at least one shower per day. Besides the egregious use of water, women who clean too often may discover some hidden issues to their cleanliness.
When I get home after a sweaty workout or after sitting all day in a fitted pair of pants, the first thing I want do is strip down and shower. But a difference exists between a splash in the shower and a soapy scrub down.
Dangers of Soap
Soap removes impurities from the skin by dissolving oil and dirt from your skin through the action of a base, such as lye—the most common ingredient in soaps—or by creating a slippery barrier between your skin and impurities, a barrier that removes unwanted ingredients. While neither action harms certain areas of the body, especially removing dirt from the hands, some areas, such as the labia and vagina, do not need a thorough cleaning. Thorough scrubbing can create problems for these areas because of the way soap removes essential oils and moisture while deodorizing the skin.
“Perfect!” You say, “Now I don’t have to worry about that funky odor near my crotch!” Unfortunately, soaping up your privates isn’t as beneficial as it seems. As long as the odor isn’t fishy or yeasty, the scent is normal, and you should familiarize yourself with these smells, so you can recognize any unnatural changes. Much like how your body odor smells a bit different the night after you go out for Indian food, your vaginal odor reflects your lifestyle choices and general health.
Lack of Moisture= Lack of Pleasure
Meanwhile, stripping all the moisture from your labia and vagina, an area that’s supposed to be moist, ruins your sexual health. Think of it this way: normal soap strips your face of essential oils, leaving the skin tight and drawn. The vagina and labia, similar to the face, requires oils and lubricants to maintain moisture essential for sex. Continually removing oils and moisture will leave your labia and vagina irritated, itchy and chafed. Ironically, this irritation will create more vaginal odor than your normal activities ever could create, an insidious result that will lead to more vaginal discharge.
The fragrance inside of soap, meanwhile, will lead to another issue. Vaginas don’t like fragrances. I’m not lying to you. Scented pads, scented tampons, scented douches, scented wipes—your vagina literally hates all of these things. Why? Because the synthetic molecules that create the fragrances irritate your vagina (think of this occurrence like an allergic reaction), the fragrance will damage the skin and vaginal environment. Some women experience this irritation more than others, and some claim not to experience any signs of irritation. Still, it’s best to stick to unscented products for your reproductive area. Remember, your vagina smells fine. It smells natural, and I’m sure your mother told you the same thing.
If your odor worries you, an
herbal supplement featuring certain compounds may sweeten your vaginal secretions. Like I mentioned earlier, what you put into your body is exposed in your body odor, be it armpits or between your legs. This formula contains herbs that impart a pleasant scent to your vagina, as well as maintaining proper blood flow and filtration, two aspects that will remove unwanted discharge and keep the good smells flowing. If all else fails, load up on pineapple the day before your next date. By the next night, you’ll be effervescing its fruity aroma.