Oh, feminine hygiene, what a strange and complicated thing you are. You’re necessary, yet, at times, extremely difficult. Why couldn’t you have come with an instruction manual?
Our journeys to learning how to care for our bits and pits come in all forms. Some had painstakingly awkward conversations with their mothers at the age of twelve. Others read, what at this point can only be considered a great literary classic, American Girl: The Care and Keeping of You. And some were left with the internet as their guide, with WebMD and Ask.com giving them a metric for what is normal.
Regardless of how you got here, congrats! You are (probably) an adult now, who knows how to provide yourself with the care that is necessary for your body.
That being said, it is never too late in the game to learn some new tips and tricks to maintaining everything that goes on with your friend downstairs.
So without further ado, here are three tips to maintaining your lady parts:
1: The Defunker
Let’s just get it out and the open: vaginas smell funny. We like to pretend they don’t, and that smelly vaginas are something only “certain” women have. But we need to cut the BS. Vaginas can stink.
This is completely normal. It is healthy for your downstairs to sometimes produce an odor. If the scent is anything horrendous or out of the ordinary, then one should maybe pay the old gynecologist visit. However lighter odors, annoying as they can be, are totally common and are nothing to be ashamed of.
That being said, if you find yourself in a situation where you would feel your best if your vaginal odors were a bit more toned down, the solution is in the secret is in the fabric.
Lighter fabrics like cotton allow your vagina to breathe and reduces the potential for odor by eliminating tight, moist environments. When fabrics are heavier, stiffer, or snug, bacteria can build up and can be the cause of any unpleasant aromas you might wish to get rid of.
Something not to be done is to add fragrance to cover up the smell. While it may seem like a quick fix, spritzing or spraying anything down there can be infinitely more problematic than a little stink, as it can cause infections and irritations to the area.
2: The Pantie Saver
Have you ever noticed that, despite keeping your underwear super clean, the inside always starts to discolor over time? Don’t fret, you’re not doing anything wrong. Your vagina is just a monster.
All joking aside, vaginas, as you all know, produce a discharge. Much like the juice of citrus fruits, this discharge typically contains a high level of acidity. That’s right, your vagina is literally producing acid.
What a beast, am I right?
Anyway, this acid can lead to those white, yellow or even orange stains left in the middle of your panties. This can be super discouraging. You get yourself all psyched to hit up one of the beloved 7/$27 sales, and then you realize you’ve already started staining things a week later.
The first thing to realize is that you should never feel embarrassed about this happening to you. It happens to everyone with a vagina, even when we pretend it doesn’t, so there is absolutely no reason to feel shame. The second thing to realize is that if it is bothering you, certain things can be done to minimize the effects of this occurrence.
One way to combat your friendly neighborhood panty-eating acid is to track your cycle and plan accordingly. What’s happening down below is all part of the wonderful cycle that you’ve known about approximately since the 6th grade. This includes everything from discharge to periods.
If you know your cycle and keep track of everything, then you’ll know exactly what is going to happen and when. On days you know you are going to have heavy discharge, wear light-colored underwear to avoid any bleaching. When you know your period is coming, wear dark-colored panties to negate the threat of stains.
Thanks to modern technology, keeping tabs on your cycle can be done with the touch of a button. Logging your monthly schedule on apps such as Clue, Eve and Life provide a simple way to know when things are happening.
By downloading an app or simply keeping a calendar, you can save those insanely overpriced Calvin’s you just bought and would like to keep looking fresh
3: The Blade Master
Few things in the world are as tough and relentless as pubic hair. Any sort of shaving requires several self pep talks and maybe a prayer or two if that’s your thing. It is truly like preparing for combat, which is why more and more people are opting to go “au naturale.”
To each their own, whatever makes you feel comfortable, healthy and confident is certainly what you should go for.
That being said, if shaving is your jam and you want to avoid any painful razor burn, cuts or itching, you need to establish a routine and take your time. You can’t throw on a bikini and realize you need to do a quick shave 15 minutes before your friend is supposed to pick you up for your beach road trip.
Slow and steady is the only way to go here.
For starters, you should always trim your hair before shaving it. Jumping the gun and going straight in with the razor is a recipe for clogged blades and an uneven shave. Trimming the hair down makes it more manageable and easier removed.
Once you’re ready to attack, make sure you are using a fresh razor, as opposed to the one you’ve used several times already. This is your best bet to get a close, smooth shave.
Despite what you probably do with your legs, do NOT go against the grain with this one. With such a sensitive area, you’re going to want to shave with the direction of your hair growth, i.e. a short, slow, downward motion.
Lastly, you’re going to want to keep things hydrated. To prevent burns that occur when the hair follicle is irritated by bacteria, you have to keep things nice and lathered up. In this instance, conditioner can be way better than shaving creams or gels, as it softens the hair and makes things less rough. After shaving, make sure to moisturize properly as you would with any other freshly-shaved portion of your body.
So there you have it, three tips to making the vagina life, an easier life. So live long and prosper with healthy vaginas, my fellow females!