Talk

I thought everyone knew this.

soaps and shower gels etc affect your natural pH and dry the sensitive skin, strongly scented ones especially can make people prone to thrush etc.

Wait what? Don't use soap down there?

I don't think I would feel clean without a good squish of soap.

Each to their own though.

There was a long thread on this a while ago and amazingly it seems there are many people out there who actually wash their vagina (yes I do mean the actual internal structure! )

It's self cleaning isn't it? Water is all you need. That's how I've always done it anyway.

Yup. No soap required. Only water will do. Tis a self cleaning region.

I found this out the hard way also. But yeah don't use soap

Goodness me, no, no soap down there. Just asking for trouble really. It 'self regulates', so water does the job just fine.

I thought everyone knew you weren't supposed to use soap etc. on your underbits, especially if you're prone to irritation or thrush. One of the things I remember my mum telling me.

(if you do feel really minging/sweaty, you can use special pH balanced fannywash and/or plain aqueous cream - though some people find that irritating - but in most cases just water is fine.)

The actual inside of the vagina or the external parts?

No soap in naturally wet places.
You wouldn't rub it in your eye or up your nose or in your mouth would you?

These threads confuse me - are people talking "in" or "outside"...because I always wash "outside" with fragrance free soap, wouldnt feel clean otherwise!

Of course, it's still probably not as bad as putting a big slosh of Dettol in your bath, which was apparently popular in previous generations. My GP said he regularly got patients with recurrent thrush/irritation who turned out to have been basically washing themselves in disinfectant.

I don't use soap or shower gel anywhere in that region. Never had an infection and only had thrush in pregnancy.

No soap on the inside, of course not. On the outer areas -hell yes.

I use shower gel on my pubic hair, but wouldn't rub it right up into the vagina. Have I also been getting it wrong?

I wash my undercarriage with soap! It's a fairly scent free brand and I've never had an issue. Inside the vagina is designed to be self cleaning!

are people talking "in" or "outside".

Both! Obviously "inside" is a total no but anything you put on "outside" can very easily end up in your, er, crevices. Unless you have some kind of hermetically sealed vulva.

On the outer areas -hell yes. Thats a relief!

I use soap,h ave done for 35 years with no problems... never knew you weren't supposed to

I get thrush of bubble bath so def no swishing down there for me. I shower everday so no stinky minge for me !

I'm not planning to nuke my minge but to be honest, I'm not prepared to let it be a total soap dodger either.

I've heard it said that you shouldn't use anything other than water but actually, I find that water doesn't get me clean. I still get this sort of grimy, white film left around my inner labia and clitoral hood unless I use something like femfresh.

Sorry if that was a bit tmi.