to not buy products for my "intimate area"

[upsylazy]

I was in Superdrug about a month ago and they were doing a 3 for 2 offer on toiletries for womens' "intimate area" eg soap, wipes, talc, deodorant. I couldn't believe how many women were throwing them into their basket. After this, I've made a habit of checking the bathrooms whenever I go to someone's house and these products do seem to be in the majority of them.
I'm now starting to get a bit paranoid because I don't use them. I do have a shower and change my undies every day. I'm so skint at the moment, AIBU not to fork out for fanjo toiletries?

I don't shampoo and condition my pubes either, Nixea.

Vagoos are self cleaning, yes - but the area around them is not. They get very sweaty. Its summer and its hot!

Cleaning with only water? yikes!!!

Shatner - you may be onto something there. I'm sure we could flog a range of 'intimate hair' products.

Now I'm going to run before someone tells me that such random things actually already exist!!

Urine is sterile. Presumably you shower daily and wash the outer bits then with soap/shower gel? Why would anyone think that it needed more than that? Vaginal secretions are not 'dirty'. They're produced to keep your vagina moist and maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria.

I wonder if the increased push for these products is linked to the trend for removing all pubic hair. The only (non pregnant) time I've ever felt that I might need 'panty liners' [vomit] is when I had no hair. It seemed to get more damp down there. It stopped when the hair grew back. That's probably what the hair is for.

I've also had the advice - from a vulval dermatologist no less! - to wash ONLY with WATER. Not soap and not special fanjo wash either.

Soap for everywhere else. Water on and directly around the ladybits.

YANBU.

Yep - I think pubic hair regulates temperature and sweating too.

When I was living in the US I remember being aghast at the amount of 'intimate products' for cleaning/douching/deodorising one's fango. For some reason the strawberry scented douche really appalled me, I think I thought 'yeah right like I want to have sex with a man who'd rather shag Strawberry Shortcake than a real woman'.

Oddly I also couldn't get over the very limited availability of non applicator tampons, the two combined seemed to suggest a fear/dislike of one's own body. Of course I was attending a Catholic College with some pretty word attitudes to women altogether so I may have been overthinking it!

That should be weird, not word

Crikey, I've never even heard of these kind of products before. The only things I buy for my fanny are tampons. Daily shower with regular soap deals with cleanliness.

For those of you saying that if you stop using the fanny wash you get thrush....did you get the thrush BEFORE you started using these products at all? Part of me wonders if chemically products for intimate parts could actually CAUSE thrush........? Happy to be wrong though!

Firestone I came to much the same conclusion as you.

I first encountered an enormous array of fanjo products when I first visited Walmart in the US yet the same store didn't sell non-applicator tampons, we had to travel to 40 miles away to the super Walmart for them!

Tyler, glad it isn't just me! I was also once offered a bag to put tampons in at a checkout as I 'might embaress people if I didn't '

Blimey - you will all end up with thrush after messing with your noonies - they clean themsleves - all you have to do is shower or bath each day.

Never bought any feminine hygiene products, just shower!

My mum is of a generation that gives herself a good wash every day with 'the special flannel' I cringe at the thought!

DH once said to me 'that new facewash is good'

I said, what new face wash?

DH: the one that says it's for your most feminine area. It's for your face, yeah?'

I couldn't work out if he was a tit or quite sweet really

Thanks everyone, I feel reassured that I'm not a real stinky minge I can now stop scrutinising people's bathroom products.
I still think it would make a good apprentice task to do a male range. i can imagine the brainstorm now; "I'm thinking Dick Dust (talc); Willy wash, Todger Talc; Scrotum Scrub..."
Actually, it's interesting that none of these products seem to be advertised anywhere. What would the adverts be like?!

LOL @ Dick Dust - love it!

Women are ugly, fat and have stinky fanjos, Men drink beer and spray themselves with Lynx.

Trufax,.

LOL, I was just about to start a thread called 'AIBU to not want my armpits to smell of roses?' but this is so much better I'm not going to bother!

Its true that using all these soaps or too much normal soap can cause problems.

I dont use any of this crap only soap on the front outer bit then just water.

And I have never had thrush, BV or any kind of infection. Ever.

Its classic marketing, things sell off the back of insecurities. What woman wants to think she smells there? Its like silly playground talk when john said sarah had a fishy fanny etc etc, some moron thought he'd play on that and make a fortune.

Nullius, too true it's classic marketing - play on a fear and ramp it up to create bigger fear = market for products.

IMO it's a con job, and not a nice one....it will only result in girls and women feeling (more) embarrased and ashamed of their bits ultimately.

YANBU

You shouldn't need them if you shower every day. The only excpetion being I often buy the wipes when I have my period to use at work. you need a bit of extra cleanliness at those times. But generally day to day I wouldn't use them.

It's all a con and incredibly bad for you. What I hate most about it, is that it seems to suggest that women's vaginas/vulvas are naturally smelly. (and yes, I am quit obsessed about being clean - shower at least once a day and use a mild shower wash all over my body)

And yes, talc is very bad - you are no longer supposed to use it on babies. Talc makes me think of old ladies in their 90s.

As upsylazy pointed out: why are there no equivalent products for men???? I think that says it all.

Still sniggering at Dick Dust

minipie A vulval dermatologist? Blimey, what a strange career choice. I bet that's a bit of a conversation stopper when people casually ask "What do you do?"