To ask you for help with my bits?

[SoreFannyRedFace]

I was reading an old MN thread about how bar soap and a flannel is much better than body wash. I've had two showers now with soap and a flannel, and I think I must have gone a bit gung ho on my bits because they are very, very sore. Soap clearly does not agree with me.

Does anybody have any ideas about how to calm things down? So far all I have done is slather myself in sudocrem, and it hasn't done much. I had to duck out of a family trip to pizza express because I didn't fancy sitting there in agony. Gutted.

Thanks everybody, I have learned an important lesson today. The hard way

I would stick with just water for now, but if you normally use shower gel with no problems then you should be fine to go back to it once you've healed. Yes, vulvas can be a bit whiffy if you just use water IME.

For now I would just try and keep the area clean and dry. You could take some paracetamol or ibuprofen if it's really sore.

If I were you, I'd get in the shower and swish lots of water up your bits again because you may not have got rid of all the soap - I was told by a gynaecologist to never use anything other than water in these areas, so I don't anymore

@Gronky defo avoid the intimate washes, from what I've read they're equally bad for leading to thrush etc

puppy23, thank you for the warning, I've been lucky enough to have never had thrush but do develop a noticeable odour down there which I don't like. I tried using just water for several weeks when I was younger but never saw an improvement.

Really up your water intake to flush it all through - helps. For some reason bath salts always do a number on me

I wash the vulval region with soap - not a problem with it. Dove soap.

I do find though shower gels are more of a problem - if you get the wrong one (often heavily perfumed 'super moisturising' (yeah, right)) they burn your fanjo and frankly, who wants that?

The hairy parts of the vulva can get sweaty and I'm not sure how you'd get rid of that aroma with just water - if you find the right shower gel/soap (whatever format), then it won't burn and make it sore at all. Simple shower gel never makes me sore, ever, so mostly I use that but I'm on the Dove soap at the moment and find that great. But everyone's different and you can never tell which product will/won't make you sure (at least that's what I find).

Serial your post has made me recall an occasion where I had to sit in a bath and swish - but that was because DP of the time has handled chilli's and then my intimate areas, oooweeee, smarted a bit!

DoinItForTheKids - a friend of mine who has since passed, bless her, had thrush once and asked her partner to apply the cream - he inadvertently applied toothpaste and she nearly hit the roof

I would wash off the sudocrem with baby bath, in case the soap hasn't all been rinsed off, because the sudocrem will just keep it next to your skin.

If you can get hold of some calendula tincture, use that for the next week. I used it after a 2nd degree tear and the midwives said they'd never seen one heal so fast. Its very soothing.

Dove soap never had any issues here x

How rough were you with the flannel 😳. Blimey, it’s delicate skin down there, you need to be gentle!

Everyone’s different, you just need to find a soap that is ok for you.

For now use water, when it’s nit so sore go back to your shower gel for a little while then gently try other soaps on your outside bits only. I use soap/gel VERY sparingly on/in/around the labia (water doesn’t do enough to stay fresh for ME) and NOTHING inside my vagina. NOTHING.

I don’t find any of the creams help if you have Candida/thrush. Just a couple of cool showers a day and lots of water

If you need instant relief, water wipes (from Waitrose) are BLISS. Fold in half and lay inside the folds - like a hot dog 🌭🤣. Honestly it’s a RELIEF from the itching!

You’re not suppose to use soap to wash your bits? I’ve never heard this before.

I’m sure the soap threads don’t tell you to scrub your bits until they hurt though.

I’ve been using soap for a few years now and I always give my whole area a once over scrub. I don’t go past the outer area though, that’s asking for thrush.

Hope the metanium works!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.self.com/story/best-way-to-clean-vagina/amp

I was once told by a sexual health nurse that the most gentle thing to wash your vagina with (apart from water) is aqueous cream as is doesn't disturb your natural PH balance down there

I tend to use plain water but baby top-to-toe wash is good if you need more cleansing down there. I make a heavily diluted foam in my hands before using it; it has never caused any soreness.

You only need to wash with water, and pat dry rather than rub.
Agree with previous posters about the yellow metanium - it works wonders.

I use water on my vulva and hair conditioner (people will rag on this!) on the outside hairy bits but that feels like it doesn’t irritate and smells good so

Oh dear Serial, that sounds awful (ha ha!!)!!! Still, she would have been minty fresh after so you have to look on the bright side, right?!

The pH of 'your bits' region is alkaline. For that reason if I use gentle soaps like simple or dove I never have an issue. I've used both these these brands for years n years and everything down there has been grand.

I just wouldn't feel clean if I only used water.

'Intimate washes' are the work of the devil himself! One of the main reasons we see women in SH is BV caused by these washes! That also goes for anything else highly perfumed. Water is the best and only thing you should use.

I was advised by nurse at GUM clinic to use E45 emollient wash, it’s great (that’s what the consultants gynaecologists advise). Water definitely doesn’t clean well enough and anything with soap is a road to thrush for me. I used to use canestan foam wash but the e45 is cheaper and better and much easier to find

We need to be clear here though - there is NO need to wash out your vagina. It's self-cleaning. If you must, plain water all the way.

Your vulva - as several people have commented, does need a wash and with something more than plain water, otherwise it would smell of sweat (and urine, more likely in those who opt for a fuller lady garden (!!)).

Your vulva - as several people have
commented, does need a wash and with something more than plain water

No it doesn’t. Plain water and a rub down with your hand or a flannel does just fine. Soaps or shower gels can irritate it and lead to infections.