A very personal question.... have I been washing my bits wrong my whole life?

[ettieb]

As I am now heading towards the menopause I have been reading a few articles and one of them said that you should only wash your vagina/vulva with water and nothing else. (I'm a boy mum and not entirely sure what the difference is between a vagina and vulva and my mother never used either of these words!). I could never ask my friends in real life about this but I'm really keen to know if I'm doing it wrong. When I have a shower I wash with soap inside the vagina lips.. is this wrong?! I don't think I would feel clean doing this but in the article it said the vagina is self cleaning

I use soap and water but not inside. The other day for some reason, obviously having a moment of madness, I used my partner's Original Source mint shower gel. I felt like I'd been licked by a polar bear.

I use a bar of Simple soap to clean my inner and outer labia. I used to use Femfresh but nowadays I think that’s just a marketing scam.

I tried just using water for a while as that’s what you’re “supposed” to do, but I only shower every other day and get discharge throughout the month so it never really felt clean and it felt more prone to having a smell (not bad, just a smell!) so sticking with soap for now.

Your vulva is the bit on the outside and the vagina is internal. I used to wash it all throughly with dove soap and was prone to frequent bouts of bacterial vaginosis which took strong antibiotics to clear. I now am careful to only wash the delicate area with water. I do wash the pubic hair with a puff and shower gel and same for bum but try to be careful not to let it run down into vagina.

Same

I wash the outside, so anywhere that hair grows, with dilute baby bath twice daily and the most dilute mix ever on the inner labia. If I'm in the shower I'll use a 'light ' shower gel on the outside. I'd smell if I didn't. It's more the crease/join between inner leg and labia that smells not the inner labia or vagina (inside tunnel) and I'm happy to use soap/shower gel, pretty much anything there.

Hairy bits with soap, non hairy bits with water.

Personally I never feel that area gets properly cleaned in a shower, I'd never use soap though to try and get it clean. I like to have a good soak in the bath.

Just don't use Original Source Mint shower gel. I was on fire for days

If I used nothing but water I would smell and have thrush. I don't put anything inside even water but the outside gets washed with my shower gel.

This is what I use🤣. I am not on fire! 🔥

If I use soap I get thrush or some other sort of reaction it's water all the way from me and it definitely doesn't smell.

The vagina is the hole and you shouldn’t put any soap up there.

You shouldn’t really use soap on the vulva (all of the other areas) as it can cause it to smell or become irritated but you can get special soap to do it if you feel you need to use soap.

If you don’t have any itching or bad smells then I would carry on as you are.

If you do, then try using just water for a couple of weeks and see if it helps (it may take a couple of days for the pH levels to even out).

Hairy bits with soap, non hairy bits with water.

This!!

I also use soap on my bum crack, as that’s the part that often smells if not cleaned.

Whilst on the subject of fannies.
However thoroughly you wash your hands never masturbate after preparing a chilli.
😉

I give my arse a very thorough going over. However other than that I soap up the hairy bits then a quick scoosh of water up the fandang and I’m done

Gallinee unscented soap upon Sali Hughes recommendation - recommend to anyone who has ever reacted to shower gel!

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/nov/07/gentle-skincare-products-for-the-menopause

Oh no 😱

I second this

Who knew that I would make some people so cross not knowing my vagina from my vulva and saying I'm a boy mum. My point was that if I'd had a girl I would have made an effort to learn the difference so they were informed. It's really interesting the different responses.. I'm going to experiment on days I'm working from home to see if there is a difference!

> If I'd have had a girl I would have made the effort to learn

Why not make the effort to learn because it's your own body?

My curiosity is going to get the better of me, I'm just going to have to try it... 🤔😳

Your username might prove appropriate 🔥

Does anyone deep condition their pubic hair? I also feel better as it’s super soft.

I am not sure I buy into this delicate business. My peep is happiest squeaky clean, I did notice a scent with water, I prefer freshness. Personal taste. Nothing wrong with either. Bubble baths would have the same spoilt effect, and swimming pools, sea water, chlorine. It’s not as if it’s sealed off.

Not spoilt - similar!!

Always used shower gel or soap round my beef curtains and so far,so good.No irritation or soreness.I personally wouldn't feel clean with just water.