Itchy vulva

[Invisabledisappearingperson]

I’ve been struggling with an itchy vulva for months now. I’ve ruled out pretty much everything and I’m left with thinking it’s my soap powder.

Can anyone recommend what I should wash my pants in?

I had it for a while. First time I spoke to a GP during the pandemic I was told it was
Iikely sue to the menopause, and prescribed oestrogen pessaries with little effect. Next few years I tried all kinds of otc creams but nothing worked. Eventually I got over my embarrassment and had f2f GP appointment and it was eczema. I got a prescription for strong steroid cream and emollient and it did work.

I never use washing powder now it makes my skin itch all over. This is a recent thing hitting 60.
I only use eco washing liquid or natural soap flakes
Soap Flakes - Fragrance Free
For stains I just spray them with this
Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover Spray | Vanish UK
It gets rid of all stains without making your skin itch.
My laundry is so much better, there is no itching and the clothes last for longer.
I don't use any fabric conditioner, just put everything on am eco wash.

Also wear natural fibre pants, bamboo is really good.

Also antihistamine can be helpful for this, secondary to the pants washing!

That’s correct. No itching at night, just during the day. It has to be my pants and what they are washed in.

this happened to me and I couldn’t figure out what was going on but it was my period pads I was alergic to them and the itch was bad. It’s usually an alergic reaction. Try portion and a cold flanel

I don’t want to alarm anyone but lichens sclerosis can lead to vulval cancer so if you have an itchy patch, please get it checked out. If your GP can’t sort it you will need to see a gynaecologist. Are you still having smear tests? Early stage vulval cancer (VINS 1,2 and 3) are slow growing however please get this looked into properly and dont let your GP fob you off.

Surcare washing liquid works for me as does using YesVM as a moisturiser and barrier fluid.

I had itchy vulva for years. I cured it by switching washing powder. I had been using Ecover but I switched to Aldi's Almat and the itch is completely cured. I now also use Smol unscented capsule things and they're also fine. I have to be very careful when using towels in hotels or other ppls house not to rub them on that area. I just let it air dry. I found persil bad and also surcare even though it's designed for sensitive skin.
Also check your shampoo and body wash. I switched to Faith in Nature and they mostly seem fine but certain fragrances or perfumes even within their range can make it flare up

Not RTFT my mate had this recently and it was her toilet paper, given it doesn't happen overnight I suppose it depends on when you last wiped yourself and tbh it does sound like it might be your knickers/washing powder but just thought I'd throw this suggestion in as it took her months to work out the cause including all the tests from the GP ruling things out and she too assumed washing powder as she was fine overnight. I hope you get sorted regardless though @Invisabledisappearingperson as I imagine it's very uncomfortable and not much fun!

I suggest putting the wash cycle on an extra rinse - I think the trend to use less water in each cycle means that the soap doesn’t get properly rinsed out

Use Surcare washing liquid as it’s unfragranced - it’s often the fragrance causing skin irritation. Switch to all unfragranced products in the bath, etc. (Simple or plain unfragranced soap); plus rinse your undercarriage with water after shampooing as apparently the itch can sometimes be caused by shampoo running down the body!

I have sensitive skin on my vulva and I know it’s fragranced products that do it, so I have to use unfragranced everything including laundry liquid, toiletries and even sanitary pads without fragrance, gel or bleached topsheets. (I also use a slightly rougher brand of recycled unbleached loo paper — I find the very soft stuff sheds too many fibres which also then irritate the vulva.)

Good luck, OP!

Can be a sign of T2 diabeties - get your urine dipped for sugar or see your GP.

Try Tallow and Ash washing stuff it’s all natural and smells amazing!

If you are convinced it’s your wash powder then look up laundry stripping. You need to really deep clean the fabric as they do hold on to residue even if you think you are rinsing them well.
I would do this if you are thinking of switching detergents.

Itchy vulva was one of my first perimenopause symptoms though, and topical oestrogen wasn’t enough for me. It only resolved when I went on HRT.
It only itched when I had underwear on, so I only wore it when I was out of the house.

Wear skirts not trousers to let the air flow.
Use Vulva Balm (google it)
Use a non bio washing powder
Wear pants that are a couple of sizes too big
Moisturise with something like Diprobase

I do all of the above and the combination has helped me.

I do

Don't wear pants. Simples.

I am post-menopausal and a few years ago a nurse told me to wash underneath with just plain hot water. Don't use any type of soap at all. It definitely works! Soap just dries everything out and can cause irritation.

Have you tried washing underneath with just plain hot water? Soap dries everything out and can cause a lot of irritation.

Is it worse at night? I caught thread worms off DS2. Didn't make the connection for a long time but the relief after taking tablets.

I’m just too wet for that, I have always had so much discharge I’d leave a trail! And no, I don’t have anything “wrong”, it’s been tested to death over the years and it’s not anything untoward. I’m just naturally rather well
lubricated 🤣🤣🤣

It could be SLS
sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), look its up

its in fucking everything - toothpaste detergent creams and shampoos even vagina estradiol cream has it and it can cause severe itching soreness and sensitivity and it causes me the most horrific external thrush like symptoms a few years ago . Itching painful when going a pee and the itching was unreal I was red raw with it

Im sensitive to SLS especially in toothpaste
makes my gums really really sensitive took me ages to figure it out a few years ago and
If I use shampoo with it in I’m scratching my head like I have lice living in my head

I check all creams / make up for it as it can make me itch like a bitch dog full of fleas
it’s really vile stuff and it’s well known for causing such problems

as soon as I realised that it had SLS in it as a compound ingredient I stoped using the Estradiol cream and it stopped within days and I mean all the itching and soreness stopped pretty much within 48 hrs

i have never ever known anything like it you wouldn’t think they would add SLS to an internal vagina cream but they do

you say your using a estrogen pessery. I am guessing something like vagifem / vargifrux. Gina
check that it’s not got SLS in as a compound ingredient if it has that will be what’s causing it

The estradiol cream that I used to use had it in and honestly it was the worse few months I can ever remember . like sitting on
shards of glass

if you have to use a estrogen pessary look
at intraosa- no SLS and much much better to use

I have insane itching at night some of the time, but I’m full throes perimenopausal. Not been able to start HRT yet for various reasons but it drives me bananas, although it’s not constant, it comes and goes. I’m sure mine is hormonal.

I’ve seen my GP and along with everything else, I was tested for diabetes. I don’t have diabetes.