If your vagina smells a little off, and that scent is not accompanied by other symptoms, you may be able to relieve the symptoms on your own.
1. Shower or bathe regularly
Get this: The off smell could just be a sign you need a shower or bath.
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“The area can accumulate sweat, dead skin, and dirt,” Gersh says. And just as those things can affect the smell of your pits, they can affect the smell of your vagina.
Maintaining a regular hygiene practice can help avoid the accumulation of the scent that you don’t like.
But if the scent has already taken root and you don’t have time to shower, simply take a warm washcloth and wash your pubic mound and outer lips.
“Even just using your finger to swish the warm water around the vulva is adequate,” she says.
2. Stop washing inside your vagina
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To be clear: While you can (and should!) wash the outside of your vagina (aka the vulva), you should not start going in your hole with water, washcloth, or soap.
“It’s true that a vagina is a self-cleaning machine,” Gersh says. “The natural makeup of bacteria inside the vaginal canal is designed to keep the canal healthy and clean — and that bacteria doesn’t need any help from you to operate optimally.”
Washing inside the vaginal canal isn’t just unnecessary, it’s downright dangerous. Washing inside the vaginal canal — especially with fragrant soaps — can upset your vagina’s natural bacterial makeup and pH.
And when your vagina’s natural bacterial makeup gets disrupted? You put yourself at risk of developing infections like BV, which (negatively) affect your vaginal odor.
3. Check for recent product swaps
Did you recently change your detergent? Start using a different body wash? Switch up your toilet paper brand? All of these things can affect your vagina, according to Gersh.
“Take some time to think through what things have changed in your routine,” she says. “What soaps you’ve been using, the type of underwear you’ve been wearing, and how tight your clothes are could all be the culprit.”
The culprit could also be switching up your:
- sexual lubricants
- sex toy cleaner
- type of condom (or other barrier methods)
4. Stay hydrated
Nope, we’re not talking about booze. We’re talking about water.
Drinking plenty of water is good for more than just your skin. It can help your vagina’s overall health too, by encouraging healthy sweating and fluid release, Deysach says.
5. Eat a balanced diet
As a general rule, a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, will elicit a softer scent compared with greasy, fast foods.
As Gersh puts it: “A balanced diet makes for a healthy body, and that includes your vagina.”
Just be warned: “Some very strong-smelling foods like asparagus, garlic, and onions can result in a stronger-smelling cooch,” Deysach says.
So, if you’ve been eating a whole lot of asparagus, garlic, and onions recently, simply cutting out those foods could return your vagina to its natural scent.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
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