Personal Hygiene

Sometimes We Are Too Busy For Personal Hygiene

Women have a lot of responsibilities in the household. Traditionally we are the primary caregivers in our families. We prepare food, care for the kids, and ensure the house is clean. 

In some cases, we are the breadwinner of the family too, having to handle our family responsibilities while working a job or two.

Under these circumstances, we might not be able to pay full attention to our hygiene in a bid to keep up with our busy lifestyles.

However, Our Cleanliness Is Vital To Our Health

It’s unforgivable that we brush aside something as crucial as our feminine hygiene for these reasons. We are all aware of the importance of keeping ourselves, all parts of our bodies, particularly our intimate areas clean.

Our cleanliness is vital because of the various cycles we go through, including menstruation. Irregular cleaning and poor hygiene during periods can lead to the growth and spread of bacteria in our genitals, with unfortunate repercussions.

In this article, we focus on why personal hygiene in women is paramount and ways to attain it.

How To Develop A Personal Hygiene Routine

Personal hygiene means staying healthy and preventing diseases through practices of cleanliness. It involves grooming yourself and making hygienic decisions daily.

The best way to keep excellent personal hygiene is to have a daily routine that you strictly maintain.

Here are some excellent examples to adapt, and an explanation of why they are essential:

Wash Your Hands Regularly

Washing hands is a fundamental but essential aspect of hygiene because you regularly use your hands throughout the day.

Your hands are one part of your body that easily comes into contact with germs and microorganisms.

Colds, flu, coughing, and Hepatitis A are just some of the many diseases you can contract and even spread by having poor hand hygiene.

Keep Your Hair Clean

Hair washing is not only necessary for hygienic purposes, but it could be a defining factor in your overall beauty as a woman.

Bad hair hygiene can easily cause lice infestation, which is very unpleasant. To avoid this, condition and shampoo your hair at least 2-3 times a week.

Bathe Everyday

Don’t compromise on this rule. Body odor is not attractive in any way, and not bathing will cause body odor.

Also, there are so many harmful microorganisms that you kill by taking a bath, so why avoid one?

And there are therapeutic benefits too. Studies show that the body releases serotonin, a hormone that gives a feeling of euphoria, after cold showers.

Bathing is especially crucial during our menstrual periods, where poor hygiene (mostly infrequent bathing) could lead to excessive odor.

Ok, you don’t have to shower every day, but we think you should.  

Take Care Of Your Lady Parts

Though the vagina is a self-cleaning organ, you must make an effort to regularly clean your intimate region with water, while only using mild and appropriate cleansers.

However, it is essential to note that the vagina has susceptible skin, and using cleansers with strong chemicals can irritate it.

To facilitate proper vagina health, always wear comfortable clothing, and be wary of public toilets.

Also, during the period of menstruation, maintain proper hygiene by using high-quality tampons and pads .

Steps To Better Vagina Health

Do Not Engage in Douching

Douching was predominant in the Victorian Era, and even the Queen of England used it as a means to engage in feminine hygiene. Particularly during periods of menstruation.

It is a practice still used today by up to 40% of American women. However, studies show that douching is not so great for your health.

Vaginal douching increases the risk of women developing bacterial vaginosis by a whopping five times. But that’s not all, because douching also increases the risk of women getting cervical cancer.

A better alternative to approach cleanliness during periods is to allow clear water to run over your lady parts. Also, regularly changing your tampons and wearing breathable tampons is a safer option when it comes to keeping things fresh down there.

Shave. But Shave Carefully

Shaving off the hair down there is the in-thing today, and some consider it fashionable, in line with removing other hair on your body.

However, we recommend that instead of shaving everything away, you settle for trimming down your pubic hair. Trimming is preferable because your pubic hair plays a significant role in protecting your lady parts from abrasions.

Some studies show that a full shaving heightens the sensations for women when they have sex. So, if you are all for pleasurable moments and want to shave it all off, here are some tips to follow:

• Use a clean razor: We cannot overemphasize the importance of this. It is also crucial that you do not share razors because it increases the risk of you catching a blood-transmitted infection from someone else.
• Use a shaving cream because it reduces the friction between the blade and your lady parts – reducing the risk of getting cut.
• Don’t be in a hurry to finish shaving. Rushing can increase the risk of you getting cut.
• Shave in the shower, towards the end of your bath because your pores will be open at this time and it would make the hairs fall off more easily.

All in all, if you want to shave off the hair guarding your vagina completely, make sure you try as much as possible to avoid getting cuts. Your lady parts are not a great place to have a cut related infection.

Alternatively, seek the help of a professional and consider a Brazilian or bikini line waxing. 

Avoid Using Soaps

Your vagina is a delicate part of your body and needs the utmost care.

Do not fall into the temptation of using soaps to keep it fresh.

Some soaps can disrupt the pH balance of your vagina by washing away a helpful bacterium called lactobacilli. The lactobacilli exist more or less like an antibody and fight against other bacteria like staph aureus.

Instead, use water to cleanse your down below. Water has a neutral pH balance that keeps lactobacilli alive; thus, protecting your vagina from harmful bacteria.

Or if necessary consult a health professional about formulated vaginal cleansers you can use.  

Wipe Like A Pro

For better hygiene, you must wipe after using the toilet.

You know this, and you have probably been doing it for years. But are you sure you are wiping correctly?

It is essential to know how to wipe right. Cystitis infections crop up because of bacteria that live in the colon, making their way into the urethra. And since these bacteria do not belong there, they can cause UTIs.

So, what is the best way to wipe?

The best way to wipe is from top to bottom, and not bottom to top. If you wipe like this, then you are a wiping pro. If you don’t, make changes immediately and join the pro wipers gang.

Wear Breathable Underwear

Shopping for new lingerie can be a really exciting activity.

But if you choose panties for your vagina that do not allow it to breathe, it will scream for help.

The most breathable material is cotton and Harvard Health recommends that you use this instead of nylon panties.

Nylon is designed specifically for water retention and is a great material if you are going for a swim. As a panty, nylon doesn’t allow your vagina to breath, it increases sweating and provides a friendly environment for bacteria to form and grow.

Therefore, cotton undies are the best option because they are more comfortable and give your vagina a breath of relief (no pun intended).

Practice Safe Sex

A great way of keeping your vagina clean and healthy is to make sure you know what you are putting in it, is safe.

So, unless you and your partner have been given a hall pass by a medical professional, always practice safe sex.

Unsafe sex is a great way to contract diseases and infections that cannot only damage your vagina but also mess up your health.

Use barrier contraceptives during penetrative sex to give yourself maximum protection. Also, use barrier contraceptives during oral sexual activities because a few diseases such as herpes and gonorrhea can be spread this way.

Here is some other sex-related stuff that you should follow to maintain great vaginal health:

• Wash Up after Sex: It best to follow up with penetrative sex with the washing of the vagina. This is because the fluids secreted during sex can cause infections that do not always fall into the description of STIs.
• Urinate after sex: This is another great way to clean out sperm and other fluids from the urethra. Doing this helps minimize the risk of getting the pH balance of your vagina messed up.

Conclusion

Every woman wants to look beautiful and elegant. However, elegance and beauty need cleanliness inside and out.

In addition to the feeling of confidence you get from maintaining a clean body, cleanliness lessens your risk of contracting and spreading diseases to your loved ones.

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