6x why you should especially stay away from your vagina

Of those things we women don't talk about: grooming your pussy. Should you mess with soap or just do nothing down there? And what if it itches or irritates? Or if you want to shave? Once and for all, this ultimate list, because these 8 things you should always keep far away from your vagina:

Your vagina is acidic
Your vagina is more acidic than the rest of your skin. Because it is an intimate area, its higher acidity provides better protection against fungi and infections. It always gets quite warm in those panties, so that's handy. But that acidity is good: The pH level of your skin is on average between 7 and 8. That of your vulva is much lower, namely between 3 and 5. You must not disturb that value, which is why you should keep soap far away from your vagina.

Shower gel, shaving foam
If you lather yourself with shower gel, it can feel nice, but just apply it everywhere except in and around your box. If it drips a bit while rinsing, that's really no disaster. Use shaving foam only for your vulva, for your mons pubis. In other words: to shave your pussy bald, if you want to. Do not apply it between and in your labia and never put it in your vagina.

Wash your lips
We can't say labia anymore, right? They are now called: love lips. Yuck, I also find that a gross word. Anyway, those lips, the inner ones, you can sometimes gently spread and wash with a washcloth. But: only with lukewarm water. Not with scalding hot water and absolutely not with soap or anything.

Smell better?
We hear the singles among us thinking: I want it to smell nice down there when that nice man comes with his nice tongue? Yes, but the best thing is to spray nothing like perfume or anything else there. Gynecologist Albert Adriaanse strongly advises against washing emulsions. ‘A vagina is a self-cleaning organ, you should do as little as possible to it. Only if you have an infection can you adjust something. But washing your vagina is not wise. It can even lead to problems.’ A vagina smells like a vagina, period. And a partner probably finds that very sexy, just like a penis just smells and tastes like a penis. ruikt en smaakt.

Do not rinse
Also not necessary: trying to clean your entire inside with the showerhead. It is already clean by itself: your vagina cleans itself and does not need that. If it itches or burns, you might have a little fungus. The drugstore has handy creams for this that will get rid of it in a few days.

Let it air out
Even better for your pussy is to let it air out nicely at night (and also after sex): so don't wear tight panties or a thong to bed. Let it loose, let it go, and you will surely smell nice down there if you just take care of yourself. Do you really smell a different strange odor in your discharge? Then visit your doctor: who knows, it might be something other than a fungus or ‘normal’ discharge.