Do you really have to use intimate hygiene products?

They fill the shelves of supermarkets or pharmacies, usually next to periodic protections. Intimate wipes, gels and creams or even cleansing treatments… These “feminine hygiene” products promise their users to regain freshness, cleanliness, comfort and even self-confidence.

But these products, more and more popular with women, are they really necessary? And above all, is their use really recommended by health professionals? We help you see more clearly.

Do I need special “feminine hygiene” care?

For the majority of them, these intimate hygiene products are above all a marketing parade, playing on women’s fear of smelling bad. For Jen Gunter, a Canadian-American gynecologist, specialist in women’s health and pain treatment, the use of this care on a daily basis is clearly not justified. In his latest work The vagina bible, the author devotes an entire chapter to personal hygiene. “The toilet of the vulva has never been the subject of scientific evaluations. This is interesting in itself, given the number of products that claim to be “gynecologically tested”… ”, announces the expert straight away.

“Some people claim to reduce the risk of bacterial vaginosis. It is not so. No product for external use can have an effect on the inside of the vagina, and using it internally (absolutely to be avoided!) Can on the contrary increase the risk of vaginosis by eliminating good bacteria or by irritating the vaginal mucosa ”, she continues. Mistrust therefore, as to the well-established discourse of brands. “Many“ feminine ”skincare products are scented, even those for“ sensitive skin ”. However, perfumes are a well-known cause of irritation and allergies ”, warns Dr. Jen Gunter.

Read also : Personal hygiene: 9 mistakes you should never make again

What to wash and with what?

Let’s start with what not to wash! Beware of confusion between vagina and vulva. “The vaginal opening (or vestibule), therefore behind the labia minora, is not lined with skin but with mucous membranes; like the inside of the vagina, it does not need to be washed ”, says the gynecologist. Likewise, douching is to be avoided: nature being well done, the vagina is self-cleaning. The specialist also specifies that the vulvar mucosa of the labia minora is very thin, so it is recommended not to introduce any toiletry product in this area. “You can use a cleansing treatment for the labia majora, the pubic area and the anus region”, explains the expert.

For personal hygiene, nothing beats simplicity. But since water does not completely remove sebum and faeces, some people therefore prefer to use a so-called “intimate” toilet product. Others with skin problems or sensitive mucous membranes will be content with water. Our expert says, for her part, to use the same product for the face as for the body and the vulva. To soaps too aggressive for the hydrolipidic film of the skin, Jen Gunter recommends to prefer lotions and cleansers.

Read also : Why is sleeping in panties a bad idea?

What are the best products for personal hygiene?

“Brands are constantly changing the composition of their products, so it is difficult to formulate precise recommendations. In addition, they do not always mention the pH ”, laments Jen Gunter.

• Precisely, the gynecologist advises to favor products with a pH between 5.3 and 7.0 but preferably close to 5.3 / 5.6, pH of the vulvar mucosa. “Exposure to a pH greater than or equal to 7 attacks the lipid layer of the skin”, she warns. In particular, she recommends Eucerin pH5 soap-free dermatological bar at 5.81, which can be found in our selection.
• Avoid products containing fragrances, natural or synthetic. These are common causes of irritation and allergic reactions.
• Avoid methylisothiazolinone (MI) and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI). These are known irritants and allergens.
• “The terms ‘gentle’, ‘baby’, ‘neutral pH’ and ‘gynecologically tested’ mean nothing medically. It’s marketing, period ”, says the specialist.
• If it irritates you, stop using the product immediately. “No, it doesn’t take ‘a while to get used to it'”, she says.

What about intimate wipes?

The gynecologist advises against the use of intimate wipes. Why avoid? “Because they are frequent cofactors of contact dermatitis in the vulvar and anal regions. In fact, the vulva is fifteen times more exposed to irritation caused by wipes than other areas of the body ”, she exposes. Unless you have faecal or urinary incontinence, in which case these come in handy, you don’t need to clean yourself further. “Behind this intensive marketing lies the idea that the female anatomy requires additional hygiene measures”, points to Jen Gunter.

To be “Clean and fresh” : a harmful patriarchal discourse

The taboo around the vulva has constrained speeches around genital hygiene. The economic sphere has succeeded in making the representation of a dirty female sex fruitful and intended above all for the pleasure of a male partner. It was thus admitted that it was necessary to get rid of its hairiness, and that it was necessary to wash the penis with special products, the hygiene product market implying (sometimes without much detour) that the vulva is dirty and smelly. The words of brands are often the same: praising the freshness and cleanliness provided by these products.

On this, Jen Gunter comments: “The feminine hygiene products industry, which brings in millions of dollars a year. Make no mistake: these people are not there to watch over your well-being, but to make you believe that your body is dirty and that “feminine freshness” is based on the feeling of “self-confidence, comfort and cleanliness” . Sounds like an advertising slogan, right? Normal, it is! “. A healthy vulva does not emit more odor than any other part of the body. And above all remember: if nature had wanted the vulva to smell like the rose, she would have made it smell like the rose.

6 things your vagina doesn’t like at all

Video by Clara Poudevigne

Marion Dos Santos Clara

Lifestyle journalist, Marion writes on topics related to psychology, love and sexuality, from a societal perspective. From female pleasure to new methods of personal development, …