Can soap cause a yeast infection?

[Butterfly9]

Can soaps like summer eve and vagisil cause yeast infections? I know not to douche but what about those soaps or the little wet wipes they have? Are they safe? They say gynocologist tested and hypoallergectic

[Karyn]

It's possible, yep, although if they aren't used inside the vagina it's less likely to be an issue. They can throw off the balance of good and bad bacteria and yeast in the vagina, making it more likely that yeast will overgrow and result in a yeast infection. Really, unless your doctor has told you otherwise, there's no reason to use anything other than warm water or a very mild, unscented soap on your genitals: the vagina is self-cleaning and it doesn't need any help to do its job.

[Butterfly9]

OK thanks
I thought maybe it was a good soap I know some soaps like bubble bath irritates me

[Karyn]

Bubble bath causes problems for a lot of people. If you're going to use soap at all (and it's generally not necessary, rinsing with warm water is just fine) then you want to use something that doesn't have any any added scents, that's as natural as possible: something like an olive oil soap without any preservatives or perfumes is usually a good bet.