Cleaning

[Whimsy_Clover]

I've been told that the vagina is self-cleaning, thus you should only use water and very mild soap to cleanse the area. Because of this, I usually only clean the area with water and/or soap. However, I find that there's still a bit of uncleanliness around the crotch area, as in the crooks of my inner thighs, that's really hard to remove. I don't want to use scrubs or anything too strong since the area is too close to my vagina, but it's still something that needs to be cleaned. Does anyone have any advice for what to use to get rid of the dirt without irritating my genitals? Thank you!

[Elise]

Hi there Whimsy_Clover, and welcome to Scarleteen!

Yes, the vagina cleans and regulates itself with the secretions it makes, and the whole vulva area is best cleaned with a gentle unscented soap, so you're doing great there.

The inner thighs are a bit further away, however best to stay with gentle products there. Have you tried using a flannel washcloth something similarly lightly textured? When you say its hard to remove, are you able to remove it just with effort, currently?

[Whimsy_Clover]

Thanks for your reply! I usually clean the area with a small towel with soap, but it's still difficult to remove, as in I don't really see any change in cleanliness even after a minute or two of scrubbing. I usually stop there, but repeat the process the next day. Despite this, the dirt is still present.

[Sofi]

Honestly, it seems you are doing everything right as far as how you're cleaning the area. Gentle scrubbing with a towel and soap for a minute or two would remove any dirt built up. It is common for the skin in your inner thighs to be darker, so perhaps it is just a darker tone. I wouldn't worry too much if it isn't causing you any discomfort.

[EdSnow]

You should avoid washing with soap as that upsets the ph balance in your vulva area and that will then make it smell bad. If you are worried you could use something like FemFresh, but yes vaginas do clean themselves and so using very fragrant soaps or body washes, etc can upset it and make it smell. You don't need to do much just water and not a strong-smelling soap or FemFresh and you should be fine

[Siân]

Looks like you've got all the advice you need here Whimsy-Clover, and as Sofi said your skin just might be a slightly different colour there.

Just want to make clear on EdSnow's point, FemFresh might do some gentle unscented soap but they also do a lot of scented wipes, sprays and other things that are definitely NOT good news for your vulva. Just because it's sold for "intimate hygiene" doesn't mean it's actually good for you!