smelly cat~

[acearohanda]

So while I wash regularly with gentle soap (olive oil bar soap bc its about the only thing i dont have a reaction to) and water (only water on inner labia), any time i get hot (even just like laying in the sun for my daily photosynthesis) I end up with a smelly crotch. Its not "vagina" smell but is definitely b.o. that is distinct to that area (smells different than say if i didn't wear deodorant for a few days and pits started to smell.) its been this way my whole life. You'd think as someone who doesn't have properly functioning sweat glands this would not be a problem AND YET. i'm very self conscious about it (and also like if i smell it at all even with self play its like NOPE.) I mean definitely something chemistry wise is happening bc the b.o. tastes different too. all this to say, I know you're not supposed to put any perfume especially IN your vagina. But is it safe to use deodorants on your labia? if not, any suggestions besides "don't ever get hot"

[Sofi]

Hi acearohanda, have you brought this up to a gynecologist or any healthcare professional before? I know you mentioned it's been like this forever, but I wonder if it could be something other than your natural scent. Sometimes it's a matter of an unbalanced pH, although I'm glad to hear you're not using perfumes or washes down there, as that's a common cause for that. It's worth checking, though, to make sure it's not something like B.V. Also we can't recommend deodorants down there but there are definitely some "safe" (not really something I'd recommend regardless, but as safe as it can be) products for the area and as long as you're super careful to use only externally, it's an option.

[acearohanda]

yeah been to the gyno plenty in the past couples years especially (bc surprise bleeding post hysto...despite no internal hole haaa.) nothing abnormal. its definitely just like body odor not vaginal (like coming from the labial areas not inside fo sho) i just don't like it. but i mean nothing noticeably wrong medically (i guess ph has never been tested tho..maybe i should try a fragrance free ph wash)

[Sam W]

Since it sounds like it's not related to any medical and is just part of how your body sweats, one possible option would also be to see if using more "breathable" underwear helps at all, if only because that can help with airflow, which sometimes helps with decreasing the smell from sweat.

[acearohanda]

well that's what really confuses me. i .. don't sweat? like i have malfunctioning sweat glands i just overheat.

[Sam W]

That is a bit odd! Although, the bacteria on our skin can also contribute to body odor, so that may be playing a role here. Breathable clothing might still help in this instance because it's less likely to trap whatever smell there is.