Intimate hygiene: how to choose your daily care, before / after hair removal, according to your age …

The vagina is an area where the skin and mucous membranes that compose it requires special attention. "This part of our body is not dirty. The inside of the vagina is like a pyrolysis oven. He cleans himself when all is well", Illustrates Odile Bagot obstetrician-gynecologist at the origin of the site Mam Gynéco *. To take care of the outdoor part, specific products can be interesting. Others, on the contrary, are to be avoided.

Intimate hygiene: what you need to know

For the doctor, it is important to remember that a hygiene product should not be used for its fragrance. A healthy vagina does not emerge no bad smells. If not, there are two reasons for this: vaginosis, a mild vaginal infection that develops when the bacterial flora is disrupted, or a forgotten tampon.

Never use a product for the inner part of the vaginaor do a vaginal douche. The latter removes lactobacilli found naturally in the vagina that are essential for the good health of the vaginal flora, explains Odile Bagot. "I also do not recommend intimate wipes, but just because it's not environmentally friendly"She continues.

Intimate toilet: when, how, with what?

The intimate toilet can start from childhood. It is not essential for a little girl to have specific care if it does not present any particular problems (irritations, redness). However, "it is an opportunity for parents to talk about their child's intimate hygiene and the relationship to the body. We can propose to the little girl to choose a product of personal hygiene adapted to her age which will be hers and that she will use alone", Suggests the gynecologist.

Intimate care evolves with age. Adult, the products used will not be the same for a woman settled for a postmenopausal. The latter is more prone to vaginal dryness and will need more moisturizing care.

No matter the age, the health professional recommends to wash daily. For a woman settled and without any particular problem, the idea is to preserve the vaginal flora with products intended for the vulva whose pH must be either neutral or slightly acidic. If there is a mycosis, it is better to buy a product adapted to the alkaline pH (greater than 7).

And for care related to hair removal?

Some types of hair removal require special care. "Shaving, a woman can make micro-cuts, the door open to the development of bad germs and therefore to infections, she informs. I advise to disinfect the area with a suitable product before and after the passage of the razor."It is also possible to apply an after-shave cream designed for the jersey to soothe irritation.

Before a waxing, it is possible to perform a gentle scrub on the outer part of the sex to avoid ingrown hairs.

* Met at a meeting on intimate well-being organized by Intimy Care.

Read also :

⋙ 7 misconceptions about vaginal dryness

⋙ Vaginal vaginal mycosis: my effective strategy in 3 steps

⋙ Personal hygiene: the mistakes we make (often) when we wash