How do you cleanse your "feminine" areas?

RunningGirl · 10-29-2002, 12:27 AM

Alright,

This is one of those embarrassing moron questions that make me grateful for the internet.

I have regularly cleaned my external genitalia with Dial soap. Lately, I keep getting a wicked irritation just on the outside of my genital, no discharge, no odor, just raw and itchy.

My mom says that I shouldn't use soap in this area. I feel the need for soap here.

What do guys think?

nunu · 10-29-2002, 12:36 AM

Personally, I feel the need to use soap too. Perhaps you should switch to a perfume free brand like Dove unscented that is easy on the skin though. Many women react to the perfume in soaps in this area.

rosibecerra · 10-29-2002, 12:37 AM

I use dove soap, and I don't have any problems with it,
I never had problems with irritation I've been using it for alot of years.

hope this helps,

Rosa

andie531 · 10-29-2002, 01:41 AM

1. Summer's Eve Feminine Wash (It's possible that it's formulated to be non-irritating).

2. Baking soda

RunningGirl · 10-29-2002, 01:43 AM

These all sound like good suggestions!

I do have baking soda on hand, so I might give that a try in the morning. Do I just make a paste of it and use a washcloth?

thanks!

andie531 · 10-29-2002, 01:51 AM

Yes - you have to rinse well, though.

I discovered the baking soda thing while riffling through a book on Nevada houses of "ill repute", believe it or not. It's one of their trade secrets.

Eponine · 10-29-2002, 02:01 AM

I just rinse with water in the shower. I could go into my whole tirade about how women shouldn't feel the need to smell like flowers or rain, they should just smell like themselves, but I'm too tired tonight. I think soap would be too drying. And douches too irritating. I like to keep my natural lubrication down there. Keeps me from itching all the time.

janie_t. · 10-29-2002, 02:36 AM

I use Lowila, a soap-free bar for sensitive skin. Use it on my face, too. It's the only thing that doesn't make me sneeze when I wash my face. I've been using Lowila since doing 2 back-to-back courses of Accutane in 1988--the year DH and I got married. Yeah, I had my dream of clear skin on my wedding day but the zits came back as soon as I was off the Accutane! On the rest of my body, I use Dove.

Try a milder bar if you want to use soap. Dial is pretty harsh and I haven't used it since childhood (parents used it). I also stopped using Dial antibacterial liquid soap in our soap dispensers about a year ago, because it really aggravated my hand excema (sp?). HTH.

jannie_b · 10-29-2002, 08:45 AM

We probably should distinguish between outside the lips and inside. Outside, I just use whatever shower gel I'm using everywhere else. Inside, just warm water. Hope that is too graphic, but I got the sense that maybe we were talking about two different "down there"s!

Janet

shenacat · 10-29-2002, 01:55 PM

The only thing I wash with is St. Ives vanilla & vitamin e body wash and people comment on how soft my skin is. I wash the OUTSIDE of 'down there' but never go in to the genital area. Warm water does the job just fine there.

If you're worried about bacteria or something don't, because if it can't live in urine it will be dead pretty soon! if it can live in urine, well you've probably already got it anyway and need antibiotics!! And as for yeast... washing won't help that at all!

Mathisk · 10-29-2002, 03:32 PM

I use Ivory Soap and never had a problem with it.

kimi1964 · 10-29-2002, 03:36 PM

i don't wash my privates every day, but when i do, i just use cetaphil cleanser - actually, the walmart version of cetaphil cleanser, much cheaper. it doesn't latehr up, but it rinses clean and seems to keep everything from drying out.

i've had rashes before when i didn't rinse all the soap off, that's why i started using cetaphil.

JessicaE · 10-30-2002, 08:24 AM

Warm water only, per doctor's orders! I have had some problems with vestibulitis (vaginal pain) and one of the first things my doc told me was to never use soap or ANY cleansing product on my genitals, inner OR outer. In fact, she said, no one should do this as it disturbs the natural environment. She said use a little shampoo on the upper pubic hair if you feel you need it, but that the vagina is very delicate and self-cleansing. We should not feel "dirty"! They burned their bras in the 70s, maybe we should "flush our soaps"...

sasingle · 10-31-2002, 12:18 AM

I, too, was told that the vagina is self-cleansing and you should never use soap or powders of any kind down there. Although I simply just don't feel CLEAN unless I use Summer's Eve Feminine Wash--I buy the kind for sensitive skin & have never experienced dryness, infection or any irritation.

jlucy · 11-02-2002, 04:19 PM

I usually use Dove soap..unless we run out then it's whatever my mom buys. I just soap up a rag and was like everywhere else. My mom used to not wash her privates when she was younger because my grandmother told her she didn't have to. Then when she got older the doctor found out and told her she needed to wash herself down there too just like everywhere else. I wish I could douche but I just got an IUD and it could maybe make it come out so I have to stop that. I'm just always bloody so I like to get that all cleaned out but I'll survive now with just washing.