By Intimate Health Expert Stephanie Taylor of Kegel8

The smell of cinnamon, vanilla and peppermint conjure up wonderful images of Christmas time.

While these delectable scents smell wonderful and promise a range of soothing benefits, it’s best to keep it simple when it comes to your intimate area.

That’s because here are a whole host of ingredients that go into making up your body products, including some unnecessary fragrances and preservatives that can throw off your vagina’s natural pH balance and do more harm than good.

Intimate Health Expert Stephanie Taylor of pelvic healthcare company Kegel8, shares her advice on how to take care of your vaginal health this festive season.

They disturb the natural balance

Your vagina has lots of bacteria, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Bacteria called lactobacilli ensure that your vagina’s pH balance stays at a normal low level
(usually less than pH 4.5), which prevents the growth of other organisms.

If the balance of bacteria is disturbed, this can lead to infection and inflammation. A dramatic change in your vagina’s pH level can result in infections such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush.

It’s already self-cleaning

Your vagina is an impressive self-cleaning organ and discharge is a normal bodily function.

While feminine hygiene products may promise to have you smelling fresh and clean, these really aren’t necessary.

Healthy vaginal discharge doesn’t have a pungent odour, it should be a clear or milky fluid or mucus that actually keeps your vagina clean and moist to protect it from infection.

Vaginal odour or amount of discharge may also be impacted by changes in your cycle and doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong.

However, if it has changed in consistency, colour or smell and you’re using scented products to disguise the odour, visit your GP to discuss your concerns.

Fragrances can be irritating
A delicious scent in your body wash may be a drawcard while you’re browsing the aisles at your local store but these can irritate your skin.

Using heavily perfumed soaps to clean sensitive areas such as the labia and vulva can cause skin irritation such as contact dermatitis which causes the skin to become itchy, red or even inflamed due to an irritation of the sensitive vaginal mucosa (the mucus membrane inside the vagina).

Contact dermatitis is most commonly caused by irritants such as soaps and detergents.

There are also a number of natural fragrances, such as essential oils, which can be irritating to the skin. While some of these scents evoke warm feelings of the festive period your lady parts won’t thank you for it.

Christmas-y scents like cinnamon can cause hypersensitivity and lead to side effects like skin irritation and burning.

Meanwhile, peppermint oil, which is also a popular scent in festive body washes, can cause skin rashes and irritation.

Once irritated, even simple things such as friction of your clothing, urine and sweat can exacerbate the issue, so it’s best to steer clear.

It’s much better to keep it natural

While plain, unperfumed soap may not seem like the most luxurious option, this is the best product to use to clean your vagina.

Gently wash your vulva with plain, unperfumed soaps, a clean washcloth and warm water regularly and allow the inside of your vagina to naturally clean itself. Wearing cotton underwear will also help prevent yeast infections and will gently absorb any excess moisture.

If you do decide to use a feminine hygiene wash, look for a product that is scent-free, dermatologically/gynecologically tested and hypoallergenic.