Personal hygiene is an important aspect for everyone. But how do you encourage young girls to maintain good health and hygiene for their vagina? We’ve listed some of the things they can do to keep their va-jay-jay healthy and clean:
- They should make sure to wipe from front to back after going to the bathroom to help prevent any infections.
- They should wear pure cotton underwear as much as possible, this’ll help keep things dry because the fabric ‘breathes'. If they do notice things are a little damp, they should change into a clean pair of panties.
- They should try avoid wearing very tight-fitting clothes (like stockings, tights, synthetic leggings or pantyhose) for long periods of time as these can cause them to sweat and increase the chances of some very uncool infections down there.
- They should take a daily shower or bath. If they are big into sports, then they should consider showering after they have finished training. Sports will increase the amount of sweat our body creates so it's best to wash it all off when they’re done.
- When in the bath or shower, they should make sure that they have a good wash with soap or shower gel and water. Using a sponge or washcloth and making sure to clean under their armpits and around the vaginal area is important.
- They should make sure all soap is rinsed off before they get out the bath/shower, any soap left on the skin can cause the vagina to dry out and get itchy.
- They should keep their vagina clean by washing the outside areas only. The inside parts (like where a tampon is inserted) have their own cleaning system – how cool is that!
- They should change pads and tampons very regularly to avoid any nasty infections.
- Finally, they should NOT spray deodorant onto the vaginal area – deodorant has chemicals in it that will affect the pH levels down there, which won't be comfy
Some of their friends may talk about other things that they use to make themselves feel cleaner, things like douches, feminine hygiene sprays, vaginal steaming or yoni steaming, or feminine wash products. Normally these things can actually do more harm than good, so encourage them to only use something like that if prescribed by a doctor.
Any mucous coming out of their vagina (i.e. not urine or a period) is called vaginal discharge and it's normal for your child to find some clear or slightly milky discharge in their underwear. Get them some Kotex® Pantyliners to help protect their underwear from this.
Female hygiene is definitely not rocket science, but it’s something that every girl should get on top of. As the body changes, it starts to let off different odors that come from the glands under their arms and around their pelvic area. Sorting out these smells is easy with regular showers and keeping some deodorant in their bag. When it comes to the vagina, all girls have their own unique smell, but it's not something anyone else will be able to notice.
The advice provided in this material is general in nature and is not intended as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please consult your health care professional.
