How to look after your vulva
Forget soap, shower gel and douching. And absolutely never steam
When it comes to putting anything near the vulva, as natural as possible is best. This means no soaps, shower gels or feminine washes – essentially any product that foams, because they can dry the skin, get rid of the good bacteria and increase the likelihood of developing bacterial vaginosis (BV) and thrush.
The vagina itself is self-cleaning, so all you need to do is clean it with water or an emollient. You can also apply an emulsifying ointment or olive or coconut oil – not inside – to act as a moisturiser. When we wash, anything we’re using elsewhere on the body such as shower gel and shampoo tends to run down between the legs, so having an oil over the vagina reduces the risk of an allergic reaction or irritation. Just rinse it off at the end. Douching is an absolute no-no as it removes lactobacilli, which are there to prevent infections. And absolutely never steam.