Cleanser For Sensitiveness

Certain vaginal washes containing fragrances or essential oils can irritate the vulva, cause mild to severe allergic reactions and injure sensitive skin. Washing with hard soaps and rinses can also upset the vaginal pH, increase the risk of infection and cause unpleasant smells.

If you don't have a specific health issue, your vagina does a good job of keeping itself clean. The vagina is self-cleaning and produces its own discharge to flush out bacteria and maintain a healthy pH balance. Removing this discharge would be like washing the inside of your mouth with soap or shampoo - it could irritate or even burn or cause dryness.

A Problem for Most Women

In fact, using commercial over-the-counter vaginal products, particularly douches and fragranced washes, is a problem for most women. The vagina is not able to "regulate" the cleaning with these products because they contain harsh chemicals that upset the sensitive pH balance in the vagina. This can cause itching, dryness and burning.

There are times when the vagina should be cleansed - for example, after strenuous physical activity or during sexual intercourse. Cleansing can also become necessary if irritation occurs after using tampons or menstrual pads (see "Cleansing After Using Tampons"). If this is necessary, use plain warm water in the shower.

"Cleansing After Using Tampons" Cleansing with plain warm water is all that would be needed after a single tampon use, but if you have used a couple of tampons in the day, you can use a mild cleanser on your vulva. Use gentle non-irritating water soluble (no perfumes) cleansers such as Cleansing Gel by Natural Organics or Cleansing Cream by Weleda that are designed for the face and body, not just the vagina. They're less likely to cause irritation than products with perfume. Cleansing Cream by Weleda also contains soothing chamomile, which is excellent for irritated skin.

Vagina Cleanser

These vagina cleansers are PH balanced and do not disrupt the vagina's normal pH or cause dryness. They can be purchased at many health food stores, some pharmacies and online ( see Resources ). Use them only on the vulva, not inside the vagina. Cleansing Gel by Natural Organics is a "no drip", clear gel that feels silky smooth. Cleansing Cream by Weleda contains apricot kernel oil and glycerine soap that makes it easy to use in the shower or bathtub.

When using either of these products, just apply a thin layer over the vulva and gently wash the skin. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and pat dry.

Don't use douches or vaginal deodorants, because they contain harsh chemicals that can actually cause irritation and increase your risk of infection. Douching disturbs the vagina's natural pH balance and makes women more prone to infections such as yeast and bacterial vaginosis (BV) (see "Cleansing After Using Tampons").

These products can be purchased at specialty stores, pharmacies and online ( see Resources ) or you can make your own. Cleansing Gel by Natural Organics makes an excellent douche that's totally natural and will not upset pH levels or cause dryness. Cleansing Cream by Weleda can also be used as a douche for cleansing purposes, but it is not a good cleanser for daily use because of its high glycerin soap content.

If you have a specific dermatological skin condition such as dermatitis or psoriasis that requires cleansing, then you should consult your physician to determine the best way to do this. Cleansing Gel by Natural Organics is an excellent choice for this. Cleansing Cream by Weleda can be used as a cleanser, but if cleansing is required daily it would usually be too irritating to the skin.