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They really are just not needed,” explains Dr. “Intravaginal douches are specifically frowned upon since they disrupt the pH and this delicate balance, which can lead to infection. When you start incorporating fancy feminine hygiene products, you actually mess with the good-for-you bacteria that work to fight these infections, the study authors note. “The vagina has natural mechanisms to keep the pH in the acidic range, and thus keep the natural balance of yeast and bacteria in order.”īasically, your vagina really just wants to be left alone to do its thing. “I love the saying ‘the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven,’” she explains. Your vagina doesn’t really need all of that extra stuff to keep things running smoothly, explains Alyssa Dweck, MD, a gynecologist based in New York. Turns out you don't need to do anything-seriously. So if feminine wipes and washes are a no-go, how exactly do you stay clean down there? What's the best way to clean your vagina? Either way, there’s still a strong correlation between the use of these products and irritation or infection, the researchers note. It’s not entirely clear if the women in the study purchased these products to address a problem they already had with their vagina or if they simply just wanted to keep things smelling rosy. Those who relied on feminine wipes were twice as likely to get a urinary tract infection, while lubricants or moisturizers were also linked to yeast infections. The problem? Those women had a three times higher chance of experiencing some kind of vaginal health problem, like an infection.įor instance, women who used gel sanitizers were eight times more likely to get a yeast infection and 20 times more likely to experience a bacterial infection, the study found.

More than 95 percent of the women surveyed reported using at least one product-such as moisturizers, anti-itch creams, feminine wipes, washes, sprays, and powders-in or around their vaginas. But according to a new study from the University of Guelph in Canada, that’ s not entirely necessary, and these types of feminine hygiene products might actually do more harm than good.įor the study, which was published in BMC Women’s Health, researchers surveyed nearly 1,500 Canadian women about their feminine hygiene habits.

You know, the ones that claim to keep your vagina smelling like fresh laundry. If you want to keep things feeling clean downstairs, there's a chance you've tried one of those washes, wipes, or sprays that line drugstore aisles in their bright pink and purple packaging.