Useful tips for intimate care

Close fitting clothing or underwear made from synthetic fibres, panty liners with a plastic film and nylon tights can cause a build-up of warmth and moisture in the intimate area, which may contribute to the development of skin irritation and infection.

  Avoid:

• underwear made from synthetic fibres
• nylon tights

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• wear cotton underwear and wash it at 60°C
• change underwear daily
• don’t wear tights or only wear those made from cotton or wool

Wearing panty liners without a breathable film can raise the pH of the vulvar skin which in turn disrupts the protective acid mantle. It can also create a warm and damp environment that favours the growth of fungi and bacteria.

  Avoid:

• panty liners made with a plastic film
• panty liners made from synthetic material
• panty liners with perfumes

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• don’t use panty liners
• or use panty liners without perfume, without a plastic film and with a high cotton content

Tight clothing and underwear can chafe and cause skin irritation. Irritated skin is more susceptible to infection.

  Avoid:

• tight trousers
• G-strings
• wearing trousers without underwear

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• don’t wear trousers that are too tight

Some women prefer to wear sanitary towels (pads) during their period, others favour tampons. You should use pads with the lowest possible synthetic fibre and highest possible natural fibre content (see panty liners.) In certain situations, your gynaecologist may recommend that you use pads only. Good hygiene in the external genital area is especially important during your period.

  Avoid:

• using tampons during a vaginal infection
• using tampons outside your normal period (they dry out the vagina)

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• change tampons every 3–6 hours in the first 2–3 days of your period, then every 4–8 hours

Not all toilet paper is the same. There are great differences in quality. Rough toilet paper with high wood fibre content can irritate the sensitive skin of the external genital area.

  Avoid:

• toilet paper with high levels of wood fibre
• toilet paper with antibacterial additives

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• use soft toilet paper

Some infections of the vagina are caused by an improper ‘wiping technique’ on the toilet. Wiping the toilet paper from back to front can transfer bacteria from the rectum into the vagina. Rectal bacteria are present in the intimate area in small numbers anyway, but it is important not to spread them to the vaginal area in greater quantities.

  Avoid:

• wiping from back to front

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• wipe from front to back

Depilatory creams often contain aggressive ingredients that can cause cutaneous redness, itching and burning. There is no problem in principle with shaving or hair removal in the bikini area, but shaving can cause microinjuries to the skin which are entry points for micro-organisms, encouraging skin infections in this area. Some women also have a natural tendency to develop ingrowing hair, that is to say, after shaving or depilation the regrowing hair does not grow outwards but instead, into the skin.This causes itching and inflammation. If a bacterial infection of the hair follicle is added to this, folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicle) occurs, which requires medical treatment.

  Avoid:

• shaving or depilation if you have a tendency to develop ingrowing hair and folliculitis
• depilatory creams
• dry shaving
• using an electric razor
• epilation
• warm or cold wax hair removal — irritates the skin and is very painful

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• first shorten the hairs using scissors
• shave wet, after creating lather
• only use fresh blades
• never use blades that have been used by someone else
• shave in the direction of hair growth, rinse thoroughly, pat dry, moisturise

Soaking for extended time in the water (bathtub, swimming pool) causes the skin to swell and lose its protection. It then becomes more susceptible to irritation and/or vaginal infection. The warm water in a much-used, inadequately disinfected public whirlpool is, like a steam bath, an ideal biotope for micro-organisms of all types. If you are susceptible to recurrent vaginal infections, you should avoid these baths. Moreover, the chlorine used to disinfect swimming pools can cause skin irritation and allergies in those with such sensitivities.

  Avoid:

• long baths
• long periods in the swimming pool
• sitting in moist heat (edge of the swimming pool)
• public spa baths, steam baths, whirlpools
• swimming pools, if you are sensitive to chlorine

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• change your bathing suit after swimming, dry yourself well

A personal wet flannel, used over and over, is an ideal breeding ground for yeast and bacteria. For this reason, especially if you are susceptible to vaginal infections, it is better to use disposable wipes or to use a fresh flannel each time you clean your genital area.

  Avoid:

• using the same flannel many times over
• sharing flannels and towels with a partner

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• wash your intimate area with your hands
• or use disposable wipes
• or use a clean cotton flannel every time you wash your intimate area
• dry thoroughly
• wash flannels and towels at a temperature of at least 60°C

Skin irritation in the vulvovaginal area is not uncommon after sexual intercourse. If you are sensitive you should apply a skin cream to the area beforehand and possibly afterwards as well. If the vulvar area and the vagina itself are too dry, a gel or cream can help (e.g. Vagisan MoistCream)

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• if your skin is sensitive, apply cream to your outer intimate area beforehand, possibly also afterwards (e.g. Vagisan MoistCream)
• for your male partner: intimate hygiene before sex, particularly around the foreskin

Take care to preserve the natural balance in the genital area and not to disrupt your body’s own defence system. One very important aspect is maintaining the acid protective mantle. Excessive hygiene can be just as harmful as insufficient hygiene.

  Avoid:

• alkaline soaps
• shower gels containing aggressive cleansers
• moist toilet paper (exception: when travelling)

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• use a special intimate wash lotion (e.g. Vagisan Intimate Wash Lotion)

Excessive intimate hygiene can be just as harmful as insufficient hygiene; it comes down to finding a healthy middle course.

  Avoid:

• washing several times a day
• vaginal douching
• hygiene sprays for the intimate area
• directing strong jets of water onto your intimate area

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• wash once or twice daily
• protect and soothe irritated skin with a cream

The use of preservative agents and fragrances in intimate care products cannot always be avoided, as the products must last and have a pleasant smell. Still, it is possible to minimise contact with these substances by avoiding premoistened wipes and intimate sprays. Because these products are not rinsed off and so remain on the skin after they are applied, they may promote the development of allergies. If you have a known allergy to particular fragrance and preservative agents, you should read the ingredient list of intimate care products very carefully.

  Avoid:

• hygiene sprays for the intimate area
• moist toilet paper
• strongly perfumed creams and sanitary care products

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• check ingredients and quality when buying sanitary care products

Traces of urine and faeces can also irritate the skin. You should discuss any urinary or intestinal problems you may be having with your doctor.

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• wash irritated skin once or twice daily
• in addition, if your skin is irritated, wash only with water after going to the toilet
• apply cream before and/or after going to the toilet each time

Douching is very common in some countries when women suffer from persistent vaginal bacterial or yeast infections. However douching can make the discomfort considerably worse. Harmful bacteria cannot be killed with vaginal douches. On the contrary, douches may destroy the natural colonies of lactobacilli and severely irritate the vaginal mucosa.

  Avoid:

• vaginal douching

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• only wash the outer intimate area

The skin of the external genital area is also colonised by natural microbial flora including lactobacilli. In addition, the skin produces a protective hydrolipidic film from its own lipids and substances that bind moisture, which has an acidic pH of about 5.0 and is known as the protective acid mantle of the skin. This means that there is also a natural defence against pathogens (disease-causing micro-organisms) in the external genital area. In order to maintain and preserve the acid protective mantle, it is important to cleanse the skin gently.

  Avoid:

• alkaline soaps or shower gels with aggressive cleansers
• long baths

  Appropriate intimate hygiene:

• use a mild intimate wash lotion