How to maintain a healthy vaginal pH is a common question for a good reason. It’s a big deal. A healthy vagina means you don’t have to deal with things like frequent infections. That means no itching, no extra discharge, and just generally no frustration with your vagina.
Just because it’s a good question doesn’t mean it’s easy to find the answer. Sometimes the answers about maintaining a healthy vaginal pH just aren’t that clear. But that’s why we’re here. We have answers to make sure you aren’t left wondering about your vaginal health. Let’s talk about how to maintain a healthy vaginal pH.
Does Diet Help Maintain A Healthy Vaginal pH?
Yes. The foods you eat do affect your vaginal health. That means there are foods you can eat (and foods you can avoid) to keep your vagina healthy and happy. Avoiding too much sugar, for example, can be one way to make sure your vaginal health is protected.
You can also eat a diet high in soy which contains a lot of estrogen. The estrogen can mimic what your body creates naturally and help with things like vaginal dryness and pH. This doesn’t mean you have to switch to all soy products. But changing out one or two things for soy alternatives can have great effects on your vagina.
Related: 5 Feminine Products That Won’t Change Your Vaginal pH
What Does Hygiene Do To Healthy Vaginal pH?
Depending on what you use to wash your Vee, hygiene can have a big role in your vaginal pH. If you’re using something that is heavily scented it can throw things off and cause an infection. That means your vaginal pH is really relying quite a bit on how you clean down there.
The same way you don’t want to use highly scented products, you also want to make sure you’re still cleaning your vaginal area. Just make sure you’re only cleaning the external area. No douching needed. But avoiding cleaning your lady bits can cause just as much of an issue as using the wrong product.
Your best bet is to use warm water and a gentle soap. You can use something like VeeGentle which is made for cleaning down there. The bottom line is just to make sure whatever you do decide to use is not full of harsh ingredients that will irritate that area. It’s delicate so treat it as gently as possible.
What Can I Do To Maintain My Vaginal pH?
You already know about diet and cleansing which are two important parts of keeping things as normal as possible. You can also do things like using a condom during sex. This can prevent STDs which will definitely throw off your vaginal pH.
Try taking probiotics. This can help keep things at a homeostasis even if you have to take antibiotics to treat something like a sinus infection. You can take a pill form or eat more probiotic based yogurt in your diet. Do whatever feels best for you.
Final Thoughts
Wanting to maintain a healthy vaginal pH is a great way to take care of yourself. Self care like this will help make sure you don’t have to deal with frustrating infections in the future. Use the tips you’ve read here today to help make changes where you need to.
The more you can do now to protect your vaginal pH the better. It’s best to be preventative rather than try to correct something later. You’ve totally got this.
Sarah Nelson is a nurse with 15 years of experience working with a variety of patients. She has a Masters of Science in Nursing and has spent a large portion of her career working exclusively with women in an OB/GYN setting.
Nursing is a passion for Sarah but she also enjoys writing and sharing her expertise online with people who need helpful information. Treating patients well and helping them learn more about their own bodies is a key essential to a healthy lifestyle that Sarah truly believes in.