Healthy Vaginas Club

For teens, water is enough for daily vulva care. If you choose a product, use a fragrance-free, pH-considerate wash on the external skin only—never inside the vagina—and rinse well. Skip douching and perfumed sprays, manage moisture (breathable cotton), and see a clinician for strong odor, pain, fever, or unusual discharge.

For minimal bumps: trim or shave with the grain, use a sharp single-use blade or guarded trimmer, cleanse external skin only, use a slip-friendly shave medium, rinse well, then pat dry and apply a soothing, fragrance-free post-care oil/gel. Wear breathable underwear and avoid tight/damp fabrics. Never use depilatories on mucosa.

BV usually causes a thin gray/white discharge with a strong fishy odor and a vaginal pH above 4.5, with little or no itch. Yeast infections often cause intense vulvar itch, redness, and thick “cottage-cheese” discharge, with normal pH (≤4.5). Testing and diagnosis come from a clinician; skip douching.

Rinse the vulva (outside only) with warm water, then pat dry. If you want a cleanser, use a fragrance-free, pH-considerate wash sparingly—never douche. Urinate soon after sex, swap damp fabrics for breathable underwear, and skip perfumed sprays. See a clinician for strong odor, unusual discharge, pain, or fever.

Yes. Labia commonly differ in size, shape, and color—one side longer or darker is usually normal anatomy. See a clinician if you have new pain, swelling, sores, a rapidly growing lump, discharge with odor, or fever. For everyday comfort, use external-only, fragrance-free care and manage moisture and friction.

Once daily is enough for most people—external skin only—using warm water and clean hands. If you prefer a cleanser, choose a fragrance-free, pH-considerate wash and use it sparingly. After workouts, periods, or sex, rinse externally and pat dry. Never douche or wash inside the vagina.

• External-only routine: water → mild fragrance-free cleanse (optional) → thin layer of petrolatum or zinc oxide.
  

• Avoid fragrance, dyes, harsh surfactants, essential oils, scrubs, powders, and deodorant sprays on the vulva.
  

• Moisture and friction management are as important as products.
  

• Lichen sclerosus (LS) is medical—get diagnosed and treated, then use bland emollients as supportive care.

• Postpartum/lactation hormones can shift pH, moisture, and scent—often temporary.
  
  

• Use external-only cleansing, breathable fabrics, and moisture-control habits.
  
  

• Red flags (foul odor, fever, pelvic pain, unusual discharge/bleeding) → clinician.

• Best evidence: recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (esp. non-albicans species) → 600 mg nightly for 14–21 days per clinician. CDC+1
  
  

• BV: may be used with standard antibiotics for recurrent cases; evidence is evolving—use only under clinician direction. Cleveland Clinic+1
  
  

• Safety: Not for pregnancy; toxic if swallowed—call Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 after any ingestion. ARUP Laboratories+1

• Sprays often irritate; they don’t fix the cause of odor.
  

• Keep care external-only, fragrance-light (or fragrance-free), and breathable.
  

• New/persistent odor, unusual discharge, itching, pain, or bleeding = see a clinician.

• Breathable underwear + quick moisture control = lower yeast risk.
  

• Change out of sweaty leggings or wet swimsuits promptly; pat the external area dry.
  

• Use gentle external-only cleansing; avoid douching and perfumed sprays.
  

• Recurrent symptoms deserve a clinician visit.

• Hands or soft washcloth = yes (external only).
  

• Loofahs/poufs = no on the genital area (bacteria + abrasion).
  

• The vagina is self-cleaning—do not wash inside or douche.
  

• If you notice strong new odor, unusual discharge, itching, pain, or bleeding, see a clinician.

• Normal: clear→milky white; mild scent; texture varies during the cycle.

• Not normal: gray/fishy (BV), thick white + itch (yeast), green/yellow frothy (trich).

• Do: gentle external cleansing only (never inside); avoid douching; call a clinician for persistent changes.

TL;DR

• Healthy vaginal pH: roughly 3.8–4.5 in reproductive years.

• Common disruptors: semen, menstrual blood, antibiotics, hormonal shifts.

• Do: cleanse externally and gently; wear breathable fabrics; get evaluated for persistent symptoms. Don’t: douche or mask odor with fragranced sprays.