If we are being honest with ourselves, no one taught us even some of the most basic hygiene tips. We had to learn some of them as adults or post teens by reading magazines, watching TV or through friends. I guess, you can’t really be taught every single thing. Some things, you just have to learn by yourself *shrugs*. Personal hygiene is really important because first of all, you, especially as a woman, need to smell fresh and look well groomed failure to which, it’s a complete turn off and you could even get sick. If you’re prone to getting yeast infections, it’s probably because you might be doing one thing or another wrong. Some of those hygiene tips that no one ever teaches you are:
1. Wiping from front to back.
A majority of us would wipe from back to front, hey, maybe even some people still do that because they’re not aware that that is absolutely wrong because wiping from back to front can facilitate the transfer of fecal matter from your anus to your vagina, thus leading to infections, due to the bacteria found in human waste.
2. And by the way, since we are still on this topic,
Did you know that wearing thongs can also be harmful to your health? Well, some doctors have argued that since a G-string digs deep in between the butt cheeks, it can act as a transfer agent, transferring fecal residue from your anus to your vagina. This is especially for those who do not completely clean their nether regions after doing a number 2. So, ladies, those thongs might look sexy as hell, but, do note that they could be bad for you. What you want to do is to make sure that you’re wearing a thong that fits well (a thong should not feel uncomfortable. If it does, that means you’re wearing the wrong size) and that it’s made of cotton – which brings me to the next point.
3. Wearing underwear that’s not made of cotton can cause yeast infections.
Every underwear you purchase, you must ensure that it’s made of cotton fabric, at least at the vulva area and this is to ensure that the vagina is getting some air. Fabrics that are not breathable will lock in moisture since we all know that vaginas are quite moist and warmth and moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria and you can easily get yeast infections. And by the way, please, do not wear wet underwear. You would rather go without.
4. Using scented soaps.
You have probably used scented soaps or vagina douching soaps before. Listen, a vagina is a self-cleaning agent. You see that wetness inside your vagina? Yeah, that’s there to take care of all the dirt, clean your vagina and flush out any bacteria that could be there. So, no, you do not need to use all those vagina washing soaps in the market, or even scented soaps to smell better. All you need is warm water and a cloth. The chemicals in those scented soaps and douching products could harm your lady parts by causing irritation and even yeast infections. So, if you use soap down there, stop immediately. A vagina is not supposed to smell like a rose flower garden. It has its own natural scent.
5. Brushing only your teeth.
I know we were all taught to brush our teeth when we were kids. But, not many of us remember to brush our tongues. The tongue collects a lot of dirt and there can be a lot of bacteria build up. All that white stuff on the tongue is dirt that needs to be scraped off. In fact, there’s a tongue scraper meant just for that. Evert time you brush your teeth, be sure to also brush your tongue and gums gently. A dirty tongue will lead to bad breath.
6. Removing wax from ears with cotton buds.
As good as it feels, that will only push the wax further into the ear canal, and that leads to a wax build up in your ear canal, since the wax being produced cannot come out since it’s been blocked by the one you pushed down with your cotton bud. Get it? This can even destroy your eardrum. So, how exactly do you clean your ears then? Believe it or not, all you need to do is wash with soap and water while showering, just put your wash cloth on the ear and slowly tap at the entrance of the ear without really inserting anything in there too deep. If the ears are clogged with wax, a professional needs to unclog them.
7. Replace your towels often.
How often do you wash your towel? I don’t think I wanna know the answer. Some of you people will wait till a month to wash your towels, yikes! Towels are damp and they collect a lot of bacteria. In fact, you should use different towels for your face and body if you do not want to get breakouts on your face.
8. Wearing tampons on your light period days or when you have no period.
There are some girls that wear tampons when going commando so that the lady juices cannot transfer on the dress. Well, I hate to tell you that, that is actually very dangerous as you can get toxic shock syndrome, from wearing a tampon for too long or when you do not have a period. This can also lead to vagina dryness and yeast infections.