“Women should avoid using intimate wipes and other feminine hygiene products because the fragrances and preservatives in these products are not good for your vagina,” suggests Dr Seema Jain, associate director, obstetrics and gynaecology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi.
The University of Iowa's vulvar skin care guidelines suggests that it is best to refrain from using any type of “feminine hygiene sprays, perfumes, adult, or baby wipes.” They also suggest that women use only white, unscented toilet paper and stay away from those containing aloe.
Impact on your health:
Many feminine wipes contain chemicals of concern linked to cancer, hormone disruption and fertility problems (see list of chemicals in wipes below). The long term health risks of exposure to these chemicals from using wipes have never been studied and are largely unknown but concerning.
Vagisil Ultra Fresh Intimate Wipes provide on-the-go freshness. You may often need instant relief from feminine discomfort or want to refresh your intimate area after exercise, throughout your menstrual cycle or whenever you are on the go.
Wipes. Some women use flushable wipes to clean their anuses and cleansing wipes for their vaginas. Like douches, these wipes can disrupt the good vaginal bacteria and lead to soreness, itchiness and odor.
Vaginal odor can be caused by diet, sweating, menstruation, or pregnancy. It can sometimes also be caused by infections like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis.
A strong vaginal odor may be a sign of vaginitis, or it may be a temporary smell related to your hygiene, lifestyle or other changes. Take note of whether you have other symptoms. If the odor is related to an infection, you'll usually notice other changes, like vaginal itching, burning and discharge.
In short, yes! If it helps you feel more clean and fresh, that is certainly okay. There are also wipes made for women, sometimes referred to as feminine hygiene wipes but there's nothing wrong with using baby wipes. If they are safe and gentle enough for a baby, they should be fine for a teenager or woman.
Many feminine wipes are designed specifically for intimate care with women's health in mind. However, checking the ingredients on the packaging is recommended. Avoid feminine wipes with fragrances, glycerin, preservatives, and alcohol.
“They can irritate the skin by causing friction, especially if the child already has a condition such as diarrhoea or an allergic rash. The other way wipes can cause irritation is from certain ingredients in the wipes, including preservatives.
So, how often do you need to do it? Stick to cleaning once a day. If you wash any less, you might not be getting rid of the buildup of sweat and secretions; if you do it any more than once a day, you could be disrupting the delicate balance of your vaginal area.
But gently cleaning yourself after sex can protect men and women from infections, like of the urinary tract (UTIs). Wash the area around (not inside) your genitals with plain warm water. You can try mild soaps, but if you have sensitive skin or you already have an infection, they might dry out or irritate the area.
Most wet wipes contain plastic fibre, which makes them partially non-biodegradable. When these wipes make their way into the bigger water bodies, aquatic animals consume them and eventually die.
Feminine wipes are cleansing cloths meant to clean the vaginal area during menstruation, or for everyday use when freshness and odor are a concern.
Infections might be the cause. You may have bacterial vaginosis, a yeast infection, or an STI. Menopause-related hormonal changes, diabetes, or skin conditions are other possible causes. Or irritation from and allergic reactions to detergents and other products could be at work.
Bathe or shower daily and pat your genital area dry. Don't douche. Avoid feminine hygiene sprays, colored or perfumed toilet paper, deodorant pads or tampons, and bubble bath.
Secretion of hormones causes the production of extra melanin in the intimate area. It makes the private area skin darker. The skin in intimate parts gets darker as you grow up. However, the sudden and excessive darkening can be due to an underlying disease or infection.
Contact allergy from wet wipes, bubble baths and wash products is a common cause of vulval itching and these products can also be a trigger for thrush.
While it's true that you often see wet wipes advertised for this purpose, they're actually great personal care products for everyone, regardless of age. Using wet wipes for adults for personal hygiene is virtually the same as using them for babies.
In particular, the brand of wipes with the lowest pH (2.8) in the lotion reduced the mean skin pH from 5.6 to 5.0 (p < 0.01), and those with a pH of 5.5 had no significant effect. Wipes of intermediate pH (3.7) gave a final skin pH of 5.4-but the downward trend was not statistically significant.
Excess vaginal discharge can occur due to arousal, ovulation, or infections. Normal vaginal discharge contains a mixture of cervical mucus, vaginal fluid, dead cells, and bacteria. Females may experience heavy vaginal discharge from arousal or during ovulation.