Okay ladies!! It’s that time of year! Let’s talk about IT… You know the IT that some of us try to ignore or not talk about. Yesss, your vagina, and the other things we ladies have to deal with during the hot spring/summer days that aren’t so pleasant. With us wearing the shorts, sweating in places we shouldn’t by either working out or laying out or even just doing errand (that’s a workout in itself some times)

Over the years I’ve been gathering self-information that I’ve been using to help keep my pH balance in check. How do you know if your pH balance is off you ask? There’s a LIST of ways you can tell that include but aren’t limited to:

• Itchy
• Odor
• Painful intercourse
• Abnormal discharge

I have gathered some simple tips for keeping your hoo hoo balanced. Wearing 100% cotton underwear, I know us girls like our victoria secret but it’s only 95% which is better that most but still shoot for the 100% ladies! Cotton is very breathable fabric and can cut down on moisture, which will lessen the risk for infections and bacterial growth. Which is a huge no-no. I’m personally guilty of also wearing thongs especially to get rid of the panty lines in scrubs, leggings and tight little dresses but honestly I’ve came to realize that my lady bits are more important that appearance. Wearing loose garments are also suggested. This may be a reach but try sleeping without underwear on, let that girl (or boy) breathe! Get that airflow lady.

Washing with water or a mild cleanse such as using unscented baby wipes pretty much every time you go. Also, go pee after sex. Every time. Even if you feel like you don’t have to. It’s really important to get rid of some of those potential bacteria. Even if it’s just oral of digital sex, still pee. Speaking of sex try your best to use condoms if you can just as a protective barrier for yourself. But back to washing, remember to always wash front to back, I know our mother’s taught us this when we are young but sometimes getting caught up in the moment we forget.

Baths. I know sometimes avoiding baths are better for people especially ones that are more susceptible to UTIs and if you’ve ever had one you know that they’re no fun. But if you’re a person who likes baths (maybe after a nice shower) Fill your tub up with water and add ½ a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar. Make sure it’s a natural brand. Our vaginas are naturally acidic to help prevent some bacteria and so it’s ACV so go get you some and soak! Some people douche with it but I would avoid douching altogether, forcing something in your vagina just doesn’t seem very healthy to me. This can also help with odor and yeast infections. Also soaking with bath salts like sea salt or something natural and unscented is good for you too! I keep saying unscented because even though it’s highly advertised and we are insecure about out odors it’s really not good to use scents on our areas. Avoiding things like perfumed sprays, baby powder, bubble baths, bath bombs (boo), body wash or other deodorant and antibacterial soap. (Maybe a bath bomb, won’t hurt every now a then, Everything in moderation as they say) Investing in a soap that’s specific to vaginas might not be a bad idea but there are other natural ways to avoid odors and even help reverse yeast infections and I’ll mention them later on in this post. Remember to dry off completely after cleaning and avoid using old towels because they can hold bacteria.

Let’s talk about shaving! Yay summer and having to shave like every other day! Unless you got laser hair removal or you’re just all-natural and embrace your body hair then this paragraph doesn’t apply to you. Exfoliate with a scrub before you shave! You can go buy whatever you like for the store but if you want to go natural then you can use a mixture of brown sugar and coconut oil. So, Bust out to coconut oil. Smear it on your legs and on your armpits and shave them! This allows you to get a close shave and its naturally moisturizing. Coconut oil cures, soothes and prevents yeast infections but I wouldn’t suggest shaving you na-na with it but using baby oil is a good alternative. Coconut oil is good to use afterwards to moisturize though! So is tea tree oil it is also a cure for yeast infections (you can add it to your bath water) and it also helps with razor bumps and I know we all hate those! When using tea tree oil make sure you dilute it with water because it can be strong and it can burn if you’re not too careful. Use a warm cloth to rinse. You can using tea tree oil daily if it works for you.

Last but not least our diets! Be sure to drink plenty of water like five bottles a day. A good way to calculate how much water you need to drink is to divide you weight in half and drink that many ounces (200/2=100, therefore drink 100 oz of water a day). Drinking cranberry juice is really good as well as eating fruits such as

• Grapefruit
• Pineapples
• Mangos
• Watermelon
• Cranberries, Raspberries, Berries in general

Incorporating yogurt in your diet can also be helpful. Take. Your. Vitamins. Most of you probably have very balanced diets and your surpass all of your physicals and aren’t deficient in any vitamins but they’re always good to take to ensure your body is balanced. It won’t harm you if you take them and don’t need them because you’ll just flush what you don’t need out. For precaution though I would consult with a physician before taking any vitamins.

That’s all I have for today’s post! I hope some of you found these helpful. Also just some side notes: avoid over-washing, don’t linger in wet swimsuits or sweaty workout clothes and limit your sugar intake. Again I hope you found some of these helpful. You have to take care and love yourself this summer. Look into your own personal care and do what works for you! I preach all the time about how everyone’s body is different so if some of these don’t work for you then experiment with what does! If you have something that works for you that I did or didn’t list leave a comment and let me know! See you on my next post!