Who knew that all those cookies, too-tight tights and leggings, glasses of wine, sloppy sex and poor nights’ sleep would result in a cranky, pH unbalanced vagina that’s more prone to inflammation, discomfort and infection?
(Hi. It’s us, your vaginoplasty friends at byDr.Poucher. We knew!)
And hey - no judgment here. We occasionally enjoy our share of vaginal-pH disrupting fun, too.
Let’s talk about our vaginas’ normal pH range, what can throw it off and what we can do to keep our pH stable and vagina happy.
First, let’s chat about your moderately-acidic vagina. When she’s healthy, her pH will range between 3.8 and 5.0. This slightly-acid environment keeps our girl free of pathogens. At this range, the delicate dance between beneficial yeast and bacteria can keep infection at bay.
Unfortunately, new guests to the party - semen, some lubricants, menstruation, douche, bacteria on a penis/toy/finger - can disrupt that balance.
So, too, can diet and lifestyle changes. Too much sugar ingested, for example, can cause a pH disruption and overgrowth of your vagina’s yeast colony (Hello, yeast infection!).
And if you’ve battled an illness lately, antibiotics can also wreak havoc on our pH, as they kill both good and bad bacteria, raising that pH number.
Why do we care whether or not our vagina - and what enters it - is “pH balanced?”
That “delicate dance” - when out of balance - can lead to itching; unpleasant smells; burning while urinating; gray/green or foamy discharge and a trip to the OB/GYN.
What can you do to keep your vagina’s pH balanced? Skip the sugary, processed foods; improve your hydration; have an extra serving or two of live active culture yogurt; eat a healthy diet and skip the douches and too-tight clothes.
You know what else is pH balanced to be your vagina’s BFF? Our entire byDr.Poucher line is pH perfection so that you can confidently moisturize, lubricate and soothe your most intimate skin.