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How to Improve Vaginal Health: Tips and Practices

Not sure how to improve vaginal health at home? This is the guide for you.

Whether you struggle with odors or you simply want to make informed choices to protect your overall wellness, the tips below can help you navigate vaginal health the simple way. We’ll cover two easy hygiene swaps for vaginal health, discuss dietary considerations, and break down four small lifestyle changes that can benefit your sexual wellness.

Let’s dive in.

Hygiene Practices

There are two universal truths to acknowledge about vaginal hygiene in the US:

  1. Stigma is rampant – Vaginal health is highly stigmatized, and people facing vaginal health issues often don’t seek care because of stigma-related roadblocks. [1]
  2. Misinformation is everywhere – Misinformation about vaginal health is spread both by unsuspecting internet strangers and profit-motivated “women’s health” brands. [2] Simply put, people looking for information about vaginal health can’t trust every source to be reliable.

With this in mind, let’s clear up two common vaginal hygiene practices that do more harm than good (and cover some practices you can use instead).

Instead of Douching, Choose a Sitz Bath

The US Department of Health estimates that one in five people with vaginas between the ages of 15 and 44 regularly douche—despite the fact that douching is widely discouraged by healthcare experts. [3]

Douching introduces compounds to your vagina that:

  1. Don’t belong there (like scented soaps)
  2. Can disrupt the delicate vaginal microbiota

The vagina’s pH is naturally acidic; this protects the vagina from infection and irritation. [3] However, douching can interfere with natural pH levels, potentially increasing the likelihood of developing vaginal conditions like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Have you ever wondered “why does my vagina hurt” after douching or during other activities? This discomfort could be related to the disruption of the vaginal flora and pH balance caused by douching. Of course, for prolonged symptoms that include vaginal pain, you should always seek guidance from a healthcare provider.

What can you do instead of douching if you want to maintain healthy vaginal flora? Try a sitz bath. [4] While you can purchase a sitz bath device and fill it with warm water, you can also fill a bathtub with just a few inches of water (without soap or other additives) and sit down in it.

Sitz baths are recommended for anyone struggling with [4]:

  • Vaginal itching
  • Pain
  • Muscle spasms

For instance, if you’re experiencing vaginal itching after sex, or recovering from BV or a yeast infection, a sitz bath can help you find relief from symptoms. [4]

Instead of a Scented Wash, Opt for Boric Acid Suppositories

Like douching, scented vaginal cleansers aren’t recommended by healthcare experts—and using scented vaginal cleansers and wipes can even cause infections like vaginitis. [5]

At Everlywell, we certainly understand your motivation for using scented products. Vaginal odor is highly stigmatized, and people facing odor challenges must overcome significant shame. [6] Scented soaps are advertised as a solution to odors, but they only increase the risk of contracting a vaginal condition (which could worsen vaginal odor further).

So, what can you do to combat odors and protect your vaginal health? Consider boric acid suppositories. [7]

Boric acid suppositories are:

  • Actively recommended by vaginal health experts – Healthcare providers often recommend that people with BV use boric acid suppositories if their vaginal infection is resistant to antibiotics. [7]
  • Available over the counter – While they’re widely recommended by healthcare experts, you don’t need a prescription to buy boric acid suppositories.
  • Safe when used correctly – Boric acid suppositories are meant to be inserted into the vagina; they dissolve, so there’s no need to remove them. But it’s important to remember that boric acid is toxic to ingest in large doses, so don’t swallow the capsules and keep the product away from children. In addition, boric acid suppositories aren’t currently recommended for pregnant people. [7]

It’s important to remember that although boric acid suppositories have some clinical evidence, odors and other vaginal discomfort could be caused by vaginal infections such as a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or even an STI. It is not recommended to use them in place of seeking guidance and treatment from a healthcare provider if you have any symptoms that could indicate health conditions.

Diet Tips

Can your diet impact your vaginal health? Yes, in two key ways: your overall nutrition level and your intake of live cultures can potentially impact your vaginal wellness. [8] To that end, consider the following tips.

Eat a Nutritious, Balanced Diet

To best protect your overall health (including your vaginal health), nutrition experts recommend following just four simple rules [9]:

  1. Maintain a healthy diet no matter your age or stage of life.
  2. Choose foods that match your preferences, cultural traditions, and budget.
  3. Opt for nutrient-dense foods—foods containing vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.
  4. Limit added sugars, saturated fats, sodium, and alcoholic beverages.

That’s it—try to eat well throughout your life, choose nutritious foods that you like, and limit just a few ingredients to maintain a healthy diet. [9] At this time, healthcare experts don’t recommend avoiding or eating specific foods or drinks for vaginal health (aside from live cultures, which we’ll discuss in the next section), but there are a few early hypotheses about:

  • Soy – Soy (like soymilk and edamame) can decrease vaginal dryness. [10]
  • Water – In early studies, increased water intake decreased people’s likelihood of contracting a urinary tract infection. [11]
  • Nuts and legumes – According to a study published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases, a correlation between nut and legume intake and decreased chances of contracting BV was found. [12]

Eat Live Cultures

The only food item that healthcare providers actively recommend for vaginal health is foods containing live cultures, like [8]:

  • Yogurt
  • Kombucha
  • Kimchi
  • Sauerkraut
  • Kefir

However, there are some conflicts in today’s research. The National Institutes of Health states that probiotics in some fermented foods (like kimchi and kombucha) do not survive stomach enzymes or modulate the body’s microbiome. [13] But numerous other studies published in the journal Nutrients have identified various connections between live cultures found in all of the above foods and the gut microbiome—so, researchers are still trying to refine probiotic mechanisms of action in general. [14]

With all of this in mind, there is currently evidence that probiotic supplements and fermented foods positively impact the vaginal microbiome. [15] Since disruptions to pH are connected with numerous vaginal conditions (like vaginal yeast infections and BV), healthcare providers generally recommend consuming foods with live cultures to foster a balanced vaginal biome. [15]

Lifestyle Adjustments

Aside from making changes to your hygiene and diet, there are a few additional ways you can promote improved vaginal health—and they’re all very simple.

Pee After Sex

Multiple reputable health research agencies recommend peeing after sexual activity—even if you’re not prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs). [16] There are two important facts to know about urination after sex:
  • It helps fight bacterial growth – During sex, bad bacteria from the vagina or anus can enter the urinary tract. [16] Urinating after sex can help clear the urethra of potentially harmful bacteria.
  • It’s beneficial for vaginal health – Experts generally recommend urinating after sex to prevent UTIs—but reducing your UTI risk can also decrease your BV risk and vice-versa. [17] Early data suggests a connection between BV and UTIs, but researchers are still exploring the mechanism of action that makes UTI and BV so frequently concurrent.

At the end of the day, peeing after sex is an easy, simple lifestyle change that could improve your overall genital health.

Choose Your Lube Wisely

If you use lube during sex, keep in mind that two ingredients in some lubricants can cause yeast infections (and general vaginal microbiome disruption):

  • Glycerin – Glycerin is found in a wide variety of lube products (including water- and silicon-based lubes). Unfortunately, glycerin can cause vaginal yeast infections. [18]
  • Sugar – Numerous flavored lubes include sugar; introducing sugar to the vagina can lead to yeast infections. [19]

To prevent yeast infections, choose a lube without glycerin or sugar for vaginal sex. If you choose to use flavored or glycerin-based lubes for oral sex, do your best to keep them away from the vaginal area.

Switch to Cotton Underwear

While it might sound innocuous, your underwear fabric can play a role in vaginal health. Health experts recommend switching to 100% cotton underwear over synthetic materials and cotton blends. [20,21]

Since cotton is a breathable material, cotton underwear doesn’t restrict airflow to the genital area. Synthetic underwear, on the other hand, can hold in moist, warm air. This creates the optimal environment for bacterial growth, which can disrupt the vaginal microbiome and cause a yeast infection. [20]

Similarly, experts recommend wearing both cotton underwear and pants that are loose enough to be breathable. [21] When you do need to wear tight pants, pantyhose, or leggings, try to change out of them as quickly as possible.

Schedule Yearly Exams

When it comes to vaginal health, prevention is key. To that end, make sure you’re:

Scheduling yearly exams – At your yearly exam, your OB/GYN provider will perform various exams and tests to assess cancer risk, reproductive health, and overall wellness.

Seeing providers as needed – Many relatively mild vaginal conditions can cause major health issues when left untreated. For instance, long-term BV can increase the risk of contracting STIs (including HIV), and untreated yeast infections can lead to other bacterial infections. [21,22] If you’re struggling with your vaginal health or experiencing symptoms, you should see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Visiting a healthcare provider or utilizing online women’s health resources can help you monitor your overall vaginal health, detect major conditions early, and stay informed about your overall wellness.

Everlywell: Your Connection to At-Home Healthcare

Learning how to improve vaginal health can be intimidating. Between widespread misinformation about vaginas and the stigma associated with reproductive care, it can be hard to find your footing and make informed choices.

Enter Everlywell: your connection to high-quality healthcare resources. We’re doing everything we can to increase access to licensed providers, and our telehealth services have already helped thousands of patients get the care they need.

Say goodbye to inconvenient healthcare and say hello to simple, affordable care from home. Schedule a telehealth visit now.

Get vaginal and urinary health treatment online.
References
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  2. Let’s talk about vaginas. Women’s Health Research Institute. Published February 21, 2014. Accessed May 15, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  3. Douching. Office on Women’s Health. Accessed May 15, 2024. Last reviewed December 29, 2022.Medical Citation URL.
  4. Sitz bath. MedlinePlus. Accessed May 15, 2024. Last reviewed February 2, 2023.Medical Citation URL.
  5. Vaginitis. MedlinePlus. Accessed May 15, 2024. Last reviewed April 19, 2022.Medical Citation URL.
  6. Thomas-White K, Navarro P, Wever F, King L, Dillard LR, Krapf J. Psychosocial impact of recurrent urogenital infections: A Review. Women’s Health. 2023;19. doi:10.1177/17455057231216537. Accessed June 2, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  7. Mittelstaedt R, Kretz A, Levine M, et al. Data on safety of intravaginal boric acid use in pregnant and nonpregnant women: A narrative review. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2021;48(12). doi:10.1097/olq.0000000000001562. Accessed June 2, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  8. Lehtoranta L, Ala-Jaakkola R, Laitila A, Maukonen J. Healthy vaginal microbiota and influence of probiotics across the female life span. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022;13. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.819958. Accessed June 2, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  9. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Published December 2020. Accessed May 15, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  10. Vaginal dryness alternative treatments. MedlinePlus. Last reviewed July 12, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  11. Scott AM, Clark J, Mar CD, Glasziou P. Increased fluid intake to prevent urinary tract infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of General Practice. 2020;70(692). doi:10.3399/bjgp20x708125. Accessed June 2, 2023.Medical Citation URL.
  12. Noormohammadi M, Eslamian G, Kazemi SN, Rashidkhani B. Dietary acid load, alternative healthy eating index score, and bacterial vaginosis: Is there any association? A case-control study. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2022;22(1). doi:10.1186/s12879-022-07788-3. Accessed June 2, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
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  16. The Urinary Tract & How It Works . National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Last reviewed June 2020. Accessed May 15, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
  17. Handa VL, Brotman RM, Ravel J, Tuddenham S. Does bacterial vaginosis contribute to urinary tract infection? Current Infectious Disease Reports. 2023;25(2):17-27. doi:10.1007/s11908-022-00795-0. Accessed June 2, 2024.Medical Citation URL.
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