How To Keep Your Vagina Smelling Fresh All Day?

Many of us ladies are self-conscious about the scent of our vags. The vagina, just like the mouth, skin and other parts of the body, has a unique and natural smell. So, let's dive into tips that can help your vag smell fresh.

Vaginal Odor: Is It Natural?

Vaginal odor happens from time to time, even if you’re taking good care of your body and your vag. Sometimes you may experience unfamiliar smells, but what’s not normal is strong vaginal odors. Therefore, vaginal odor is natural. However, if you notice a stark difference in your odor, then it can be a sign of potential health issues. Strong odors, itching and irritation, and unusual discharge are all signs you may have something other than just natural vaginal odor.

Everything You Need To Know About Your Vag Smell

  • All vaginas have a unique and natural scent, which differs from one woman to another.
  • What you eat affects its scent.
  • It's self-cleaning.
  • Its scent can change throughout the month.

How To Keep Your Vagina Smelling Fresh: Tips

Occasionally, you will need to keep your vag smelling fresh. The following techniques may help you;

Practice Good Hygiene Habits

Use mild soap, warm water and a clean towel to clean your vagina regularly. This will help you to eliminate dead skin, sweat and dirt. Avoid using perfumed soaps or body washes because they contain scents and chemicals that may encourage excess growth of bacteria that may make your vag to stink. 

Other vaginal hygiene techniques that help to keep your vag fresh include;

  • Wash your genitals regularly 
  • Change your underwear daily, or when it is sweaty or soiled.
  • Wash your underwear in unscented products.
  • Shower after sweating or exercise

Maintain A Healthy Diet

Avoid consumption of excessive spices, smoked foods, onion, garlic, broccoli, asparagus and coffee can make your vag smell and taste bad. You should also avoid excessive consumption of meat, dairy products and alcohol as they can make your vag to smell strong and acrid. 

Foods that make your vag smell better include;

  • Sweet Potatoes: They contain Vitamin A which contributes to making your uterine walls super strong, as well as encouraging the production of hormones that help us stay energized.
  • Lemon: Their acidic nature helps maintain the vagina’s healthy pH level. Antioxidants also help protect the cells from free-radical damage.
  • Cranberry Juice: It helps balance the vagina’s pH level and its acidic property helps fight bacteria that cause UTIs, vaginal infections and other problems.
  • Other important foods include Kale, Greek Yogurt, Edamame, Flaxseeds, Water, Avocado, Candy, Almonds, Bananas, Kimchi, Broccoli and Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits).

Change Menstrual Products Frequently

When you get to your periods, you may experience a stronger vaginal smell than usual. Choosing the right menstrual products would help you trap odor, compounding this effect. To keep your vag smell fresh;

  • Consider wearing internal products: You can purchase internal menstrual products, including menstrual cups from Amazon. They help to trap moisture giving your vag a fresh smell and preventing the chances of infection too.
  • Change your menstrual products frequently.

Choose The Right Clothing

Consider wearing fabrics made of breathable cotton. Cotton is less likely to hold substances that can cause your vag to smell such as moisture, sweat, dead skin and discharge

semen from earlier intercourse. This makes it more difficult for bacteria and other sources of odor to accumulate and produce a stink. You can get cotton underwear from the Amazon store. 

Practice Safer Sex 

Unsafe sex increases chances of Bacterial Vaginosis which contributes to a fishy odor of your vagina immediately after sexual intercourse. Sometimes interactions between semen and your vaginal fluids can cause your vag to stink. Some lubricants in the market can also change your vaginal pH and the odor that comes with it. To make your vag smell fresh;

  • Use a condom: This helps to prevent semen mixing with vaginal fluids.  
  • Rinse your vag and vulva with plain warm water following intercourse.
  • Avoid using scented or flavored lubricants on your vag.
  • Urinate immediately after sex.

How Your Vagina Should Smell

Your vagina has a unique natural scent, which is a combination of the normal bacteria that reside in your vag and your diet. These bacteria level also depends on several things like the type of clothes you wear (whether natural fabrics or synthetics), your level of hygiene, your bathroom habits and what your glands secrete. 

Therefore, a healthy vagina has a scent even if you practice proper hygiene. However, these vaginal scents should not be awful. You don’t need to eliminate the natural vaginal odor, but if there are increased vaginal discharge and the smell becomes stronger, unpleasant or onion-like or fishy-smelling and is accompanied by burning effects or itching, you should see your doctor sort out any health problem.

When To See A Doctor

When your vag has a natural smell, you have nothing to worry about. However, you should spot unusual smells quickly. The smell comes with different symptoms that need medical attention. Therefore, see your doctor if the smell is accompanied by:

  • Itching or burning effects
  • Pain around your vaginal area
  • Pain during sex
  • Thick, cottage cheese discharge
  • Vaginal discharge unrelated to your period

The Bottom Line

If you’re healthy, you have your own noticeable vaginal odor even if you practice proper hygiene, the scent might be unique, natural and different from your friends and other women. Its nature and intensity depend on several factors as seen above. Using our tips would, therefore, keep your vag fresh than ever.