NO, no not DOUCHEBAGS…
But DOUCHING.
You know, like your vagina.
CASUAL.
If you’re scratching your head thinking: “HUH?” That’s totally fine, you’re not missing out.
WAIT, but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS DOUCHING?
This source explains the whole thing very, VERY clearly: “it’s a rather old practice, and many younger women may not be aware of what it actually is.
Basically, it’s a bath for your vagina.
The vagina is always putting out something. During your period, it is obviously blood, but during your fertile time, you will also have discharge that is clear. It is designed to aid the sperm in making their way up the vaginal canal. Even on normal days, the vagina secretes small amounts of discharge. If you have an STD, this discharge may smell or look greenish. However, it is normal to have a small amount of vaginal discharge every day.
Douching is a way to essentially stop this discharge. You have a plastic bag full of fluid with a nozzle on the end. You sit on the toilet, insert the nozzle like a tampon, and squeeze the bag. The technical term for this is irrigating the vagina. Some douches are just water, but some have cleansing chemicals and deodorants that make the area smell nice and clean. It depends on your preference which one you use.
Although shooting water up your vajayjay may not sound like fun, many women swear by it as a method to control odor.”
Eer?
First off, here’s a couple of vintage ad’s I found online that showcase “internal cleansing.”
So proper, back in the day, right. I probably would’t have fit in very well…
Let’s go deeper ( maybe deeper isn’t the right word for this post? ) though. Why do women feel the need to douche in the first place?
EASY: to clean out the vagina & prevent odor.
Innocent enough.
Side note: in my opinion ( again, this is my opinion— you do YOU ), you should look into consulting a gynecologist if there’s a very strong odor down there. And nothing to be embarrassed about. Gyno’s have seen it all. LITERALLY.
The reason being? The odor could be an infection. Get the infection nipped in the bud ( HA! ). Usually the doctor will prescribe some antibiotics & ODOR BE GONE.
So back to douching, is it BAD for you?
I’ve researched this subject A LOT…& from what I’ve found: YES. It’s dreadful, actually.
Firstly, it can cause infections in the vagina which makes the odor WORSE.
Think of it like this: you know how important ‘good’ bacteria is to your gut right? ( Remember this!! We’ve talked about the importance of probiotics. There’s good & bad bacteria ). You want good bacteria in your vagina like you want the good bacteria in your gut. & when you douche, it sort of sucks all the good/bad bacterial ( flora ) from the V-Jay. Removing all the bacteria is not healthy. According to this source, “the bacteria that resides there is good for you, and when you wash it away, the vagina is then susceptible to infections that the body would otherwise protect against.”
Many studies have even linked douching to cervical cancer. There’s still ongoing research on the discovery.
Lastly: don’t go the Summer’s Eve/Vagasil route either.
Listen, I did the whole Summer’s Eve dance in high school because well, I was in high school & didn’t do the proper research like the care-free, whatevs tenth grader in a Juicy velour tracksuit that I was ( for those of you who don’t know what SE is, it’s a body wash that supposedly freshens & cleans your vagina ).
Here’s the truth: Summer’s Eve “cleansing wash” is filled with bullshit like parabens, methylisothiazolinone ( ALLERGENS!!!), & preservatives…a real yeast infection waiting to happen.
Yah so, basically stuff you don’t want touching your sacred vagina with a ten foot pole, you know?
To be real, I clean my flower everyday, thank you…in the shower with a good, old bar of all-natural preservative-free soap. Also, anyone heard of vagina steaming? Don’t judge until you TRY! If you need a step-by-step on how to wash your vagina, check out this visual…lol— you know you love me?
& just for the record: douching does NOT ( NOT, not ) prevent STDs, pregnancy, or UTIs.
Ok, your turn: questions, suggestions, thoughts? I know you guys have opinions! SPILL. No need to blush here.
Keep it sparkly, lauryn x
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Hahaha, I love that you talk about things like this! <3
BlondieInTheCity.com
Unrelated to my lady parts haha, I am OBSESSED with ask him and her! I have a 40 minute commute each day and it just lead me to 40 min of stressful thoughts so I was a real shit show when I arrived at work/ home at night- even if I had great music playing the whole car ride. I already love you and Michael and the podcast is informative and makes me laugh, its been such a blessing to discover. I have to force myself not to listen outside of my commute so I won’t run out of episodes as fast. Wish you were cranking them out erryday! oxoxo
Damn so weird I’ve been thinking about Douching like every second! hehehe
I think it’s one of those things, like a play at girls insecurities that their shit smells, etc.
Just praying on the babes per usual.
Thanks for clearing this up mama.
xoxo
Krista
http://www.hundredblog.com
I love your posts on things like this! Hey, the more you know right?
xx, Pia
http://gymbagsandjetlags.com
Interesting subject. I was told years ago by my gyno that unless you have an issue with an STI or something, just leave it alone! The human body is amazing and is able to regulate itself as needed so there’s no need for any soap or anything going up in there! Also, harsh soaps that a lot of people use like Irish Spring and Dove (scented ones) can strip all that natural bacteria and actually give you a yeast infection!
My OBGNY actually told me to stop using any kinda soap, wipes ect… for my Vjayjay. The vagina actually self cleans itself. She only recommends using warm water and let it do it’s job.
XoXo,
Tamara – LoveofMode
I love this post, and is honestly such an important topic!! I think it’s crazy how much money and advertising went into (and probably still does) promoting douching only to reveal later on that not only is it not necessary, but it’s also not really even good/healthy for vaginas. I really like the throwback advertisements you included. Thanks for sharing!
xx Sara
I love how honest you are always!!! xo
@stylemelauren
http:..www.stylemelauren.com
Can you do a post on the bikini area and how you maintain? #razorbumps #scarring #grrrrr
LOL, “keep it sparkly”. You’re like the older sister I never had.
So glad you talked about this! I hear about douching all the time & I just cringe knowing how bad it is for you. On another note that I could write a NOVEL on, I feel like it’s just an example of sexist thinking & advertising.. Like oh, the way your vagina NATURALLY IS isn’t good enough. Ya know?
I did the summer eve thing too garbage lol so happy I have educated myself and not trusted marketing
RIGHT!! Me too!! : )
Ok so douching is bad but coffee enemas are ok? *scratches head*
Hi Megan! They’re COMPLETELY different practices. In fact, one is good for you & one isn’t. Please read here for more information: http://bit.ly/enemaVSdouche. Thanks for reading xx
The vagina is like a self cleaning oven! Hah. I definitely cringe whenever I see a bottle of summers eve in a friends shower. Just, how. why. Thanks for the post!!
Ok seriously… Every teenage girl needs to know how to wash properly. This is the best post to share with anyone who has a daughter. I’m so excited to hear about the steaming and I will be running to get it done because I’m into weird holistic stuff like that lol. So by far this is the best and most informative post Ive seen written so far. What great thing for you to address what no one wants to talk about. You’re Awesome!
Thanks for the topic!
So, it NEVER occurred to me to use these products … my mom never had them under the sink, my friends never talked about it. And I always saw them in the grocery aisle & thought they were for odor (either to cover up a bad order or for some reason you want to smell like a fern meadow) – but something new I learned from your post is that people to do it to remove the natural little .. uh, “drips”! Since that area is a lubricated membrane … and gravity being what it is … I just wear those little Carefree liners and it has never bothered me.
One interesting thing, I read the book Waiting to Exhale (which has 4 black women as the characters if you’ve seen the movie, too), and it seemed the women were CONSTANTLY using various sprays and things to get ready if the men in their life were coming over. And I think I’ve read that it’s more popular in the black community. But I’ve also seen a billion articles by doctors saying they are unnecessary. Honestly if a man was like “you know what, your odor is super offensive to me!” I would be like – “well, let’s just agree to disagree & you can let yourself out.” Ha!
Thank you Lauryn, for putting it out there. I found out early on not to mess around down there, and have only used warm water for years. Since then, no more thrush, no more “smells” except the one which is all my own, and the men who have been down there are quite happy with it. If there was any issue around that it would be a case of being free to find someone else that “smells” better to them! By the way, have you heard of the practice of dipping into the v-jay mucus and putting it on natural pulse points as a natural perfume to “attract” men? I read about it somewhere but have not seen/heard about it since. I wondered how usual or widespread this might be?
Hi, new reader here, and thank you for posting this! Many years ago, I shattered my femur and wore a full leg cast. When I went potty, I could not wipe back to front because the cast was so high. I had always done so before. For some reason, I forgot WHY we do it that way, so I kept on doing it back to front. Eventually, I got a yeast infection. Not knowing, I gave it to my boyfriend. He was a real jerk about it. Yelling at me that I should douche. I cleaned the vajayjay very good, dammit. I didn’t see the need for one. He kept on pushing it. When we went out with a group of friends, he’d ask all the women if they douched. In private, he’d say, “See. They douche and so should you.”
By the way, I never told him that he should use a bottle brush on his dick.
Dr Oz says women have 2 self cleaning body parts.
Your eyes and your vagina. If you dont believe OZ what can I say.
Douching was designed for prostitutes who hmmm had several deposits a day.
It was thought to prevent STD’s and pregnancy. And I am sure they needed a wee bit of freshening back in the day.
Thanks for setting so many females straight on this topic. I am sure it was a male who thought we need to be fresh.
Notice there is no equivalent for the male body parts.
Hi
I have been washing (I call it bidet, not douching!….) for as long as I can remember and I LUVIT!!
Firstly it cleans me and secondly it is quite thrilling as I use the shower thingy & throw my legs over the bath and sit on the edge of the bath & voila!!! Good & clean & fresh tra la la!!
I can not think of anything so awful as to walk around the entire day after going to the toilet and not bidet!!… My friends think I’m crazy but I think they are because they don’t!! there is a difference between douching & bidet!! Please! please! tell me there are other ladies out there who bidet after toilet use!!! I’m so fussy about this that my husband makes sure there is some kind of way I can “bidet” before he books us into a hotel or weekend escape…ie an attachment on the bath or a proper bidet for my routine as bidet’s are common in Europe but still not in SA…SO…. For all the young girls out there yes!… Only douch when the doc tells you too but please learn how to bidet!!! Once you’re used to the clean confident feeling you will wonder how you lived so long not doing it! Besides, being fresh & confident for some fun with your husband is thrilling too!?