Hygiene mistakes that cause vaginal odour (Photo: iStock)

The vagina usually has its own natural odour, with lots of healthy bacteria. Growing up, many of us were curious about what a healthy vagina should smell like, and some people even assumed it should smell like flowers 24/7.

If you want to know if something has changed and if you should be worried, track the different smells. Sometimes we go through changes that can change the smell slightly, but generally a foul smell isn't a good sign.

There are many reasons for a foul smell and one of them is common hygiene practices that you may not have mastered yet. Here are some of the mistakes you may be making that are causing that unpleasant odour where the sun don't shine:

Poor menstrual hygiene

During your period, it's essential that you step up your hygiene. With challenges like leaking and a stronger odor, you have to take extra steps to make sure you maintain proper hygiene.

Skipping steps like rinsing your vagina to wash off the blood and not changing your hygiene products as often as you should could cause an odor problem. You can learn different ways to improve your period hygiene to keep odor at bay.

Poor hygiene after intimacy

After intimacy, the vagina is in a very vulnerable state. It's more susceptible to infections and pH changes, especially because of the mixture of sweat and fluids that have come into contact with it.

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For this reason, you should always have a hygiene routine after. For proper aftercare and odor prevention, you should rinse your vagina with warm water, and also pee to get rid of any odor triggering bacteria.

Using harsh feminine products

There are many feminine products out there that claim to keep your lady parts fresh. From scented suppositories to harsh feminine washes, you will come across these harmful products on the shelves everywhere.

It's important to know that it's not just the packaged products that can trigger an odor. You have to be careful even with the natural products because those can be a problem as well.

Gynecologists often recommend that you only use water to wash your vagina and maintain a healthy diet that will support a healthy pH balance. So if you're noticing a change in your smell and you're using a harsh feminine product that could be the main culprit.

Excessive washing

Although using water is the best way to maintain a clean vagina, it's possible to go overboard by over washing. Rinsing out too much will wash away the healthy bacteria leaving it susceptible to odor issues.

You should wash the outer parts of your vagina and in between the folds only when necessary, and strictly avoid washing on the inside especially with soap.

Wrong choice of underwear

The type of underwear you wear on a daily basis should be made of cotton. This is the best fabric since it prevents sweat and odor accumulation while keeping infections away.

Other synthetic materials like polyester and even natural ones like silk should only be worn for a short time. To maintain a happy vagina, stick to cotton for the most part.

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