02 February 2023 , 12:20
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Intimate health is one of those topics that many people might be embarrassed to talk about, but it's so important that we get know and understand our own bodies and how to take care of them.
And one person who won't shy away from the conversation is Dr Susanna Unsworth, an NHS menopause and women's health expert, who also works as an in-house gynaecology expert for the intimate wellbeing brand, INTIMINA.
Dr Unsworth often regularly gives intimate health advice to women and has most recently shared her wisdom with The Mirror, debunking some of the biggest myths and misconceptions around the vagina, intimate health products and washing routines.
Dr Susanna Unsworth has been sharing intimate health advice with The Mirror (Courtney Pochin)The expert, from Cambridge, explained that women don't need to have a different washing routine in the shower when it comes to their intimate areas and that buying intimate health products can be a waste of money.
"A lot of women ask about intimate health and what they could be doing to improve that, so first of all I would generally say that your vagina and the tissues down below are actually quite good at cleaning themselves and you don't really need to do to much," she said.
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"You don't need a specific routine in the shower to look after your health around your vagina and vulva and you don't need to be buying lots of intimate health washes.
"Many of the products marketed for that, especially those that are heavily perfumed, can actually make things a lot worse.
"There are a lot of nice and healthy bacteria in the vagina that are part of your natural cleaning system and if you start over-washing yourself you're going to get rid of that healthy, protective bacteria and it will allow negative bacteria and microorganisms to grow."
If this happens many women may find themselves experiencing uncomfortable symptoms.
The expert warned about using overly perfumed items, including bath bombs (Getty Images)"You might develop problems with discharge, itchiness, and soreness as well as things like thrush and bacterial vaginosis," Dr. Unsworth explains.
"For most women, I would say you don't need to be using any specific products, however, there are a few situations where some things can be helpful, for example, vaginal dryness can be a problem for quite a few women, maybe post-menopausally, or after a pregnancy. A vaginal moisturiser like those made by INTIMINA can be useful here to maintain the moisture in those tissues."
She continued to share how many may find themselves becoming trapped in a cycle of poor intimate health if using perfumed products. This is because when they start to experience uncomfortable symptoms because of the products, they may then overwash to try and make it feel better, but actually they'll likely just be making things worse for themselves.
Overwashing will cause more problems, so it's definitely a case of less is more.
"The whole area is very good at looking after itself and you don't need to worry too much about it," Dr Unsworth added.
The doctor went on to share a gentle reminder to be mindful when using scented items in the bath, like bubble bath, bath oils and bath bombs.
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"Again, you probably want to avoid over-using perfumed things," Dr Unsworth warned.
"Baths can be nice and relaxing and you can use things like bath bombs and what not, I'd just be careful not to use them too frequently and make sure that when you get out of the bath, you're rinsing yourself thoroughly so you're not leaving any of those products on your skin as that could lead to issues further down the line."
She added that if you have any concerns or are experiencing any vaginal discomfort or irregular symptoms you should make an appointment to speak to your GP about them.
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