Intimate Wash

Bredabe

Fighting my fourth round of non bacterial UTI, I drink lots of water, have a healthy diet.

Sis tells me it could be cause im allergic to my intimate wash(I'm allergic to a lot of things).

I've tried every wash I've come across and I have a reaction to them all, I wonder if there is anyone here who makes their own? and would share the receipy with me?

I have a look on-line but they mostly have American ingredients which are to expensive to buy for a test run.

cojomo2

Bredabe wrote: »

Fighting my fourth round of non bacterial UTI, I drink lots of water, have a healthy diet.

Sis tells me it could be cause im allergic to my intimate wash(I'm allergic to a lot of things).

I've tried every wash I've come across and I have a reaction to them all, I wonder if there is anyone here who makes their own? and would share the receipy with me?

I have a look on-line but they mostly have American ingredients which are to expensive to buy for a test run.

Have you tried aqueous cream? I don't have a vagina but do get reactions to lots of perfumed products etc and this stuff works well

Edit: just realised this is the ladies lounge..and would just like to point out that I spotted this post in the "latests posts" section..!

t1h9mgqsxopj0r

Have you tried any of the Fem wipes and Fem shower gel products. The shower gel is mainly used for the lady bits but can be used all over body. I find them brilliant. Wipes are flushable. Boots have a range of them

binana

Just wash with water, it's a self cleaning organ. Literally anything else can be harmful, even scented or bleached pads/tampsons. I used to suffer from chronic UTIs but they've reduced significantly since I stopped using any targeted hygiene products.

Lia_lia

As mentioned, don’t use any. It’s cleans itself and these washes can cause many nasty things such as bv.

Calina

Zachary Spicy Fax wrote: »

Have you tried any of the Fem wipes and Fem shower gel products. The shower gel is mainly used for the lady bits but can be used all over body. I find them brilliant. Wipes are flushable. Boots have a range of them

Please do not flush wipes, it is not environmentally sound.

angeldelight

You don’t need to use anything - I’m always astounded by the amount of women buying Femfresh and the like

t1h9mgqsxopj0r

angeldelight wrote: »

You don’t need to use anything - I’m always astounded by the amount of women buying Femfresh and the like

I've asked my doctor in the well woman center about these products. I showed her the wipes and she looked at what they had and she agreed that it's helpful to keep down there fresh. Especially as tissue absolutely irritates me and realistically I cannot not wipe either. As for the flushing, it says on the pack flushable but I have a bin beside the toilet so if it's enviroemently friendly then I'll put them in the bin. Personally I've found using those products have helped hugely in keeping fresh and I haven't had trust or UTI since I started using them about a year ago. Also recomended by a doctor after I got a kidney scan as I was always having kidney infections. The shower gel works for me.

But hey, all women are different. What could work on you, might not work on me. Trail and error in my opinion.

Bredabe

When I say intimate, I mean a whole groin area wash. It would never occur to me to wash my vag outside of a sprits in a shower on the odd occasion I have one.

sammyjo90

Bredabe wrote: »

When I say intimate, I mean a whole groin area wash. It would never occur to me to wash my vag outside of a sprits in a shower on the odd occasion I have one.

Im sorry now but what do you mean by "the odd occasion" you have a shower? Is that washing in general? The phrasing sounds odd thats all

Bredabe

sammyjo90 wrote: »

Im sorry now but what do you mean by "the odd occasion" you have a shower? Is that washing in general? The phrasing sounds odd thats all

I have panic attacks in a shower. I bathe other way or I wouldn't be concerned about a 'wash' product.

pwurple

Other way, meaning a bath or a flannel or washcloth? It could be this method of cleaning causing your problem, rather than the product itself, if you are too heavy handed with the cloth, or spending too long in a bath. Maybe change that?

First thing I though to ask actually was about sex. Some positions can also cause more UTIs , depending on your anatomy.


I agree with the others, stick to clean warm water if you can.

Bredabe

pwurple wrote: »

Other way, meaning a bath or a flannel or washcloth? It could be this method of cleaning causing your problem, rather than the product itself, if you are too heavy handed with the cloth, or spending too long in a bath. Maybe change that?

First thing I though to ask actually was about sex. Some positions can also cause more UTIs , depending on your anatomy.


I agree with the others, stick to clean warm water if you can.

If definitely an allergic reaction to the wash, as it starts once I've used it for a little while and no matter how much I dilute it. Thats why I had though that a home-made one where I have control over the ingredients would be the way to go.

Ive used pretty much all the ones on the market and its always ended the same way.

pwurple

If it was an allergy, it would surely start immediately, not a few weeks later. That’s how allergies work with my daughter anyway.

UTIs are internal... nothing should be getting in there at all, homemade or otherwise.

Sardonicat

Make sure to pee just before and straight after (or as soon as your body let's you) sexual intercourse.

I can't use feminine hygiene products as they cause my skin to flare really badly .Normal shower wash is fine if needed as long as I rinse thoroughly straight away.

Keep an eye to see if they are corresponding to your period. Very long periods can trigger them due to having to use menstrual protection for more than a few days. Likewise very heavy periods when it's difficult to keep yourself as clean as you'd like.

I wouldnt recommend flannel washing. Use your hand to wash then plunge the nether regions into clean bath water if you can't shower.

Sardonicat

pwurple wrote: »

If it was an allergy, it would surely start immediately, not a few weeks later. That’s how allergies work with my daughter anyway.

UTIs are internal... nothing should be getting in there at all, homemade or otherwise.

No its wouldn't be an allergy, but they could destroy freindly bacteria that stops the infection tacking hold. In my own experience I've found feminine hygiene products to be less than friendly to my skin, despite what they claim. A general shower cream works just fine for me yet many women would get a dose of thrush if they as much as waived an open bottle in the direction of their intimate zones.We're all different in that regard.

If you take baths, OP, this could cause 'backwash' of any bath products you use. Allergies are more or less immediately obvious and unlikely to show a delayed reaction. If you bathe, don't use bubble bath or salts, and rinse your intimate areas with clean water when you're done.

If you are using a washcloth or sponge on the area, it's unfortunately a hotspot for bacteria and if you use it more than once, you could be washing yourself and then next day applying a cloth teeming with bacteria to your intimate areas. One use only for any cloth or sponge, including a towels for drying, should be a policy. Try using a dry facecloth to dry that area only and again use only once. Wash anything you use in hot water and non bio detergent and skip the softener, but only use once. You could buy a stack of cheap facecloths to keep specially for this.

Most baby washes have neutral Ph values and are much less expensive than branded and targeted intimate washes, which are often heavily perfumed. If you must use anything, use a baby wash and rinse with clean water immediately. Water wipes would be preferable to any of the targeted wipes.

Some good bacteria is what you want to maintain, as the area is essentially self cleaning. Constant cleaning and wiping might make you feel momentarily fresher but disturbs the balance of necessary bacteria involved in keeping the tissues moist and healthy. Take a step back from the branded products and use water and water wipes, it's all you really need.

Bredabe

Just to tidy up a few responses,I have both kinds of allergies, some are rapidly after exposure and other's are built up over exposure. Shower gel/body wash has the same allergenic reaction as the wash as had baby shampoo on my scalp

Both the WW Dr and various GP's have diagnosed the issue as an allergy and mostly discontinuing the product cures that outbreak.
Last consult with GP said the bouts of UTI were down to one of three things, allergy, stress(roll on MAY!) or post menopause issues, nothing I can do about the stress for now, the idea of being like this for the rest of my life is too depressing to live with, so I'm looking to rule in or out allergy, so we have enough info to make a long term plan.

The professions recommended to me that I spray the labial area at least once a week with a shampoo rinser to get any clothing debris and the like out of there, as it can get nasty if it get caught .

Sardonicat

An allergy is not an infection, which is what a UTI is. I wouldn't be happy with that response by a GP at all OP. You sound like you are absolutely tormented by this issue. I think you should enquire about being referred to a specialist to get to the root of this problem.

Best of luck with it, OP. You have my sympathy.

Bredabe

Sardonicat wrote: »

An allergy is not an infection, which is what a UTI is. I wouldn't be happy with that response by a GP at all OP. You sound like you are absolutely tormented by this issue. I think you should enquire about being referred to a specialist to get to the root of this problem.

Best of luck with it, OP. You have my sympathy.

Thank you, just an FYI, the thinking is that the allergic reaction or substance is what causes the infection, strange I know this seems to be the thinking across medics here and in the uk.

sammyjo90

Have you looked at the ingrediants of all the washes you have used to see what common ones are in them?

I personally dont use anything at all but thats really the only thing I can see you doing if you absolutely have to wash down there with something other than water.
Find the commonality amongst them. Then start ruling them out,same as any other allergy

Graces7

with M.E i have so many allergies I never use anything to wash except simple soap and rinse well.. salt in the water may help too.

Rosie Rant

Have you tried silcock's base? It can be used as an intimate wash and is unperfumed and very kind to skin. It can make surfaces very slippery, though so use a good bath mat.

https://www.mccabespharmacy.com/silcocks-base.html

Lux23

I had this problem for a few months, and I honestly think it was stress related. There was never any sign of an infection, but I was a bit depressed and struggling with an issue in work. Out of the blue, I was offered a new position, but again there was an awful lot of stress supplying the new employer with references and paperwork. But the week I started the new job, it just disappeared. Could this be causing the problem for you OP?

dellas1979

Am totally confused :pac:

And I a lady.

What exactly are you washing?

For e.g., I give where the clit part/lips a very quick wash, and rinse quickly, wash bottom, but I dont wash my vajayjay inside.

Didnt think I was supposed to (as said, it cleans itself) - leave it well alone.

Saying that, I once bought femfresh as was curious would I all of a sudden feel fresh down there all the time. Few weeks later, got thrush. And that was with my very quick wash of the outside.

To add, it would also be unusual to all of a sudden get an allergic reaction to a product youve been using for a while (i.e., months). If nothing has changed in your bath routine in a few months or washing powder, I would think you can discount an allergy.

Neyite

Some women are just prone to UTI's - I'm one of them. But I've not had a bout in years. My gynae had the following advice to reduce the frequency of UTI's and it's worked pretty much most of the time for me:

-cotton underwear, avoid thongs or g-strings.
-avoid panty liners.
-when peeing, do a double void. Basically at the end, wait a few moments and squeeze another few drops out. This fully empties the bladder so the UTI bacteria get fully flushed away. Th's tip actually changed my life, no joke.
- lots of water every day. Cranberry juice when it flares up, or high dose cranberry tablets available in health stores. Brilliant yokes.
- pee after sex. Some lubricants can also trigger thrush or a UTI so see if that might be a culprit.
- don't use wipes or soap/ creams in the inner labia. Rinsing with warm water gently is enough. Especially if you know one might trigger your discomfort.
- go commando in loose clothing when you can to let air circulate. Our skinny jeans are NOT fanny friendly!
- I find that when I'm run down or ill I'm more prone to picking up a UTI so doing all of those and taking the cranberry supplements as soon as one is even thinking about flaring up gets rid of it for me.

Faith

Neyite wrote: »

Some lubricants can also trigger thrush

This has blown my mind. I’ve had chronic thrush for years and have basically been taking diflucan weekly for over a year now to try and control it. I’ve tried avoiding everything that might be causing it but it never bloody occurred to me that it could be lube :eek:. I’ve been using a water-based one that [lookimg at the label] claims not to have sugar added, but it could have other things. Have just ordered a new silicone-based lube from Love Honey... it’ll be interesting to see if that makes a difference. Only problem is it can’t be used with silicone sex toys

Neyite

KY was one that especially used to trigger it in me, as well as a lot of the novelty flavoured type. Then when I was trying for a baby the natural ones that mimic our own lady garden fluids was terrific. Durex have a natural one in a clear/green tube that's great.

Edited to say - Most of my bouts are hormonally linked Faith. Often get it before my period especially if I've been otherwise unwell, so you could be like me.

Faith

Neyite wrote: »

KY was one that especially used to trigger it in me, as well as a lot of the novelty flavoured type. Then when I was trying for a baby the natural ones that mimic our own lady garden fluids was terrific. Durex have a natural one in a clear/green tube that's great.

Edited to say - Most of my bouts are hormonally linked Faith. Often get it before my period especially if I've been otherwise unwell, so you could be like me.

Doesn’t seem to be hormonal for me as I’ve got the mirena so no periods these days. I saw the Durex one but it had mixed reviews. I might try it if the one I’ve ordered doesn’t work out