Vaginal Health 101: Natural Intimate Care Tips Every Woman Should Know

We think we know our vagina. I mean, we live with her 24/7, right?

But honestly, even the most aware, well-read women I’ve spoken to were surprised by how much there still is to learn.

Your vagina has its own microbiome, pH, and a whole ecosystem working silently to keep things healthy. And the best part?

Taking care of it isn’t some complicated routine - it’s mostly about what NOT to do.

But before we dive into all that, let’s do a quick throwback to what our 8th-grade science textbook tried to teach us - you know, the stuff we were supposed to learn but totally missed because our teenage hormones were too busy hosting their own chaos.

We have ovaries, one on each side. Then, there are fallopian tubes that extend downward and connect to our uterus, which is our womb. 

Between the uterus and the vaginal canal sits the cervix. Our cervix functions as an absolutely brilliant, genius part of our body that closes itself off during the infertile times of our menstrual cycle so that we cannot get pregnant and opens itself up during a fertile time of our cycle. And when it’s time to give birth, it can dilate up to ~10 cm to let a baby enter the world. Mind. Blown. 

Not so fun fact - Our cervix can also hold a lot of trauma. Unfortunately, it is more likely than less that women of our previous generations have experienced trauma around sexuality on some level or the other - and trauma is energy, which can pass down generations! It is always within our capabilities to mend and release this energy by awareness, safe conversations, gentle body connection, and self-compassion.

Below the cervix begins the vaginal canal, leading to the outside, where you have all of your beautiful architecture of outer lips, inner lips, clitoral head, and clitoral hood.

Your clitoris has eight thousand nerve endings, which is over twice the amount of nerve endings in a male penis, and its sole purpose is pleasure. A penis is multifunctional. It receives pleasure, but it's doing other things as well, right? Nature legit has a message for us, ladies - our bodies were designed not just to create life, but to feel fully alive.

 

Our reproductive system, despite being so intricate and incredible, does not demand much from us to be healthy. In fact, many of us are already doing most things right. We’re just sometimes missing a few simple basics that can make a world of difference.

So let’s break it down and cover those essentials together.
Here we go!

Own Your Smell - A natural smell is… well, natural. That’s how it’s meant to be. There’s nothing awkward, embarrassing, or “off” about your body having its own scent. Stay curious, yes, if something suddenly smells very different or unpleasant, it could be your body signalling a possible infection and asking for attention.

But in everyday life?
You absolutely do NOT need “intimate smell kits,” perfumes, serums, or sprays. Your vagina isn’t meant to smell like Lavendar. 

Keep Your Pubic Hair -  When you’re shaving it all off, your pubic hair is basically singing,

“Kaisa sila diya ye wafa ka… kaisa sila diya?” 

Because truly - it’s only trying to protect you.

Just like the hair around our eyes, nose, and ears, pubic hair exists for a reason. It traps dirt and potentially harmful microorganisms, and keeps the skin around the vulva warm and moisturised.

All it needs to stay clean is a quick daily rinse with plain water.

So the next time you feel pressure to remove it because of “beauty standards” or someone else’s expectations, pause. Remove if you want to, but never because you think hair is dirty or because society whispered it in your ear.

Sometimes the sexiest thing you can do is educate, not eliminate.

Healthy Pads Matter - This is a personal matter between you and your cycle. And although we love splurging on what society can admire, but when it comes to caring for the parts only we know, suddenly we settle. 

Period products don’t get that same attention - so we often don’t give them the same care when choosing. But we should.

A healthy pad is simple:
- Unscented
- Free from harsh chemicals
- Free from plastics touching the skin
- Made with natural, breathable materials like cotton

Those artificial fragrances, chemicals, and plastic components mimic the estrogen hormone found naturally in our bodies and run havoc on our hormones by indicating an overdose of estrogen. The hormone cycle inside the body is so intricately connected that disbalance of one affects many hormones. Every third lady is suffering from some hormonal disease, and we are not surprised. 

Be Careful When Washing - Using an intimate wash is like wearing sunglasses at night to avoid the sun. Intimate washes promise pH balance and hygiene - both tasks which the vagina is automatically pro at performing on her own.

And even if the label claims to be pH-balanced, those alcohols and synthetic fragrances can still disrupt your natural microbiota, making you more prone to irritation and infections, not less.

All you need is clean, plain water to wash the external area.

If you really want to use a wash, keep it simple and safe. Always choose alcohol-free, fragrance-free, pH-balanced intimate wash (if at all!). Most days, plain water is enough.

Choose Breathable Underwear - Fabrics other than cotton or bamboo don’t let the area breathe, and synthetic fibers can shed tiny microplastics over time. These particles don’t just sit on the surface, they can be absorbed by the skin in small amounts. In fact, studies have even detected microplastics particles in human placental tissue - which passes down to the new embryo!

Skip the lace obsession and your body with thank you for that!

Don’t Forget to Pee After Sex! - After sex, some bacteria can sneak up toward your bladder. 

Bladder be like - 

“Hi, just finished the romance? Cool cool.

Now let me flush out the bacteria before they try to start a party in the urethra.”

Yup, peeing after sex is your body's natural security guard to flush the germs. 

After Antibiotics - Eat Probiotics - Antibiotics don’t differentiate between bad bacteria and the good ones and wash out both. Those good bacteria live around your vulva too, forming what’s called your vaginal microbiome.

Right alongside them lives yeast (totally normal!).

But when antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria, yeast suddenly has no competition and can overgrow, leading to a yeast infection.

So after antibiotics, support your system with probiotics - think fermented foods like dahi, rice and carrot kanji, idli, dosa - to help your good bacteria make a comeback and keep things balanced.

Wipe Front to Back - Your urethra (where you pee from) is in the front, and your anus is at the back. If you wipe from back to front, bacteria from the anal area can travel to the urethra and vagina, leading to UTIs and vaginal infections.

 

Our vagina is wise, resilient, and brilliantly self-sufficient. All she really needs from us is some mindful habits, and the confidence to trust our bodies over trends, marketing messages, and beauty pressures.