To douche or not to douche, that is the question.  There is sometimes a division between generations of women when it comes to this debate.  While douching was a regular hygiene practice in the 1920s until the 60s (and actually thought of as a form of birth control… which it is NOT), the common consensus these days is simple: Don’t Douche It. 

Unlike your floors, your laundry or your kids, your vagina is one of the few things in your life that is actually going to clean itself.  We’re not suggesting to skip any showers, but douching is overkill (and can actually be harmful as it can eradicate a woman’s natural bacterial culture).  Women shouldn’t use perfumed products (internally or externally) around the vagina as they may actually contribute to the risk of vaginal infections. 

More on signs and symptoms of vaginal infection next time.