So you want to know how to make your vagina smell good, or better?
I so love that we are discussing these topics openly now because it’s about damn time.
It will save a lot of young ladies from feeling conscious about their lady bits and making terrible decisions.
How? There’s a media culture making kids think their vaginas should smell like roses or perfume. Today alone I’ve seen three adverts on feminine care products promising to keep you fresh and smelling nice down there all day long.
Throw in the fact that the majority of us are now open to oral sex, girls feel the need to smell extra nice down there for their significant other. But can I just categorically say that a daily cleaned coochie smells sexy unless there is something wrong up there? In fact, men love the natural smell of a woman’s vagina and I have it on good authority that so do lesbians.
YOUR VAGINA SHOULD NOT SMELL LIKE FLOWERS.
So let’s start there.
How does a Healthy Vagina Smell Like?
Or, does a healthy vagina have any smell?
Yes. It has a distinct scent that doctors define as earthy, ripe, musty, or slightly sour depending on many factors. For one, every woman has their own body scent and this applies to their vagina scent as well.
Your pheromones, PH level, and diet determine for the most part how you smell down there.
But let me be clear; – a clean, dry coochie is mostly almost scent-free – the smell comes off if any fluids come out, whether it’s cleansing discharge or arousal fluid.
Neither of these fluids smell like flowers but they shouldn’t stink either. Arousal fluid specifically is mixed with your pheromones so it smells mighty good to your significant other and it is what turns them on.
Factors that Affect Vaginal Smell
Besides your own pheromones, a woman’s scent down there changes regularly because of several factors;
1. Diet. Your regular diet affects your body scent- sweat and other fluids. Ladies who eat clean with loads of veggies, fruits, and seeds smell different from those who eat a white American diet and lots of meat and beer. It doesn’t mean the smell is bad, but it’s different- fresher.
2. Menstrual cycle. Your scent down there will be different every week depending on where you are in the cycle. it’s a hormone thing. You will also have a more metallic scent right after your period because of lingering blood.
3. Medication. Ever finished a round of antibiotics and you could still smell it on your breath, pee, and sweat? Yeah, it’s on your lady bits too. What’s worse, some medication mess with your gut flora leaving the vagina prone to all kinds of attacks.
4. PH balance. PH imbalance is the main culprit for vaginal odor and we will discuss it at length later.
5. Hormones. Again, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, estrogen levels, menopause/pre-menopause can all affect the scent down there. You can learn more about how menopause messes your scent here.
6. Choice of underwear. Let’s do an experiment- wear a comfy cotton underwear one day and a lace or silk pair the following day and then sniff them at the end of the day. You will find that cotton has almost no smell, if any, because it doesn’t encourage any moisture hence no bad bacteria. The silk one, on the other hand, will not be as clean.
7. Sex. Your vagina can smell different after sex especially if you have a new partner. This is because semen has a very different PH from the vagina and the reaction leaves a rather different smell for hours after. It’s not off-putting though and it’s what most of us refer to as the sex smell. The friction doesn’t help either.
8. Infection. Finally, your vagina can have an off-putting smell if there’s an infection going on in there. Common culprits include bacterial vaginosis and thrash to STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and life-threatening issues like reproductive organ cancers and fistula.
Explaining Vaginal PH
Let’s go back to high school chemistry here for a second. Your vagina is a chemical environment with good and bad bacteria that keep it healthy. Like your gut, the good bacteria should be significantly predominant for the vagina to stay healthy and smell good.
The way this happens is through the PH levels. A healthy coochie is slightly acidic at about 3.8-4.2. This level of acidity keeps bad bacteria at bay and also controls yeast growth. The level of acidity is also what gives off that musty, tangy scent we talked about that’s really sexy.
When the PH level drops to 4.5 and higher, the environment becomes basic and very encouraging for bad bacterial growth and yeast going haywire. This is what allows infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infection to occur- two of the main culprits of bad vaginal odor.
Question is, how do you keep the vaginal acidic, and what causes a drop or disruption of that acidity?
- Fragrant Products
Everything from the soap you use to wash down there to the detergent you use for laundry and that fragrant pad/tampon can disrupt your PH. This is why we recommend gentle products, and most specifically fragrance-free soaps or gentle washes for bathing.
- Diet
Here’s more science- your gut health directly affects your vaginal health and they have the same chemical environment. So if your diet is all sugar, beer and white stuff that have left your gut broken, your coochie will suffer the same fate. An overgrowth of bad bacteria and low acidity in the gut means the same thing for your vagina.
So here’s a good start- Change your diet to encourage gut health by reducing sugar, processed and fatty foods, beer and also taking care of your sleep and stress.
I’ll also add eat foods that add good bacteria to your system. This is where probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut come in.
- Antibiotics
I avoid taking antibiotics like the plague if I can help it. That’s because those fuckers kill all the bacteria in your gut including the good ones, leaving you exposed. Ever noticed a yeast infection after a round of antibiotics? Now you know why.
- Dampness and Poor Hygiene
Bad bacteria and yeast thrive on warm, wet surfaces. This could be damp undies after a good workout, staying with a pad for many hours, or not showering.
I always tell my girls to carry a change of panties at all times to change if you sweat too much, have a little more discharge or God forbid get an unexpected period.
And for the sake of all that is good, wash your coochie at least once daily and change into a clean pair of undies. Water and soap get rid of any bacteria that’s hanging around there waiting to get in.
- Douching
Much like antibiotics, douching strips your vagina of all the good and bad bacteria and also leave you basic. It is a temporary relief for bad odor that will leave you with worse consequences. (For example, a hydrogen peroxide douche will temporarily treat bacterial vaginosis but it exposes you to a very fast yeast infection.
- Sex and Semen
I wish I could preach this on rooftops but sex is the most common disrupter of vaginal PH. For one, most guys don’t brush their teeth or wash their hands before touching your most delicate part. They transfer that dirt and bacteria to your poor coochie and leave you with problems.
Number two, semen is very basic and it does not react well with the acidic environment of the vagina. Fortunately, because the human body is very adaptable, your vagina gets used to one man’s semen (say your husband) and stops reacting badly. This is why doctors warn against multiple partners.
Different samples of semen will compromise the PH level of your vagina and leave it exposed to infections and STDs. If you can’t stick to one partner, using protection at all times and ensuring your partners are clean can help.
Why Does My Vagina Smell Bad?
I’ll keep this short because we have discussed the reasons already. Here’s a summary of why your vagina may smell bad to a point of smelling yourself.
· Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) _ Fishy Smell
BV is an infection responsible for the fishy smell most women deal with. It happens due to an imbalance in the vaginal flora-meaning the bad bacteria overwhelms the good. The fishy smell can be accompanied by a greyish discharge but not always. While it’s not a sexually transmitted infection, it does make the reproductive system more prone to STIs and other diseases.
· Yeast Infection_ Yeasty Smell
A yeast infection or thrush is not particularly smelly but it does cause a strong yeasty smell. The worst symptom of thrush is severe itchiness that can cause bruises and a lot of white, lumpy discharge. Again, the cause is an imbalance of the vaginal flora allowing yeast overgrowth.
· Trichomoniasis _ Fishy Smell
Contrary to popular belief, BV is not the only cause of fishy vaginal odor. Trichomoniasis, a non-viral, parasitic, sexually transmitted infection also causes the same symptoms. But unlike BV, you may also experience itchiness, redness, and plenty of discharge.
· Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) _ Ammonia Smell
UTI is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract that’s characterized by pain when urinating, as well as pain on the lower back and stomach. It also causes a distinct pee or ammonia smell on your lady parts. That said, the urine smell can be a result of several urinary issues including dehydration, incontinence, and Rectovaginal fistula.
· STI/ STDs
While chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and other STIs rarely cause a foul smell, they will if left untreated for long and parts start rotting.
· Diseases
Cervical and uterine cancer also cause a foul smell to the vagina when they have progressed. During early days, a woman may experience bleeding during intercourse and this will cause a metallic smell.
· Foreign Objects _ Rotten Smell
Occassionally, we have seen women who forgot a tampon in there or a condom got lost. As the foreign object lasts in there, the body will produce a foul smell until it’s removed. Worse case scenario is the woman going into toxic shock when the object is not removed in time.
· Excess Sweat _ Skunky Smell
Finally, the vaginal general area can smell skunky like unwashed armpits. Why? Because the groin also contains apocrine and eccrine sweat glands triggered by heat and emotions. And since we rarely apply deodorant on the groin, the area can stink if you sweat a bit too much when sweat comes into contact with bacteria.
How to Make Your Vagina Smell Good
Now you know how a normal, clean vag is supposed to smell like, and factors that can alter that smell. Let’s wrap this up with tips to make the vagina smell good.
1. Watch Your Diet
I can’t insist this enough- you are what you eat, you smell like what you eat. Start with reducing processed foods, sugar, dairy, and beer from your diet. Replace them with whole foods, and plenty of veggies and fruits. More importantly, make a point to eat probiotic-rich food every day and stay hydrated. Water flushes out toxins and cools down your body.
2. Proper Hygiene
Shower every single day, twice is preferable.There, I said it.
While at it, use gentle products especially down there, and ensure you rinse properly. Did I mention shave? Yes please, hair traps odor and bacteria so it’s better to get rid of it.
Use fragrant-free wet wipes to clean up after peeing or clean water. DO NOT douche or put your fingers inside there. The vagina is self-cleansing and you only need to clean the outer parts.
Speaking of inserting things inside the vagina- please, for the sake of all that’s good, DO NOT insert garlic cloves, yogurt, hydrogen peroxide, and all those things you read online. They will cause more harm than good.
The only exception is prescription medication like antifungal suppositories for thrush or boric acid suppositories for Bacterial vaginosis. Anything else is absurd.
3. Consume Smell Good Foods
Many of you have heard about pineapples making you smell good down there- it’s true. In fact, most aromatic fruits work so you should consume plenty. I make a big pitch of pineapple juice every morning and add a few greens to kick up the vitamins.
I also highly recommend cranberry juice. It contains antioxidants and acids that inhibit bacterial growth and prevent UTI, BV and also leave you smelling nice. Apple cider vinegar with a glass of water is another tip to add acidity to your gut and deodorize the body. Mind you, all this is on top of at least three liters of water daily.
BONUS TIP. Liquid chlorophyll is a miracle worker when it comes to getting rid of body odor. I discussed it here. Add some to your drinking water and enjoy the benefits.
4. Wear Cotton Undies
To keep the vagina dry and smelling fresh all day, choose cotton underwear over silk, lace and satin. Cotton is airy and doesn’t lock in moisture, plus it feels pretty damn comfy. If you want some sexy cotton panties, I have a solid recommendation list here.
The Bottom Line
Two things- one, get familiar with how your vagina smells like when it’s clean. This will help you know when something is off. Two, guard that smell with all you’ve got. This means staying clean, practicing safe clean sex, changing tampons often, wearing the right clothes, eating right and only using safe, gentle products.