What exactly counts as proper feminine hygiene?

So, this is actually the second or third time now that my gynecologist has basically told me—in plain English—that I need to "tone it down" when it comes to my intimate hygiene routine.

I use Lactacyd Femina wash, though honestly, I don’t use it every single day—mostly because I’ve been told in the past that I might be overdoing the cleaning part. Usually, it's just a quick rinse with lukewarm water every morning and night. And just to be clear, I have never, ever done a douche. Like, never.

I’m also pretty used to wearing daily liners—I usually go with Libresse, nothing scented or anything crazy like that.

I’m just really confused about what my doctor actually means by that. Where am I overstepping? What am I doing too much of?

What does "proper" feminine hygiene actually look like, anyway?

Brenda Foster29 said:This is like the second or third time my OB-GYN has basically told me—in plain English—that I need to "tone it down" when it comes to my intimate hygiene routine.

I use Lactacyd, but honestly, not every single day—mostly because I've been called out before for being a bit too obsessive about cleaning up. Still, I wash with lukewarm water every morning and night. And just to be clear, I have *never* done any internal douching. Never.

I'm also pretty used to wearing daily liners—specifically Libresse ones—nothing scented, obviously. Just standard stuff.

I really don't get what my doctor is driving at. Where am I overdoing it?

What does "correct" feminine hygiene even look like?

Maybe washing twice a day is just overkill for you? 🤷

And personally, I’m not a huge fan of daily liners either (except maybe during your period or if things get extra slippery around ovulation). Are you wearing them constantly?

But honestly, the best move would be to just ask your doctor exactly what they meant by that comment.😉.

I mean, maybe he was talking about shaving way too much or something? Like, maybe your skin is just super irritated from all that?

Personally, I don't really see the issue with washing too often.

Just use basic soap once a day. Skip the tampons if you can. And for the love of god, stop using vaginal douches!!!! They make it look like you're being clean, but they actually just trap moisture and basically invite yeast infections to move in. Better to just avoid them...

Brenda Foster29 said:For the second or third time now, my gynecologist has basically told me that I need to "tone it down" when it comes to my intimate hygiene routine.

I use Lactacyd Femina wash—though not every single day, since I’ve been warned before about over-cleaning—but I do wash with lukewarm water every morning and evening. I have never once used a douche; absolutely never.

I am also used to wearing daily liners, specifically from the Libresse brand, making sure they are unscented.

I don't quite understand what my doctor means. Where am I going overboard?

What does proper feminine hygiene actually look like?

Yes, that is definitely a thing. By using soaps, shampoos, or various other liquids, it is very easy to accidentally kill off the beneficial bacteria naturally found in the vagina. Doing that disrupts the delicate balance between healthy bacteria and fungi that live there normally.
Similarly, daily liners might be causing extra irritation to the skin.
Also, excessive hair removal can lead to local skin infections and redness.
Twice a day? Honestly, I think that might be too much.

Twice is plenty. You have to give those "good" bacteria a chance to actually do their job.
Besides, my gynecologist advised against using specialized intimate washes or even standard soaps; just stick to plain warm water.
And try not to overdo it with the daily liners—especially those scented ones, which are basically an invitation for vaginal irritation.

Pads 😲
They’re either super uncomfortable or just plain unnecessary—honestly, I think they might even be bad for you.
Screw those manufacturers making a killing off people being freaked out by the natural scent 🙄 of a healthy vagina.

Seriously, try ditching them for a bit and see how much better you feel. 🤷

Anyway, I make sure to use an intimate wash once a day when I shower, maybe a little extra if needed, but nothing crazy. Seems plenty enough to me. 🙂

I’ve been reading up on vaginal douching lately, and honestly, it seems like such a polarizing topic; some people swear by it while others strongly advise against it. The real concern, though, is that it might actually increase the risk of spontaneous miscarriage, which is pretty scary when you think about it.

In my opinion, if nature truly intended for us to be washing our internal areas, she probably would have designed our bodies to handle that kind of cleansing more naturally.

I personally use Lactacyd Femin, though I try to follow my doctor's advice and not overdo it on a daily basis. I remember an emulsion I bought ages ago that had a completely different scent and wasn't even meant to be applied directly—you had to dilute it with water first. This current version I pick up at CVS has a much finer, soapy scent, and I find myself using it quite regularly.

I stick to Hygieia for washing, and I pretty much avoid tampons altogether because my gynecologist looked like she’d seen a ghost when I even brought them up. Since I’m at the gym or hitting an aerobics class constantly during my period, I just have to use tampons when I'm working out... but I never leave them in for more than two hours. Also, following my doctor's advice for when I'm just hanging out at home, I use basic Always pads. Apparently, all those "modern" brands just encourage bacteria to grow. Of course, Always pads aren't as absorbent, which is why I only use them at home—since I end up having to swap them out every two hours or so.

Jessica Kern16 said:I’ve been reading that douching might actually be okay—some people swear by it, others say stay away... apparently, the catch is that it might even increase the risk of spontaneous miscarriage.

Douching was a thing back in the day before we had decent birth control options, when women would just rinse out with a mild vinegar solution after sex. Nowadays, we have much better ways to prevent pregnancy, and honestly, douching just pushes bacteria inside and wrecks your natural balance. You need those Döderlein bacilli to keep things slightly acidic and protect you from infections. If you wash those guys away, you're basically inviting an infection to move in...

Avoid using daily liners whenever possible. If you must use an intimate wash, I’d suggest limiting it to just once a day at most. You might want to try the Ladybug gel; in my experience, it's probably the gentlest option out there since it's formulated with calendula oil and propolis.

silverscout91 said:Stop using daily liners PERIOD. And those intimate washes? Limit it to once a day max. Try the Ladybug gel—it’s super gentle since it’s got calendula oil and propolis in it.

Great, now you guys have me worried. Why shouldn't I use daily liners? I use them every single day. What's the big deal? Why am I "not allowed" to use them???🤷

darkviper6 said:Okay, now you guys actually have me worried. Why shouldn't I just use pantyliners? I use them every single day. What’s the big deal about not being allowed to use them???🤷

It’s because those liners are basically just layers of plastic sitting right against your skin, which completely suffocates it. If we already know that wearing tight leggings, skinny jeans, or synthetic underwear can be a nightmare for intimate health, just imagine what a daily liner is doing to you.

Yeah, count me in as one of those idiots 🙄 who's totally hooked on daily liners. Honestly, I just feel better wearing them.

Look, the "perfect" move would probably be going commando in some breezy cotton panties—that’s definitely the most female-organ-friendly way to go. 😁

But anyway, the OP says she basically just uses lukewarm water twice a day and occasionally uses Lactacyd, yet even *that* got flagged as being "too much." 😕

Since my routine is pretty much identical, is that seriously overkill?

I simply cannot function without tampons! Why is there such a stigma surrounding their use?

My daughter is practically screaming at the thought of using any kind of intimate wash. She claims plain water is just lukewarm and useless, and while she thinks a mild, standard soap might work around the edges, she’s convinced that rinsing with sage would be much better—especially when things start feeling "off" down there. I ended up tossing everything out of our cabinet, and honestly, it’s been a revelation. I’ve started incorporating sage into my own routine too, and the sensation is incredible; it feels almost clinical, like everything is perfectly balanced and sterile. I used to waste money on brands like Lactacyd and Hygieia, but it was all nonsense that just ends up stripping the mucous membrane. My doctor gave me that exact advice, and I finally decided to listen. Everything has been perfectly fine since then.

I honestly feel like these soaps are addictive; when I was younger, almost nobody even used them, but now I just can't imagine my routine without them. Just on a whim, I tried going completely without any product and just using water, and for those first ten days, everything felt absolutely revolting and unhygienic—it was this constant sensation that I wasn't clean, even though I wasn't actually dealing with any health issues. Eventually, things settled down (or perhaps I just lowered my standards), but now I find myself back to using them again... although there are moments where I just want to toss everything in the trash and wait for summer to arrive so I can finally enjoy some nudism and be free from it all.😳

Linda Campbell said:My daughter is incredibly sensitive to pretty much any kind of feminine wash. She says plain lukewarm water is okay, or maybe a very mild soap just for the outer areas, but she swears by rinsing with sage tea as often as possible—especially when things start feeling off down there. I ended up tossing everything else out, and honestly, it’s been great. I’ve started using the sage rinse too, and what a relief. It makes everything feel so... clean. I used to waste money on Lactacyd and Hygieia washes and all that nonsense, but you're really just stripping the mucous membrane. That's what my doctor told me, so I listened. Everything is fine now.

Wait, what exactly is sage??

Sage is such a fantastic natural antiseptic. I've even used it as an oral rinse for my mouth—which is probably exactly what you need for this particular area too.🤣

granitenomad said:I honestly can't deal without using tampons. Why is everyone saying they aren't good to use?

Well, I suppose the logic is that during your period, when the uterine lining is shedding, a tampon ends up absorbing all that fluid and just sits there inside you for hours until you change it. That creates an environment where bacteria can potentially multiply. With pads, though, that fluid actually exits the body instead of being trapped inside.