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Should I be douching?

Should I be douching? I am not sexually active, and I have never been to an OB GYN. I have no standard of "normalcy" to compare my vaginal health to.

I DO NOT have: redness, swelling, burning, consistent itching, or thick discharge.

I DO have: discharge that dries yellow in my underwear, frequent feeling of "wetness", white build-up along the inside of my outer labia. There is a smell, but it isn't "fishy" as I've read. It's more of a vinegar-y smell. This has been my situation for years.

I don't know whether I have an abnormality or not. I bought some products: Summers Eve sensitive skin pH wash, Summers Eve extra cleansing pH balancing vinegar and water douche, and something called "repHresh."

I've read online that some people find these products helpful, and some think they are harmful. Should I use them? Am I abnormal?
3 Responses
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Well, given that it is normal and you bathe as normal, I don't think I'd obsess about it.  Most of the things the body does and produces are better for the body than the steps we might take to get rid of them.  You're not posing for photos of the inside of your labia, so really, if your body produces something that is all a part of a natural process, what's the biggie.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Okay, wow, you're right about the name being unattractive, but thankfully you gave a name to the problem and through google searching I've found that a LOT of other women have it! Thank you so much! I knew it wasn't discharge, but I couldn't figure out what to call it.

The build-up was my main concern. Now that I know that it's "normal".... is there a way to get rid of it? I shower every day, I am not unclean, but the white build-up is there only an hour after a really thorough shower. I just want it to be gone.
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Don't bother.  Your vaginal health sounds fine.  The discharge is cervical and vaginal mucus.  Look up "cervical mucus" for some good information.  The white build-up inside your labia is also normal, caused by fats and salts that collect in the folds of skin.  It has the unattractive name of "smegma," I think, but it is not a problem or anything to worry about, just bathe as normal.

Vinegary smell is also normal.

Douches can mess up your vaginal ph.  The inside of a vagina is self-cleaning.  Let it do its job, which it sounds like it's doing fine.

All the best,

Annie
Helpful - 0
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