Vaginal care has been so thoroughly mismarketed to women that most of the products designed to "help" actively make things worse. Douches, scented washes, fragranced wipes, "feminine hygiene" sprays, and a long list of internal cleaners are sold as solutions to problems they typically cause.
The actual care your vagina needs is shorter and simpler than the marketing suggests. Here are the ten things that genuinely matter, written without buzzwords.
For the comprehensive science of how the vaginal microbiome works and why these practices matter, see our deep dive: Vaginal Ecology 101: How to Keep Your Microbiome Healthy. This piece is the short version.
1. Skip the Douche
Douching is the single most damaging vaginal care practice still marketed to women. It disrupts the protective Lactobacillus bacteria that maintain healthy vaginal pH, raising your risk of bacterial vaginosis, STIs, and pelvic inflammatory disease. The vagina is self-cleaning. There is no medical indication for routine douching, and decades of research show it consistently makes vaginal health worse.
Skip it permanently.
2. Skip Fragranced Products Too
Scented soaps, scented period products, scented panty liners, scented wipes, and any product marketed as "feminine hygiene" with fragrance. The fragrance industry doesn't fully disclose what's in fragrance compounds, and many of the chemicals used disrupt the vaginal microbiome.
Switch to unscented across the board: unscented period products, unscented soap (used externally only), unscented detergent for underwear.
3. Wash With Water Externally Only
For the vulva (the external area, including labia and the area around the clitoris), warm water is sufficient for daily washing. If you want to use soap, choose unscented mild soap and use it sparingly. Do not wash inside the vaginal canal. Internal washing disrupts the microbiome.
4. Wear Breathable Underwear
Cotton underwear during the day, breathable fabrics overnight. Skip underwear when sleeping at home if it's comfortable. Synthetic fabrics that retain moisture (especially in damp conditions) create environments that favor yeast and certain bacteria over the protective Lactobacillus your vagina needs.
Don't sit in damp swimsuits or sweaty workout clothes for hours. Change into dry clothing promptly.
5. Pee After Sex With Real Volume
Within 30 minutes of sex, urinate with full volume rather than a quick dribble. The mechanical flush significantly reduces the bacteria that would otherwise establish a UTI in the hours after intercourse. This is the single highest-impact behavioral practice for sexually-active women prone to UTIs.
For more on the connection between sex and UTIs, see Why You Always Get a UTI After Sex.
6. Choose Microbiome-Friendly Lubricant
Many lubricants disrupt vaginal pH or contain glycerin that feeds yeast. Look for water-based or silicone-based lubricants without glycerin, parabens, fragrance, or warming/cooling additives. Brands cited as microbiome-friendly include Sliquid Sassy, Slippery Stuff, Aloe Cadabra, and Yes Water-Based.
For more, see Lube and Infections.
7. Practice Smart Sex Toy Care
Clean toys with warm water and unscented mild soap after every use. Choose body-safe materials (medical-grade silicone, glass, or stainless steel) over porous materials like jelly rubber or PVC, which trap bacteria and can't be fully sanitized.
Don't share toys without sanitizing between users. Use condoms on shared toys for additional protection.
8. Be Cautious With Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill bacteria indiscriminately, including the protective Lactobacillus species that maintain healthy vaginal pH and suppress yeast overgrowth. Take them when genuinely needed, complete the full prescribed course, but push back on long-term prophylactic antibiotics for UTI prevention. The 2025 AUA guideline now recommends discussing non-antibiotic prevention options first.
For more on this, see Are UTI Preventive Antibiotics Worth It? and Why Do I Keep Getting Yeast Infections?.
9. Get Symptoms Diagnosed, Don't Self-Treat Recurrence
For an occasional yeast infection, over-the-counter treatment is reasonable. For recurrent symptoms, repeated discharge, persistent itching, fishy odor, painful sex, or any pattern that doesn't fully resolve with self-treatment, see your provider.
Several conditions mimic yeast infections (bacterial vaginosis, cytolytic vaginosis, vulvodynia, lichen sclerosus, STIs) and require different treatment. Self-treating recurrently is one of the main reasons chronic vaginal conditions go undiagnosed for years.
10. Keep Up With Routine Gynecological Care
Annual visits with your OB-GYN catch issues early, including conditions you may not have noticed. Cervical screening on the schedule your provider recommends. STI screening if you're sexually active or have new partners. Pelvic exams for women with chronic symptoms.
If you don't have an OB-GYN you trust, finding one matters more than people sometimes realize. Look for providers who take women's symptoms seriously and explain things in language that respects your intelligence.
What About Probiotics?
Some specific probiotic strains have research support for vaginal microbiome health: Lactobacillus crispatus CTV-05 (vaginal application, BV prevention), Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 with Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 (oral application). Generic probiotics without strain specification are unlikely to help.
For women with disrupted vaginal microbiomes (recurrent BV, recurrent yeast infections, postmenopausal changes), targeted probiotics with named research-backed strains can be a useful addition. They are not a substitute for the practices above.
What About UTI Prevention?
For women prone to UTIs, vaginal microbiome care is part of the prevention picture but not all of it. Multi-mechanism prevention typically includes:
Behavioral measures (post-sex urination, hydration, microbiome-friendly lubricants).
Multi-mechanism supplementation. UTI Biome Shield delivers 38mg of DMAC-verified A-type cranberry PACs (which block E. coli adhesion at the bladder), 500mg of D-mannose with a 1000mg two-pill spot treatment dose for higher-risk windows, vitamin D3, zinc, and whole-fruit polyphenols.
Hormonal intervention if relevant. Vaginal estrogen for postmenopausal women, breastfeeding women, or women with low-estrogen-related symptoms.
For the comprehensive UTI prevention picture, see UTI Prevention vs. UTI Treatment: What's the Difference?.
The Short Version of the Short Version
The vagina is an ecosystem, not a problem to manage. The most damaging things you can do to it are mostly products marketed as helpful (douches, scented anything, internal cleaners). The most useful things you can do are mostly subtraction (stop using disruptors) plus simple maintenance (breathable underwear, water externally, glycerin-free lube).
The complicated additions (probiotics, UTI prevention supplements, hormonal interventions) matter for specific situations and are worth using strategically, but the foundation is uncomplicated.
For the full science of why these practices matter, the five vaginal microbiome community state types, what disrupts the ecosystem and what supports it, see Vaginal Ecology 101: How to Keep Your Microbiome Healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I take care of my vagina daily?
Wash externally with water (or unscented mild soap if you prefer), wear breathable cotton underwear, change out of damp clothes promptly, skip douches and fragranced products, choose glycerin-free lubricants, pee after sex, and don't try to clean the vaginal canal internally. The vagina is self-cleaning. The most useful daily practice is removing the disruptors that prevent it from regulating itself.
Should I clean inside my vagina?
No. The vagina maintains its own microbial balance through Lactobacillus species that produce lactic acid and keep the pH appropriately acidic. Internal washing or douching disrupts this balance and increases your risk of bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and STIs. Wash externally with water and leave the inside alone.
Are scented period products safe?
Many contain fragrance compounds that can disrupt the vaginal microbiome. Switching to unscented period products is a simple, no-cost intervention that often improves vaginal health for women prone to recurrent BV, yeast, or irritation. The fragrance offers no real benefit (the vagina is supposed to have a mild scent) and creates real risk.
What kind of underwear is best for vaginal health?
Cotton during the day. Breathable fabrics overnight. Skip underwear when sleeping at home if comfortable. Avoid wearing damp swimsuits or sweaty workout clothes for hours. Synthetic fabrics during exercise are fine; the issue is staying in damp synthetic fabric for extended periods, which favors yeast and certain bacteria over the protective vaginal microbiome.
How do I prevent yeast infections?
The major prevention practices are avoiding the disruptors (antibiotics when not strictly needed, scented products, douches), maintaining the supporters (breathable underwear, dry clothing changes, glycerin-free lubricant), managing blood sugar if relevant, and using targeted Lactobacillus probiotics if you're prone to recurrence. For recurrent yeast infections, see Why Do I Keep Getting Yeast Infections?.
How do I prevent UTIs?
Pee after sex with real volume, stay hydrated, use glycerin-free lubricants, avoid spermicide-containing contraceptives if you're prone to UTIs, and consider multi-mechanism prevention supplementation. For postmenopausal women, vaginal estrogen reduces UTI risk significantly. For the complete picture, see Why UTIs Are More Common in Women and UTI Prevention vs. UTI Treatment.
When should I see a doctor about vaginal symptoms?
For unusual discharge that persists, recurrent infections (more than two yeast infections or two UTIs in a year), painful sex, persistent itching or irritation that doesn't respond to OTC treatment, fishy odor, unusual bleeding, or any symptom that's significantly affecting your quality of life. Self-diagnosing recurrent symptoms is one of the most common reasons chronic vaginal conditions go undiagnosed for years.
