Soap and the Female Body

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“Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie, rinse, rinse, rinse, quick, quick, quick!” Is this your mantra as you’re bathing?  Mine too, especially now that I’m of a more mature age!  But why is that? What’s up with the V and the sting?

Just as I suspected, it has everything to do with pH.

Why does your pH change?

  1. Antibiotics: They kill bad and good bacteria, thus changing the V’s preferred climate.
  2. Intercourse: Just another reason to use protection, especially if the beau is new to you as the pH of his sperm may not jive with you.
  3. Breastfeeding and Menopause: Estrogen changes everything!

What exactly is pH?

It turns out that pH levels aren’t just for the pool boy. pH stands for Potential of Hydrogen, and that’s why the “H” is always capitalized. It’s basically a number between 0 and 14 given to water-based solutions to indicate whether they’re acidic or basic, with 7 being neutral.  Solutions with less than 7 are more acidic, while more basic/alkaline solutions are numbered higher than 7. 

Common examples of pH levels:

  • 14-11: Drain cleaner, household ammonia/bleach
  • 10-8: Baking soda, toothpaste
  • 7:  Neutral, distilled water
  • 6-4: Black coffee, milk
  • 3-1: Lemon juice, vinegar, battery acid

pH levels of bodily fluids:

  • Blood is more toward basic/alkaline around 7.4
  • Normal skin is in the acidic range and has a pH between 4.5-6.5
  • The pH of a healthy vagina is around 3.8-4.5
  • Urine is about 6.0
  • Gastric juices are around 1.0 and very acidic

As most common bacteria live at about the same pH that is comfortable for humans, we need to cleanse our skin and other things we come into contact with using a product with a pH unfavorable for bacteria to live. This is why soap is so effective in stopping the spread of germs, as soap has a pH of usually 8 or higher.

What does all this mean in terms of our initial “burning” question? 

Basically anything you use that has an 8 or higher for your skin, could be irritating to your V.  Water helps to neutralize cleaning substances quite a bit, but it still makes your bath more enjoyable to use products closer to a 7.  Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find products that don’t come with a bunch of harmful chemicals.  Anything mass produced or in liquid form is usually packed full of the cosmetic chemicals you’re probably trying to avoid.

The bottom line:  lower the pH of your personal cleansing agent, and lessen the sting.

Err on the Safe Side with Natural Soap!

Organic and natural ingredients are significant in regards to maintaining a healthy pH balance in the female body. And if you can’t ingest the ingredients, Splendid Bee doesn’t use them. We offer a variety of handmade products that are safe, soothing and comforting for your skin. But don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself!

Splendid Bee now offers three subscription services that will deliver 6 bars of soap, 9 bars, or 12 bars of soap directly to your door four times a year. You can build your own subscription of soaps that are scented or not and edit your selections at any time.