We all spend a lot of time and detail on our skin. From head to toe, we look for products that hydrate, fight wrinkles, battle blemishes, and create that healthy glow that makes us look as beautiful as we feel. Skincare is a form of self-care.
There’s one area of skincare that most of us are neglecting. In fact, most of us have never even considered it. We’re talking about the area down there, which just happens to be the location of your most delicate and fragile skin.
If you’ve never considered vulvar skincare, you aren’t alone. Most of us aren’t talking about vulva-related issues over coffee. The problem is, many of us are experiencing issues like pain, itching, and irritation on or around the vulva.
At Rael, we want to start the conversation about proper vulvar care and empower you to feel confident in showing your most intimate areas the much-needed love they deserve. We’ll help you understand what’s going on down there a little better, and teach you how to give yourself the best care possible.
What is the Vulva?
Talking about body parts gets confusing, but we’re here to help you navigate these tricky waters. The vulva refers to the outer part of your vagina and the area that surrounds it.
Areas of the vulva to be aware of:
- Outer labia, or labia majora
- Inner labia, or labia minora
- The clitoris
- The opening of the urinary canal
- Vestibule, or opening of the vagina
The entire vulva area is covered with some of the thinnest skin you’ll find on your body. It’s fragile, delicate, and incredibly sensitive.
Why Vulvar Care?
The skin around your eyes is fragile and delicate, and we spend a great deal of time applying products to help support that tender skin, keep it hydrated, and avoid irritation.
The skin of your vulva is even more delicate than your eye area skin, but if you’re like most of us, you aren’t dedicating much (if any) time to caring for it.
On top of the vulvar area being so sensitive, it’s also exposed to some pretty harsh external stressors.
Here are some examples:
- Your period. Your period changes the pH balance of your vulva, exposes it to vaginal discharge and period care products. This can irritate and sensitize the vulva area.
- Sex. Having sex can also interfere with your vulva’s pH balance, can cause irritation, chaffing, and general discomfort.
- Exercise. Exercising can cause irritation to your vulva area in the form of chafing and itching.
Your vulva’s pH balance helps you avoid bacterial and yeast infections. When something changes the pH balance of your vulva, you become more susceptible to irritation, pain, and infections.
Issues with the Vulva
Most of the time, your vulva’s natural pH balance takes care of keeping the entire area happy and healthy. However, when something disturbs that pH balance you can experience issues fairly quickly.
Vulvar Pain
Nothing can deplete your confidence like pain in the vulva area. Whether you know the cause or not, you just want relief fast.
Vulvar pain is referred to as vulvodynia. Vulvodynia can happen to anyone but is especially common if you are between the ages of 20-40. Pain can start suddenly and last for months or years at a time.
There are four different types of vulvodynia pain:
- Generalized pain occurs suddenly, and can last for different lengths of time.
- Localized pain occurs on a specific part of the vulva, like the inner or outer labia.
- Cyclic pain coincides with the menstrual cycle.
- Vestibulodynia-pain is localized specifically at the vaginal opening.
Experiencing vulvodynia can make period care, sex, exercise, and even sitting down very uncomfortable. Thankfully, there are products available to help you get relief fast and naturally.
Irritation
Vulvar irritation can refer to pain, itching, burning, or chafing on the entire area of the vulva or just in one specific spot. Vulvar irritation can sideline you from feeling confident and comfortable. It can also force you to limit certain activities that would make your irritation worse.
Proper Vulvar Care
Vulvar care is self-care, and it’s definitely important. You can be proactive in keeping this area of your body comfortable, healthy, and happy no matter what time of the month it is or what activities you have in store for the day.
Proper vulvar care begins with the right products. Just like you need specific products to keep the skin on the rest of your body hydrated and healthy, you need specially formulated products to help increase moisture, improve elasticity, and soothe your vulva.
The Right Shower Products
Just like facial care, it all starts with a great wash. Your regular body wash can contain harsh chemicals that can be drying and irritating to your vulva.
Rael’s Soothing Gel to Foam Feminine Wash contains natural ingredients like hibiscus and pomegranate to help soothe irritated vulva skin and keep you clean without stripping your skin of natural moisture.
Lactobacillus aloe helps support healthy bacteria levels and proper pH balance, so you don’t have to worry about bacterial or yeast infections.
Our wash is formulated for daily use and has a unique gel-to-foam consistency that helps boost moisture levels gently and effectively.
Cleansing To Go
One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal is convenient vaginal wipes. Wipes help keep you feeling fresh when you’re on the go, at the gym, or anywhere else you need a little midday cleanse.
The problem? Some wipes can be harsh and irritating to delicate vulvar skin. It’s important to make sure your wipes are gentle and help support your pH balance.
Rael’s Soothing Feminine Wipes are flushable, convenient, and formulated with natural ingredients like moisturizing coconut and soothing hibiscus to help you clean up, keep fresh, and eliminate irritation.
Hydration
Everyone deals with vaginal dryness from time to time. If you don’t take measures to hydrate your vulvar skin, dryness can lead to irritation and even chafing. Hydrating the vulvar area can be tricky because you don’t want to use a product that leaves you feeling sticky.
Rael’s Soothing Feminine Mist is the perfect solution for delivering moisture when you need it without leaving behind a sticky, goopy residue.
Formulated with K-beauty technology, our mist contains ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid, eucalyptus, and hibiscus to eliminate dryness and irritation from shaving, waxing, intimacy, exercise, or just simply wiping a little too hard.
Irritation Relief
Sometimes, you need relief fast from vulvar irritation and discomfort. When you’re experiencing discomfort like pain, irritation, itching, or burning, you need a product to help you feel better fast so you can get back to your day.
Rael’s Soothing Vulva Relief Gel is the ticket to freedom from vulvar irritation. Formulated to help you get immediate relief from irritation and provide long-lasting comfort, our gel glides on smoothly and dries quickly, providing an extra layer of protection between the skin of your vulva and external stressors.
When to Use Vulvar Care Products
There’s no right or wrong time to use vulvar care products. Rael’s products are formulated with natural, non-toxic ingredients that are safe for daily use. You might find you prefer to use your vulvar care products during certain times or before or after certain activities.
- Before, during, and after your period: Your hormone levels rise and fall before, during, and after your period, which can create vaginal dryness. Using vulvar care products during this time can help keep you comfortable no matter what’s going on with your hormones.
- Menopause: Vaginal dryness and loss of vulvar skin elasticity are hallmarks of menopause. Fight back with products to help hydrate and soothe dry skin and increase skin’s natural elasticity.
- Waxing and shaving: Bikini area hair removal can leave your skin dry, irritated, red, and itchy. Using vulvar care products can help give you immediate relief after shaving or waxing and can prevent razor burn or skin irritation.
- Exercise: Your most sensitive area undergoes a lot of pressure during your workout, and it’s normally trapped inside snug-fitting leggings or shorts. Using vulvar care products before and after your workouts can help you avoid chafing and also keep you clean to help you avoid infections.
- After intimacy: Sex changes your vulva’s pH balance, so taking care of your vulvar area after intimacy is important in helping you avoid irritation and restoring your pH balance, bringing everything back into harmony.
Get Rael
Vulvar care is important, and Rael wants you to feel empowered and confident when you shop for products to care for your most intimate areas. Our products are formulated with K-beauty technology, which keeps them natural, safe, and incredibly effective.
Your vulva deserves more than just harsh toilet tissue. Grab products to take care of your vulvar skin just like you take care of the rest of your body, and enjoy new confidence and the next-level comfort you’ve been missing.
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