DEAR GOD NO. You should NEVER DOUCHE. Douching fucks up your vagina’s naturally balanced pH and self-cleaning process.
(The only exception is if you ever get bacterial vaginosis and want to get rid of it with home remedies, which involves douching with apple cider vinegar… but even in that case, the pH gets restored with the use of probiotic capsules. Ask me for more details if you’re ever in that situation, and I’ll tell ya all about it!)
Here are some things you can do to take care of your vaginal health:
Wear cotton underwear (or underwear that is as close to 100% cotton as you can find). Don’t wear excessively tight pants. Wash your vulva and vagina with WATER ONLY (no soap of any kind), using a washcloth or your fingers for some extra scrubby action. Stay hydrated. Regularly eat yogurt and/or other foods and drinks that contain probiotics, especially when you have to do a course of antibiotics for any reason. Always pee after sex or any other activity where bacteria could have been introduced into your urethra (masturbating with a dildo, etc). Wash your hands thoroughly before masturbating. Only use sex toys that are safe – i.e. non-porous and non-toxic – and put a new condom on any unsafe sex toys each time you use them until you can afford to upgrade. Pay attention to how your vagina naturally smells and tastes over the course of your cycle, so you’ll be able to tell if something goes wrong. Never put anything in your vag that’s recently been in someone’s butt. Don’t wear thongs. If you get a UTI, drink a lot of water and go to the doctor as soon as you can so the infection doesn’t spread to your kidneys. Don’t ever get sugary stuff near your vag. Use lube anytime you’re engaging in penetration and aren’t suuuper juicy (which there’s no shame in, by the way), and make sure it’s a vagina-safe lube (no glycerin, no propylene glycol, no parabens, no sugars) and reapply as necessary. If you’re prone to getting BV, pour some apple cider vinegar into your bathwater every once in a while. And above all, remember that your pussy is gorgeous and deserves love and pleasure!