The good news for owners of a vagina is that it is so well designed that it even cleans itself, and while the NHS recommends you shouldn’t use perfumed soaps on its inner workings, using a gentle or natural, unscented pH care feminine (or intimate) wash designed for external use can be a great way of keeping yourself feeling fresh with no side effects.
To help you find a hygienic wash that will help you stay clean without causing irritation, we’ve researched the best feminine wash products for dealing with odour, as well as some great intimate washes for restoring your pH balance. The best feminine washes for menopause have also been covered, so make sure you read on to find out more as we explore options from online sites in the UK such as Amazon, Boots, and ASDA.
Quick List - Top Feminine Washes
Femfresh
A Hypoallergenic Formula That Contains Soothing Aloe and Offers Great Value for Money
Anthyllis
A Delicate Formula Featuring Calendula and Blueberry for Their Anti-inflammatory and Soothing Properties
YES
A Certified Natural and Organic Intimate Wash With a Foam Pump to Create a Soft Lather
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Your skin's pH is slightly acidic at around 5.5, whereas the pH of your vagina is moderately acidic (more acidic than your skin) at around 3.5. This is why normal body washes aren’t really suitable for intimate cleansing, as they aren’t acidic enough to match your natural balance. So, the first important thing to look for in an intimate wash is that it is pH balanced for your intimate areas to avoid any possible irritation.
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Intimate washes that contain artificial colourants or strong perfumes can also cause irritation to your vaginal area. These kinds of chemicals are not necessary to the effectiveness of the wash and should be avoided so that you don’t inadvertently cause yourself any issues.
Just like with other skincare products, even the most organically-minded washes can contain naturally-occurring fragrances, which certainly are preferable and do make the wash more pleasant to use. However, if you are particularly prone to irritation or sensitivities, you still may want to proceed with caution.
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Skincare products such as feminine washes are sometimes labelled as “dermatologically tested”, but what does this actually mean? Essentially, it shows that a dermatologist has looked into how the skin reacts to the product and its ingredients.
Although results vary between individuals, choosing a wash that’s been labelled as dermatologically tested will mean that it is much less likely to cause any skin irritation. So, even if it's your first time trying this kind of product and you're not normally super sensitive, this is always a good label to look for.
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Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lactacyd Feminine Wash | ![]() | Infused With Lactic Acid and Milk Extract to Keep You Balanced and Healthy | |
2 | Femfresh Everyday Care Daily Intimate Wash | ![]() | A Hypoallergenic Formula That Contains Soothing Aloe and Offers Great Value for Money | |
3 | Anthyllis Delicate Intimate Wash | ![]() | A Delicate Formula Featuring Calendula and Blueberry for Their Anti-inflammatory and Soothing Properties | |
4 | YES Cleanse Rose Unfragranced Intimate Wash | ![]() | A Certified Natural and Organic Intimate Wash With a Foam Pump to Create a Soft Lather | |
5 | Vagisan Intimate Wash Lotion | ![]() | An Intimate Wash That Helps Prevent Yeast Infections Whilst Keeping You Clean and Fresh | |
6 | Vagisil ProHydrate Intimate Wash | ![]() | Safe for Sensitive Skin and Features the Wonder-Ingredient Hyaluronic Acid for Hydration | |
7 | Australian Bodycare Intim Wash | ![]() | A Daily-Use Wash Containing Tea Tree Oil to Help Reduce the Effects of Shaving | |
8 | Faith in Nature Feminine Wash | ![]() | Hypoallergenic Formula With a Natural Fragrance for Everyday Use Featuring Moisturising Aloe Vera | |
9 | Megs Menopause Blossom Lave Intimate Foaming Wash | ![]() | A Feminine Wash Containing a Mild Antiseptic to Help Deal With the Effects of the Menopause | |
10 | Sirona Refreshing Intimate Wash | ![]() | Natural Formula Made From 100% Natural Veg Sources and Free From Preservatives, Parabens, and Sulphates |
This wash from Lactacyd works in harmony with your vaginal area and contains lactic acid and milk extract to help maintain your natural pH balance. The formula helps to preserve the natural vaginal acidic protective layer, and has been designed for daily use to keep you healthy and odour free.
Users of this wash absolutely love its gentle and effective cleansing, with some people reporting that it has cleared or eased long term conditions and repeat infections. Once again a little goes a long way, so this also lasts really well making it a great buy. We really love this wash and its our undisputed favourite of our recommendations!
This specially-designed pH-balanced formula is dermatologically and gynaecologically tested and is enriched with soothing aloe vera for all-day comfort and freshness. Femfresh ensures their products are gentle and hypoallergenic with soap-free ingredients to prevent irritation, as well as being suitable for everyday use.
At just a couple of pounds, this wash offers great value for money and a tiny amount lathers up really well so the bottle goes a long way. It has a pleasant subtle fragrance, and even those who tend to be more sensitive found that the formula was gentle and didn't cause irritation. All in all, a great value daily intimate wash.
Quite a bit of this product is needed to work it into a lather so you may go through it quicker than you would expect. Otherwise, this wash has a lot of fans who love its gentle formulation and its subtle lavender fragrance, as well as how it keeps everything in balance.
YES Cleanse is a certified natural and organic intimate wash for gentle and effective cleansing, and was named Best Organic Beauty Product 2016. It is pH balanced to maintain the delicate vaginal ecology with a refreshing and effective cleansing action, and the foam pump produces a soft gentle lather to wash away odour-causing bacteria.
Users who are particularly sensitive found this wash was a bit too harsh for them, so if you find that you react easily to washes then this may be best avoided. However, we love its foam pump dispenser that makes it last for ages, and that it leaves your skin soft and fresh.
Vagisan intimate washing lotion is gentle and protects the natural acid protective coating of your intimate area, while the addition of chamomile extract soothes the skin. Daily use of Vagisan helps to prevent skin irritations and infections in the genital area, while still being kind enough for use on dry skin.
This washing lotion has quite the following of fans, and is particularly popular with those who, before using it, suffered from repeat infections such as thrush and bacterial vaginitis. It does have a stronger fragrance which some users may not like, but it is very good at keeping you clean and keeping any infections at bay.
Vagisil advise that their intimate wash cleanses, moisturises, and protects your intimate areas whilst keeping you hydrated with their hyaluronic acid-containing ProHydrate Compex. It is hypoallergenic and gentle for use on sensitive skin, and its soap-free, colourant-free formula is gynaecologist tested.
Some users, especially those going through the menopause, felt that while this wash is gentle, it could offer more in the way of moisturisation. However, this gentleness is a great selling point, and it leaves you feeling fresh and clean without any irritation.
This wash from Australian Bodycare is designed to be used prior to shaving to reduce razor bumps and redness, however, it's also recommended for daily use when you're not shaving. It contains the natural antiseptic tea tree oil to soothe and rebalance your intimate areas, and it has also been dermatologically tested.
A few users of this wash found that they loved the cooling effect of the tea tree oil, although they found the smell unpleasant. This is also another formula that has a consistency that's very liquid. That said, it leaves you feeling fresh and really helps reduce the effects of shaving.
Faith in Nature have enriched this intimate wash with moisturising and skin calming organic aloe vera, and the hypoallergenic formula is designed to cleanse and refresh without any irritation. Formulated for daily use, it features natural fragrance from essential oils and is free from parabens and foaming agents.
While users love that this wash isn't tested on animals, as with other washes some people found its consistency much thinner and more watery than they were expecting, resulting in the bottle pouring out more than they want to use.
This wash has been created to help with the changing hormone levels during menopause that can affect pH balance, which can in turn cause thrush and dryness to your intimate area. The formula contains a mild antiseptic protection to strengthen the natural defences of the skin, and natural ingredients to soothe and calm.
This wash includes natural rose fragrance from the rosewater in the formula, but this scent isn't necessarily to everyone's taste and some users didn't find it appealing. This is also designed for those going through the menopause so it only really applies to a certain group of users, which is why we've ranked it lower in our recommendations.
Sirona have formulated this wash with natural ingredients such as olive oil to help maintain your natural pH balance, as well as keeping you fresh and odour free. It is made from 100% vegetable sources and is free from preservatives, parabens, and sulphates to reduce the risk of irritation and discomfort.
This is a great formula if you're looking for something as natural as possible, however, this has resulted in the consistency of the wash being quite thin and not gel-like as you would expect. People who have a more sensitive intimate balance should also be cautious of the added fragrance as this may cause issues.
Women are encouraged to gently wash the area around the vagina, not inside it, daily with mild, unscented soaps. Washing more than once a day during a woman's period can be beneficial.
Intimate washes and other types of vaginal cleansers were associated with a 3.5-fold increased risk of bacterial infection and a 2.5-fold increased risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Certain feminine washes, such as a gentle, unscented one that will not disrupt the natural acidic pH balance of the sensitive area have been known to help with yeast infections.
Written and researched by Catherine Torrance
No. 1: Lactacyd|Feminine Wash
No. 2: Femfresh|Everyday Care Daily Intimate Wash
No. 3: Anthyllis|Delicate Intimate Wash
No. 4: YES|Cleanse Rose Unfragranced Intimate Wash
No. 5: Vagisan|Intimate Wash Lotion
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