Get the Need-to-Know on Staying Healthy "Down There"
You probably have a ton of products for your hair, skin, and nails, but what about your most sensitive parts? Here’s how to stay balanced down there.
Get the Lowdown on pH
Working out and eating well are essential to staying fit, but so is caring for your most sensitive parts. Balance, like in yoga, plays a major role in keeping your vajayjay healthy, especially when it comes to pH levels. When your system is thrown off, the results can be odor, discomfort, or even infections, all of which can be uncomfortable and take a toll on your self-esteem. An elevated vaginal pH is the culprit behind some of the most common issues, explains Dr. Gregor Reid, a probiotics expert. “A pH of 3.5 to 4.5 indicates that there is the perfect amount of ‘good’ bacteria, or lactobacilli, and no overgrowth of yeast or ‘bad’ bacteria.†So what exactly causes spikes in pH?
Understand the Factors
There are a surprising number of factors—many of them unavoidable. Your period, for one, elevates your vaginal pH because blood has a pH of 7.4, and tampons, which retain fluid, can exacerbate the situation, making it important to change them regularly. Hormone fluctuations, especially during menopause and pregnancy, can raise pH levels. Intercourse can also have an effect because the pH of semen is 7.1 to 8. Fortunately though, there are easy ways to maintain your vaginal pH, like RepHresh Gel, which is clinically shown to support the optimal range, and can be used after your period, after sex, or for freshness anytime.
Stay Balanced With RepHresh
Yeast and bacteria are naturally present in your body, and when they’re in alignment, it’s all good. However, you don’t want these elements to get out of whack. RepHresh Gel can help get your pH back into a normal range.  Also, “one third of women can have depleted lactobacilli even if they don’t know it,†says Dr. Reid. One way to help maintain optimal vaginal health is RepHresh Pro-B, a one-per-day probiotic capsule specially formulated with L. Reuteri RC-14 to support feminine health. *
Take control of your feminine health with RepHresh. For more information, go to rephresh.com.
Dr. Gregor Reid, PhD MBA, is board president of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics and a professor at the Lawson Health Research Institute Microbiology, Immunology and Surgery.