#WhytheY? Learn about the y-zone!

What’s the difference between your vulva and your vagina? How do you wax your bikini line safely? Find answers for these questions and more in our special blog series #WhytheY! Each week we will get up close and personal with the "Y-zone" and (re) discover all salient details of intimate care you may need for happy and healthy genitalia! 

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Lets take it back to high school biology with lesson one: Anatomy! 

There are countless names for female genitalia- but the scientific “vagina” is actually the muscular canal that connects your uterus to the outside world (1).  The part of the genitalia visible from the outside (labia majora, labia minora, and clitoris) is actually collectively referred to as your vulva (2). This is an important distinction when it comes to your hygiene! 

The vagina is a self cleaning system that collects unnecessary bacteria and uses discharge to carry it gently out of the body (2). The vulva, on the other hand, is the part of your genitalia on the outside of your body (labia, clitoris). Like all other skin, the vulva is kept clean by washing (2). 

The vulvovaginal system has a “A complex colony of good bacteria and other microbes helps keep the vagina healthy” (3) and may be disturbed by harsher body soaps. To clean, you can wash the area daily with water or a mild cleanser. Try the allongs Intimate Cleanser for a gentle, non-lather vulvar wash that uses lactobacillus to help maintain your skin’s natural pH. 

That's all for this one folks! Come back next week for our next installment of Why the Y! 

Sources: 

1. Web MD https://www.webmd.com/women/picture-of-the-vagina#1

2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/womens-health/vulvovaginal-health

 3. Medical News Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-clean-your-vagina#anatomy-of-the-vagina