Unusual vaginal odor happens occasionally. Even when you take proper care of your genital areas, pungent vaginal odors might occur. Strong or persistent scents are not typical. If you think your vaginal odor is off, ask yourself: What is normal? Vaginal scents are normal and unique to each woman. A healthy vagina smells "musky" or "fleshy."
Menstruation might generate a "metallic" smell for several days. Your vagina naturally cleanses, maintains a balanced pH, and keeps bacteria away.
If you detect a significant change in your odor, it might be a symptom of a problem. Strong scents, vaginal itching and discomfort, and excessive discharge indicate something more serious.
There are several at-home remedies for vaginal odor you might want to use, which are also effective in preventing and treating bacterial vaginosis. You will need to contact your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment if the vaginal odor intensifies or comes with symptoms of trichomoniasis or BV.
The following natural remedies can help eliminate vaginal odor.
10 Best Home Remedies for Vaginal Odor
Apple Cider Vinegar
The prevalence of bacteria is one of the many causes of vaginal odor. It would be best to have something with antiseptic and antibacterial characteristics to remove the fishy odor, such as apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is among the ideal solutions to eradicate strong vaginal odor by either drinking or taking a lukewarm bath.
Among menopausal women, it's common to have less acidity and lower estrogen levels. Apple cider vinegar has the much-required acidity and antibacterial property to battle the bad bacteria.
What to Do:
Every day, drink a glass of water diluted with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. If you don't stand for the strong flavor of vinegar, a tablespoon will suffice for you. Alternatively, you can drink vinegar water with a bit of honey.
A lukewarm bath can be quite relaxing for your vaginal health. Adding 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to warm bath water and soaking for 20 to 25 minutes should be sufficient to eradicate bacteria.
Tea Tree Oil
If you are a user of commercial feminine sprays or vaginal deodorants, it is time to toss them in the trashcan. The ingredients in these products can upset the vaginal pH balance, resulting in yeast infection and a foul smell.
Natural tea tree oil diluted with warm water can be used as a vaginal wash to get rid of pungent vaginal odors and freshen the air.
Tea tree oil is now found in nearly all feminine hygiene products. Like apple cider vinegar, it has antibacterial properties that can aid in preventing and treating infections caused by bacteria and toxins.
What to Do:
If you use tampons, you can soak them in olive oil and then add a few more drops of tea tree oil to them. If you have a pungent vaginal odor, consider mixing the few drops of tea tree oil into a cup of warm water and cleaning your vagina and groin area with it every time.
Yogurt
While yogurt may not be your favorite meal, it can significantly aid you in lessening and minimizing vaginal odor. Consuming yogurt is beneficial not only for your health but also for your vagina!
Yogurt contains lactobacillus bacteria, a beneficial strain of bacteria that aids in the battle against candida infection, one of the most frequent causes of vaginal odor.
Yogurt is beneficial for the majority of women with low levels of estrogen as it helps maintain a normal vaginal pH level.
What to Do:
You can have unsweetened plain yogurt daily. To avoid eating yogurt, consider soaking a tampon in it before inserting it into your body. Within two to three hours, remove the tampon and rinse it thoroughly.
If you have a pungent vaginal odor, you can dip cotton pads in yogurt and lightly rub them on your vaginal area. Use the cotton pad 3-4 times daily. Moreover, overnight tampons will help you get rid of vaginal odor.
Garlic
Many people are skeptical about the effectiveness of garlic in reducing the odor of vaginal secretions, but this is because it has a distinct smell of its own. Surprisingly, fresh garlic clove is undoubtedly one of the most well-known home remedies for eliminating overwhelming vaginal odor.
Garlic was used to treat infections from the beginning of recorded history. Using garlic once or twice gets rid of vaginal odor instantly.
Repeat the process when the infection and fishy vaginal odor persist. If you notice any localized burning caused by the garlic clove, discard it immediately.
What to Do:
- Peel and wrap the fresh garlic clove inside a 6-inch square of cheesecloth to keep it fresh.
- Tie a little piece of string to it. Insert the implant into the vaginal canal and leave it in place overnight.
- With the aid of the thread, take it down in the morning.
Citrus and Vitamin C
It's well knowledge that citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. Besides helping to strengthen our immune systems, consuming citrus fruits can also aid in the removal of toxins from our bodies and prevent illnesses such as vaginal yeast infections.
Bacteria can not survive for lengthy periods in the body of someone who has a robust immune system.
What to Do:
You should eat citrus fruits to help you maintain vaginal pH, prevent vaginal yeast infection and vaginal dryness.
Citrus fruits, including oranges, lemon, sweet lime, grapefruit, and grapes, are good sources of vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immune system.
Chop the fruits and place them inside a jar with a liter of water to keep them fresh. Allow them to soak for at least one night. Drink this water continuously throughout the day.
You can also squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits and drink it.
Fenugreek
Your hormones are one of the factors that contribute to bad vaginal odor. Fenugreek helps to balance your hormones, which helps reduce vaginal discharge and the unpleasant odor that goes along with it.
It helps regulate your irregular menstrual cycle, which is another health benefit of using it.
Both the leaves and fenugreek seeds are beneficial to women's health.
It aids in the maintenance of hormonal balance, decreasing the fishy vaginal odor, reducing abdomen fat, improving digestion, reducing blood sugar levels, and reducing menstrual cramps.
What to Do:
You can use fenugreek seeds to make herbal tea in the following ways;
- Boil the seeds until they are soft, drain them, and drink the tea on an empty stomach.
- Soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight to bring out their flavor. Early in the morning, strain the seeds and drink the resulting water.
Probiotics
Bacteria are found in every cell of our body. While some cause sickness or illness, some are vital for optimal health and maintaining a healthy balance in the body.
When this equilibrium is disturbed by stress, sickness, or an antibiotic course, health issues might ensue, probiotics may be beneficial.
Probiotics are helpful microorganisms comparable to those present in the human body. They are present in several fermented foods, including kefir, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and tempeh.
Probiotics are also available as a supplement, most frequently in the form of an oral capsule.
These supplements are completely safe and offer many beneficial effects on gut and vaginal health. The use of probiotics for vaginal odor focuses on their influence on odor caused by BV.
Probiotics are beneficial in avoiding BV and reestablishing a healthy vaginal pH and flora. However, data is scarce, and further study on the subject is required.
Baking Soda
Numerous vaginal cleansers are available on the market that claim to keep vaginal healthy and odor-free. However, pause before picking them up; most of these include chemicals that can be severe on delicate and sensitive areas.
Rather than that, prepare your vaginal wash at home, which is not difficult to do. Utilize any baking soda that you may have in your kitchen cupboard that can help you fight vaginal infections and maintain your vaginal area odor-free.
Baking soda is easy to come by and keep in the kitchen among the most popular household goods. Besides baking cakes and pies, you can also use baking soda as a cleaning agent for absorbing odors by neutralizing the pH levels in the air and water.
The vaginal odor gets worse when the body's pH level is off. Baking soda lowers and balances the pH level of your vaginal fluid, so removing yeast infection and the unpleasant odor associated with it. Baking soda water can also be used as a vaginal wash.
What to Do:
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your warm bath water and soak for fifteen to twenty minutes to relieve stress. You may also use one tablespoon of baking soda in two cups of water as a vaginal douche by mixing the two.
Boric Acid
Maintaining an acidic pH inside the vagina is vital to prevent vaginal irritation and bacterial growth. Lactobacillus (the beneficial bacteria) found in yogurt aids in the maintenance of an acidic pH level in the vagina.
Menstrual blood and sex semen, on the other hand, raise the pH and make the environment more conducive to bacterial growth. Boric acid is a mild antiseptic that assists in lowering the pH and preventing bacterial vaginosis.
If you have bacterial vaginosis, take gelatin capsules over three consecutive nights. Following that, you should take these capsules twice a week.
Do not ingest the capsules of boric acid. Ensure that you correctly label the container. Additionally, refrain from attempting this approach when expectant or trying to get pregnant.
Keep the bottle of boric acid capsules out of reach of minors. Boric acid can be safely used externally. Boric acid vaginal suppositories are a safe medications if it’s used correctly. There haven't been reports of deaths from boric acid suppositories use. It is a highly effective yet mild eyewash. However, you should not use it internally.
What to Do:
You should fill your gelatin capsules using boric acid and store them in an airtight container to prevent contamination. It should be kept in a cold, dry environment. Insert one pill containing boric acid into your vaginal opening. Leave it in for at least one night.
Conclusion
Most of the time, a foul odor in the vaginal area does not signal a serious problem that requires medical attention. Menstrual cycle, sweat, intercourse, menopause, and hormonal changes are all examples of factors that might affect the smell of your vaginal secretions.
The vaginal environment is somewhat acidic by nature, which helps maintain bacteria and yeast growth. Changes in the pH of the vaginal fluid can disturb this delicate equilibrium, resulting in an odor-causing infection.
Suppose you have an awful, fishy odor and are experiencing burning and itching. In that case, you may have bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is a prevalent bacterial infection of the vaginal mucus. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection spread by sexual contact, can also produce a foul-smelling vaginal discharge and burning or itching.
Vaginal odor is a serious issue for the majority of women. Before attempting commercial vaginal odor treatments, consider the above-mentioned at-home remedies for vaginal odor.