A word of caution, though, most feminine personal hygiene products  do more harm than good, due to harsh chemicals. What the vagina needs is basic care – not all those fancy products with difficult-to-pronounce ingredients.

A healthy mind and body do not stop at being sane and disease- free. Being healthy also means feeling great and comfortable all day long. One of the basic ways to ensure a fresh feeling every day is to maintain good personal hygiene.

Here are the top basic personal hygiene tips that every woman should learn and must religiously follow.

Cleansing

The vagina has a natural discharge and oils. In reality, these are not bodily waste products and are, in fact, important in keeping the vagina protected against infections. Having these natural discharges is actually a natural process wherein the vagina self- cleanses its surfaces.

Excessive washing and using feminine wash and soap strips the protective barrier created by the discharges. Although it may feel comfortable having scented genitalia, it actually leaves you more prone to infections that will, later on, produce odor and discomfort.

To properly cleanse the external genitals, what you need is warm water and mild soap and remember to rinse the soap suds thoroughly. You also need to avoid cleaning the internal genitalia. Cleanse the vagina only when necessary such as after a comfort room trip.

Menstrual Care

During menstruation, it is natural that a woman feels uncomfortable especially with the wet and potentially bad smell feeling. A lot of women do douche to clean even inside the vagina to really have that clean feel.

However, douching pushes bacteria and other menstrual debris back into the reproductive tract. This will ultimately lead to developing pelvic inflammatory disease, which is very painful.

What a woman must do during the red flag days is to cleanse the genitalia with warm water and mild soap just like on normal days. In choosing pads and tampons, it is best to choose unscented products to avoid exposing the genitalia to a lot of chemicals.

Odor Care

Every woman has a unique natural scent. This odor is healthy and naturally occurring in every woman’s body.

However, if you think you have an abnormally strong scent or that it smells fishy down south, then it is most likely that you are suffering from a genital infection like bacterial vaginosis. You must be checked by a doctor at once because only antibiotics can clear it up.

Underwear Tips

The vagina is naturally moist because of its normal secretions. To make these secretions evaporate, wearing underwear that allows good airflow is a must.

It is important that air can flow to dissipate the collection of bacteria and fungi in the area which can cause vaginal infections.

Cotton underpants are highly recommended and so are those with cotton crotch linings. Do not wear wet bathing suits for a long period as well as leather pants, spandex, and other tight clothing.

When you are sweating a lot, such as after a workout, change clothes immediately including underpants.

Eating & Hygiene

You may not know it but what you eat or drink also affects your feminine hygiene. Junk food and fried foods may make you feel happy but your internal body suffers and is damaged.

The detrimental effects are evident with genital discharges that smell not-too-pleasant. Fresh and healthy foods, and a lot of water,  however,  will help your discharge maintain its natural pH thus keeping everything balanced and smelling natural.

Gynaecologist Visits

Don’t visit your gynaecologist only when something is wrong. It is recommended that you pay a visit regularly even when you are not experiencing anything abnormal.

Gynecologists are the best people to learn from about feminine health and concerns. They can answer any of your questions and will even demonstrate how to properly care for your genitalia.

Regular visits will also ensure that you get screened for early detection of certain female conditions like cervical cancer, breast cancer, vaginal infections, menstrual irregularities, and more.

Take personal hygiene seriously to avoid unnecessary illnesses and to help make you feel good inside and out!

Photo Credit: ShutterStock | FreePik | Getty Images | Dreamstime

I have come to realize that these feelings of doubt creep in mostly because we don’t take time to honor some changes/growth in our lives.

Throwback to about three weeks ago when I started to feel burnt out, I had to pause and remember some excerpts from an Emotional Intelligence class I attended where the teacher said to always “name the feeling” . In the midst of the crisis, panic attacks and tears, always pause and ask your self ” what is this about?” “what do I need”? – This is supposed to allow you pick out the things that will help you get out of that phase or feel a little bit better.

Today, I’m going to share tips I’ve learned and I’m currently practicing:

• Identify what is bugging you: Often, when we are feeling a sense of discomfort, we just go about our lives and act like “meh, I’ll deal with it later”, or you start to lash out at people (guilty!) or you turn to unhealthy habits like eating too much, drinking too much, or other destructive habits. All of that is only going to lead you to a dark place. First, Identify what the problem is. Do you feel you are not getting enough support? Do you feel choked up? Do you feel like you need a change of environment? Do you feel anxious about change? Having a sense of awareness about the problem enables you to look for ways to tackle it. That sense of understanding will help you be kinder to yourself and to the people around you.
• Create healthy boundaries: This one has been of great help to me, as it has helped me identify what my work hours and the time spent on various aspects of my life are. I identified these time frames and that, you guys, was one of the most daunting things to do because I can be quite disorganized. Create boundaries with your time, your relationships, social media, etc.
• Find ways to blow off steam: This could be something as simple as calling a friend. A good friend will pull you out of any dark moment faster than you would if you were alone. That being said, I want to thank God for friends that I can trust, laugh with, hang out with, bond over poems and movies with, and friends that just genuinely love me. That being said also, dump that TOXIC friend in your life today!
• Treat yourself: Go window shopping, eat good food, get a haircut, exfoliate your skin, etc. Treat yourself, because it is a way to remind yourself that everything is going to be okay and that you are deserving & worthy but please, don’t get reckless about it. Spend wisely too.
• Create a to-do list: I’m probably the only one on earth that dislikes schedules but because never say never, I started creating to-do lists and I started out with a list of 3 things and slowly it moved to 5, 6 and so on. To-do lists help me figure out what is really important and what needs to be done. A to-do list helps put one’s mind at ease as it just feels really good when you tick something off your list.

I hope these tips come in handy and that you will be kinder to yourself because you deserve happiness and all the good things of life.

Photo Credit: ShutterStock

I do not want to bore you with information about the many reasons why I hate water. So here’s a quick summary: It has a not-so-nice flavor, it makes me lose control of my bladder, amongst many other reasons. However, because I want to have radiant skin, and also have good health, I’ve decided to train myself to love this wonderful beverage.

Here are some tips I found for my fellow water-haters:

• Get a beautiful water bottle – One of the ways I tried to drink more water was by buying a pretty water bottle and carrying it with me everywhere. This encourages me to sip something healthy when I’m thirsty rather than buying a bottle of my favorite soda.
• Use rewards and punishments – On days when I consume large amounts of water, I give myself a reward with some nice stuff. For instance, a trip to the movies. And if rewards don’t work, use punishments. For example, every time I choose my favorite soda over water I stay away from it for two weeks (I’m currently serving this punishment).
• Try an app – Or set little reminders to help you keep track so you don’t fall off the water wagon.
• Try being physically exhausted – For every time you are physically exhausted, water actually tastes more refreshing. Try dancing. Take up a sport. You’ll find yourself consuming more water.
• Add flavoring – This one I haven’t done yet but I see a lot of people do this, and I will try it soon. There are many flavors to make water appear more desirable and taste great too. One that I know for sure is squeezing some of your favorite fruits in.

I hope that with these tips, your water consumption rate increases and that you stay hydrated and above all, super HEALTHY!

Do you have more tips? Feel free to share!

Photo Credit : Shutterstock

We’re teaming up with Hazel Oils and its CEO, Ndali Modebe, for a giveaway. Here’s your chance to win a bottle of Hazel Oils, a luxury body oil rich in cocoa and peppermint.

Tis’ the season for Self Care. Soak yourself in the sweet chocolatey, minty Fragrance of Hazel Oils while it soothes you and gives you that natural glow.

To participate in the giveaway:
– Follow (on Instagram) @queenmoremi & @Ndalimodebe 
– Comment on the Instagram post and let us know why you should win. Include hashtag #QMHazelOilsGiveaway in your responses & we will pick our favourite Responses!
Good Luck! *Terms and conditions apply* Competition ends on January 5th, 2019. Only open to Lagos, Nigeria residents.

Amber,  34, who is frequenly shamed by detractors for being a former stripper, never hesistates to express her alternative views on just about everything, especially womens’ rights to own their sexuality and bodies. This advocacy is done in the most unorthodox ways. For instance, she encourages women to participate in a walk (a march of sorts) known as ‘slut walk.’ In defending her thought process behind this, she told Marie Claire magazine:

From the time I was a young girl—even before I was sexually active—it was a label that was placed on me. As soon as I came into the public eye, I was immediately criticized for everything from my behavior to how I chose to dress. It was undoubtedly hurtful, and getting used to the harsh words I hear so often is still something I struggle with.

Part of the reasons Rose has been so objectified in times past is due to her natural curves which can be credited in part for her fame. The beautiful hour glass-shaped mother of one mentions how she had developed big breasts by the age of 14 which grew to a cup size 36H as she gave birth to son, Sebastian Taylor Thomas.

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, she mentions how her breast size had been so cumbersome that it prevented her from dancing properly with partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy in the 2016 season of hit dance show, ‘Dancing with the Stars’;  noting that it also became unbearably painful as she constantly felt heavy. The decision to do a breast reduction was an idea she had thought over for 3 years before deciding that it was time due to health reasons.

The star who admits that she was afraid that she woudn’t feel sexy acknowledges that it’s a decision she should have probably taken a while back.

“I was scared that I wouldn’t feel sexy anymore, but it got to the point where I literally was in pain.” “It was almost as if I had like a heavy backpack on my chest.”

The surgery which was a three and a half hour procedure performed by Dr. Gareth Fisher, a popular Beverly Hills surgeon, was a success with Amber going three cups down to a triple D.

“Now when I’m running out the door, I don’t have to search for the right bra to fit within the shirt or to match the color of the shirt, so, it doesn’t show and look gaudy,” Rose says. “I can kind of just throw it on and I’m like, ‘This is amazing!’ I’ve been missing this my whole life,” she says.

Would you get a breast or butt reduction if your health called for it? Or would you struggle it out for the sake of sexy?