You’ve landed here because you’re probably wrestling with a fundamental question: Is it safe to wash inside your vagina? This Liberian woman will show you how this practice is not only safe but deeply rooted in effective traditions passed from generations of Liberian women, taking us beyond Western hygiene norms.
It is time to clear the air and put aside your preconceived notions about “correct” feminine hygiene. Picture a Liberian woman, faithfully performing a sacred, intentional routine every morning and evening. She squats, uses clean water, and with a gentle, knowing hand, guides her middle finger inside her vagina. With slow, deliberate movements, she swirls and washes away the day’s buildup, whether it’s natural body fluids, or semen, or post-menstruation. She cleans every crease, fold, or hidden spot, inside the vagina, with intention and care from a method that has been passed down from generations of Liberian women to another. This routine defines Liberian feminine hygiene.
Now, let’s time travel thousands of miles away to a manor house in 17th-century Europe. Despite their aristocratic lace gowns and powdered wigs, most people bathed maybe once a year. Yes, one time a year. I know, it’s probably the first time you’re hearing this eye-opening truth. Instead of water, they masked body odor with heavy perfumes and powdered undergarments. That’s 729 times more showers, clothes, and undergarment changes a Liberian woman had over a European lady of the manor. Suddenly, we’re in two profoundly different worlds, yet only one of these stories gets told as “normal” or “acceptable.” This stark contrast highlights the urgent need to question prevailing Western hygiene narratives.
Today, we’ll change that narrative. We’ll unpack the truth about hygiene, how it truly evolved in the West, why cultural practices matter, and why it’s now time we put serious respect on the ways women around the world, especially in my country, Liberia, care for their bodies. We’ll explore traditional Liberian hygiene practices and shine a light on their deep-rooted efficacy, proving that washing inside your vagina is not a radical or bad act, but an informed choice for true vaginal cleanliness.
The Western Hygiene Myth: Where “Clean” Was Once Considered Deadly
Western society often puffs out its chest, priding itself on its notions of cleanliness and “civilization,” with luxury scented body washes, spa days, and elaborate multi-step skincare routines. But let’s pull back the curtain. Not so long ago, Western hygiene was in an absolute crisis. Far from being a beacon of purity, much of Medieval and early modern Europe harbored a bizarre, almost fearful, relationship with water. This historical context is crucial when we address the question: Is it safe to wash inside your vagina?
What was the prevailing belief about bathing in Medieval and Early Modern Europe?
During the Medieval and early modern periods in Europe, people genuinely feared that bathing left their bodies’ pores exposed, inviting illness. This wasn’t just some whispered rumor in the taverns; it was a common, deeply ingrained medical belief, much like the modern-day assertion that “You should only wash your vulva, not inside of your vagina.” Public bathhouses, which were originally inspired by Roman culture and offered spaces for communal cleanliness, were systematically shut down. Why? Because they were deemed both immoral and dangerous. Think about it. Folks actually believed that just immersing themselves in water was a health risk, a direct invitation for illness to walk right in. This terror became super strong during those plague years and other big outbreaks, really cementing this “no bathing” thing. It’s a wild reminder of how easily “common knowledge” can be totally off base, and why it’s so incredibly important to question what we’re told, especially about something as personal as feminine hygiene and if washing inside your vagina is truly safe.
Let’s get factual and dive into the fascinating, somewhat unsettling, historical details:
- European Bathing Practices (16th–18th Centuries): The Era of the Yearly Rinse During the 16th to 18th centuries, the concept of full-body bathing was incredibly uncommon among Europeans. Think about that for a moment. Generations of people went through their lives with minimal, if any, comprehensive body washing. The decline in bathing practices was significantly fueled by widespread fears that water could transmit devastating diseases like plague and syphilis. Consequently, vast swathes of the European population actively avoided bathing, sometimes for their entire adult lives. Their approach to personal hygiene was drastically different from what we understand today, proving that hygiene is cultural, not universal. This stark historical reality directly challenges the assumption that Western hygiene has always been superior or the only standard for body cleanliness.
- Queen Isabella of Spain’s Bathing Habits: Twice in a Lifetime? Perhaps one of the most striking examples of this anti-bathing sentiment comes from the highest levels of European society. Queen Isabella I of Castile (1451–1504) famously claimed to have bathed only twice in her entire life: once at birth and again before her wedding. This anecdote, while likely embellished for dramatic effect, nonetheless vividly illustrates the prevalent attitudes toward bathing during her era.
It wasn’t about personal preference; it was a deeply embedded cultural norm that associated frequent washing with vulnerability and disease. Her feminine hygiene routine would have been starkly different from anything we recognize today, making modern Western critiques of vaginal washing by Liberian women seem, well, uninformed, if not hypocritical given their own history of uncleanliness.
- Louis XIV of France and His Aversion to Water: The Perfume King And then there’s Louis XIV of France, famously known as the Sun King. Word is, he strongly disliked bathing. Instead of actually getting clean with water, he would drench himself in tons of perfume to mask his body odors. His court at Versailles became legendary for how much fragrance everyone used, and get this, even the fountains on the palace grounds were scented! This whole habit, preferring perfumes over genuine cleanliness, was pretty widespread among the French nobility back then. It highlights a culture where appearance and masking were prioritized over true body cleanliness. This historical context makes the modern Western reliance on scented products for vaginal odor, rather than thorough internal cleaning, feel oddly familiar, echoing a past where real hygiene was avoided.
- Hygiene Practices Among the European Elite: Perfumed Handkerchiefs Over Handwashing Sociologist Norbert Elias, in his seminal work The Civilizing Process, offers crucial insights into how European elites managed body odor and cleanliness. He discusses how they often wore the same clothes for extended periods and used perfumed handkerchiefs to “filter” what they perceived as “bad air” instead of resorting to basic hygiene practices like washing their hands or faces. Elias argues that these practices were part of a broader social process where bodily functions became increasingly private and regulated, but not necessarily cleaner. This historical context completely reframes the modern Western critique of other cultures’ “unusual” hygiene practices. It exposes the hypocrisy: while many Westerners today judge the intimate vaginal care practices, asking “Is it safe to wash inside your vagina?” with skepticism, it was cultural knowledge from other parts of the world, specifically the East and Africa, that actually reintroduced the concept of regular bathing and true personal hygiene to Europe, laying the groundwork for what they now claim as their own “superior” hygiene standards.
The Rebirth of Bathing (Thanks to the East & Africa): Global Wisdom Restores Cleanliness
Bathing wasn’t simply “reborn” in Europe; it was a slow, gradual reintroduction, largely inspired by global travel, the consequences of colonization (which inadvertently exposed Europeans to other ways of life), and a forced confrontation with other cultures. This wasn’t an internal European innovation; it was a lesson learned from those they often deemed “uncivilized.” It shows us that true hygiene practices are often rooted in deep, ancient wisdom.
Who reintroduced bathing practices to Europe?
The reintroduction of systematic and regular bathing practices to Europe came largely from the African Moors. So, here’s a fascinating bit of history. Picture this: between 711 and 1492 CE, these incredibly smart African scholars, architects, and innovators, known as the Moors, pretty much ran a huge part of what we now call Spain and Portugal. These amazing Muslim visionaries came from North and West Africa. They didn’t just show up with mind-blowing advancements in science, math, and incredible buildings. Nope. What they also brought was exactly what Europe desperately needed back then: a complete, fresh lesson in actually keeping yourself clean.
Let’s be clear: after the decline of the Roman Empire, much of Europe had truly slipped into a centuries-long state of neglected cleanliness. Public baths had mostly closed, soap was a rare commodity, and washing was, at best, a yearly ritual for some. The Moors fundamentally changed all of that. What they did with hygiene was mind-blowing. Their approach to personal hygiene was a total revelation, really showing a deep understanding of body care. It set a new standard for thorough cleanliness, a kind of wisdom that actually echoes how Liberian women teach us to truly care for our bodies and maintain excellent feminine hygiene.
The Art of the Hammam: More Than Just a Bath
The Moors didn’t just bring back the idea of bathing; they elevated it into an art form. Picking up cues from ancient Roman bathhouses, they introduced something called the hammam. These weren’t just simple tubs of hot water, not by a long shot. Think of them as super sophisticated public bathhouses where people could really get their body care done, chill out, hang with friends, and even get spiritually purified. Hammams were incredibly well-designed spaces, featuring warm rooms, hot rooms for sweating it out, and cold rooms for a refreshing rinse. It was a whole, holistic hygiene experience, a real dedication to cleanliness. In busy Moorish cities like Córdoba, historical records show there were hundreds of these hammams, which just tells you how deeply cleanliness was part of their culture and daily life. This was a complete game-changer for European body care, truly proving that systematic hygiene is a mark of an advanced civilization, not something you ignore.
Their approach to body cleanliness offers a powerful historical example for understanding why washing inside your vagina is not inherently dangerous.
Hygiene as a Daily Devotion: The Moorish Standard
The Moors practiced what many today would call next-level hygiene. For them, bathing every day wasn’t some fancy luxury; it was a fundamental part of life, a duty both physical and spiritual. They kept their teeth clean using something called a miswak, a natural twig that cleans teeth. Something my ancestors have been using for decades, and what Westerners have now labeled as “organic toothbrush.” The Moors even used deodorants and perfumes crafted from natural oils. They held this deep belief that truly maintaining a clean body care routine was vital for both spiritual purity and good physical health. And remember, this was happening while most of Europe was terrified that even touching water might invite disease! So, while some Europeans were actively avoiding baths altogether, the Moors were soaking, scrubbing, and intentionally scenting themselves, embodying true ancestral hygiene wisdom.
Their practices put a lot of modern Western vaginal hygiene assumptions to shame, clearly showing how thorough, regular cleaning truly contributes to overall wellness.
Ziryab: Africa’s Multi-Talented Hygiene Trendsetter
You simply cannot talk about Moorish influence without mentioning Ziryab. This 9th-century African genius, a brilliant musician, stylist, and etiquette master who settled in Córdoba and forever changed European high society. Ziryab is credited with introducing the first known use of toothpaste, popularizing the use of deodorants, and even setting grooming standards that included regular haircuts, clean clothes, and seasonally appropriate perfumes. He didn’t just introduce practices; he made hygiene fashionable, respectable, and aspirational. He taught Europeans that personal care could be an art form. His profound impact shows how deeply African wisdom shaped what we consider “civilized” habits today, and why looking to sources like Liberian feminine hygiene for genuine vaginal cleaning insights is so important.
A Legacy That Outlived the Empire: The Enduring Impact
Even after the fall of Moorish rule in Spain, their profound impact on European hygiene endured. The bathhouses they built remained for centuries, a testament to their foresight and commitment to public health. Their elevated grooming standards subtly, yet powerfully, influenced generations of Europeans. Their holistic approach, treating cleanliness as a vital and integrated part of daily life, eventually reshaped how Europe conceived of the body, health, and personal care. So, the next time someone boasts about their elaborate self-care routine, remember this: the African Moors were doing it over a thousand years ago, with unparalleled precision, style, and profound intention.
It took decades, even centuries, before Europeans fully adopted regular bathing. Even then, it was a gradual process. By the early 1900s, weekly baths became the norm, and only after that did daily showers truly begin to emerge as a staple of Western life. This history clearly demonstrates that cleanliness is cultural, not a universal standard dictated by one region, and it’s why understanding how Liberian women show how to effectively practice feminine hygiene is so vital to a complete, accurate understanding of body cleanliness.
Deodorant, France, and the 48-Hour Truth: Unmasking Western Hygiene Assumptions
Now that we’ve journeyed through the surprising history of Western hygiene, let’s talk about some modern Western hygiene assumptions that often go unquestioned. Have you ever picked up a deodorant or antiperspirant that boldly claims to last “48 or 72 hours”? It seems utterly counterintuitive when most people are expected to shower daily, right? For the longest time, I didn’t quite grasp this paradox. We shower every day, yet our products are designed for much longer intervals of supposed freshness. This subtle inconsistency is a window into deeper cultural hygiene norms.
But here’s the kicker, a little secret not many realize. In France, for instance, it’s quite common for people to shower every other day, or even twice a week, depending on their lifestyle, the weather, and their personal habits. This isn’t considered “dirty.” It’s simply cultural. Many European cultures prioritize scent-masking, quality skincare, and preserving the skin’s natural oils over water-heavy, daily full-body washing routines. In fact, excessive washing, particularly with harsh soaps and hot water, is widely believed by many Western medical practitioners to dry out or damage the skin’s natural barrier. This directly contrasts the African emphasis on daily, thorough body cleanliness.
This phenomenon further solidifies the idea that hygiene is cultural and far from a monolithic global standard. Meanwhile, in the U.S., there’s an almost obsessive cultural demand for “smelling clean” at all times. Yet, paradoxically, even within the U.S., personal hygiene habits vary widely, often contradicting the very standards they seemingly uphold. This variation makes the assertion that “the vagina cleans itself” without any need for internal washing, sound less like scientific gospel and more like another culturally specific Western hygiene belief that needs to be critically examined. If other parts of the body are managed differently across cultures, why not the most sacred? The question “Is it safe to wash inside your vagina?” gains even more cultural weight here.
Modern Hygiene Practices: A Global Perspective, Challenging the Status Quo
In Africa, bathing isn’t just a habit; it’s a lifestyle. It’s a daily cleanse with deep intention. Head to toe, no shortcuts, no excuses. This approach to body cleanliness is so deeply woven into cultural identity that skipping parts of your body in the shower, let’s say, your legs or feet, feels absolutely unthinkable. It’s a complete act of personal care. But when you look beyond the African continent, particularly into Western societies, you suddenly find hygiene habits that challenge everything we grew up believing was common sense and universally accepted.
Let’s take a look at what’s really going on across the globe, what science says, what celebrities do, and what cultures like ours have been teaching for centuries about true cleanliness.
So… Many Americans Don’t Wash Their Legs?
Yes, you read that right. This might shock you. A 2021 survey by YouGov found that 17% of Americans don’t shower daily, and nearly 30% admit to not washing their legs or feet during a shower. For many of us, especially those raised in African cultures where a full-body wash is paramount, this feels like a hygiene plot twist. How do you wash your upper body and just skip your lower half? I hope someone in the comments can help me explain that logic.
But before we get judgmental, it’s worth remembering that cultural norms shape habits. In much of the Western world, daily full-body bathing isn’t seen as essential, and some even fear it could be “too much” for the skin. This highlights the arbitrary nature of what’s considered “clean” and opens the door for discussing vaginal cleanliness rather than masking body odors or leaving areas on your body unwashed.
Why do some Westerners not wash their legs or shower daily?
Some Westerners don’t wash their legs or shower daily due to various factors:
- Cultural Norms: As discussed, the expectation of daily full-body bathing is not universal across all Western societies. Some prioritize skin health over daily scrubbing, believing frequent washing can strip natural oils.
- Perceived Necessity: Some believe that if an area doesn’t visibly get dirty, smell, or doesn’t irritate it doesn’t need to be washed with soap daily. This is a common rationale, particularly for areas like legs that are less prone to sweat and odor than, say, armpits or groin.
- Dermatological Advice Some dermatologists suggest less frequent full-body soaping to protect the skin barrier. This advice can sometimes be misinterpreted as a reason to skip entire body parts.
- Lifestyle: Less active lifestyles or colder climates might reduce the perceived need for daily, vigorous scrubbing.
This diversity in basic hygiene practices underscores the core argument of this post: cleanliness is culturally defined, not a universal, scientifically mandated rule.
2. Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and the Celebrity Bath Backlash
In 2021, actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis stirred up the internet when they revealed their unconventional bathing routines. On Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the couple shared that they only bathe their kids when there’s visible dirt. Kutcher even famously quipped, “I wash my armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever.”
Cue global gasps. For those of us accustomed to daily scrubbing, especially in warm climates or communal cultures, the idea of “washing only where it smells” isn’t just foreign; it feels like a comedy sketch. But the celebrity influence is real. Their statements sparked intense debates, with people defending or debunking their practices, and dermatologists chiming in to weigh the facts. This public discourse starkly illustrates how deeply ingrained and often unquestioned our hygiene norms are, and why discussing Liberian feminine hygiene and the thoroughness of vaginal washing is so important.
3. What the Experts Say: Should You Be Showering Less?
Surprisingly, many dermatologists are indeed saying daily full-body washing with harsh soap might not be as necessary or as healthy as we thought, especially for skin health. Dr. Rosalind Simpson from the University of Nottingham suggests that frequent washing doesn’t necessarily improve skin conditions. In fact, over-washing, particularly with hot water and harsh soap, can strip the skin’s natural oils, leading to dryness, irritation, and even compromising its protective barrier.
Instead, the “new” advice from many dermatologists? Shorter, cooler showers with gentle, pH-balanced cleansers. They often recommend avoiding traditional soaps made with sodium hydroxide, which can throw your skin’s moisture barrier completely out of whack.
Does this dermatological advice apply to vaginal cleaning too?
This dermatological advice primarily applies to the external skin of the body and the vulva, which is external skin. It suggests using gentle cleansers and avoiding over-washing to protect the skin barrier. However, it does not directly address the internal vaginal cleaning practices that are central to Liberian feminine hygiene. The advice that “the vagina cleans itself” is separate from general skin care advice and is often given without acknowledging diverse cultural practices or the practical realities of managing internal fluids like menstrual blood or semen. This is where the Western medical perspective often falls short, failing to answer the critical question: Is it safe to wash inside your vagina for effective vaginal cleanliness without causing harm, as millions of women outside the West do?
Back to Basics: African and Indigenous Bathing Wisdom
In many African and Indigenous communities, daily bathing isn’t up for debate. It’s an expectation, a fundamental part of daily life. This norm is deeply rooted in a profound understanding of health, respect, and self-care. Long before the advent of mass-market soaps and elaborate spa routines, our ancestors were skillfully making plant-based soaps, utilizing herbal oils, and bathing regularly as a cultural norm, not just a passing trend.
This wasn’t merely about smelling good. It was spiritual, communal, and healing. It was about respecting your body and others in your community. Do us all a favor and not stink up the room, please. These holistic personal hygiene practices are passed down from mothers who meticulously teach their daughters to bathe behind their ears, scrub their toes, and profoundly respect every inch of their body. These traditions continue to thrive to this day in countless homes around the world. to achieve true vaginal cleanliness through intent. This ancestral hygiene wisdom directly contradicts the Western medical dogma that views internal vaginal washing as inherently dangerous.
The Hygiene Debate Isn’t About Right or Wrong. It’s About Culture
So, who’s “right” in this conversation about hygiene? Is it the dermatologist advising less soap, the celebrity avoiding showers, or the African aunty insisting you wash every single part of your body? The truth is, there’s no single, universally correct rulebook. Hygiene habits are profoundly shaped by climate, culture, history, and access.
But one thing is crystal clear: in many parts of the world, especially across the African continent, full-body cleansing, with an emphasis on thoroughness including intimate areas, is a daily standard. And that standard isn’t going anywhere. The conversation about bathing and personal care is far from over. But perhaps instead of judging each other’s practices, we could learn from them. The global body of knowledge has much to teach us about true cleanliness.
So again, who gets to decide what “clean” really means? And why is it always the Western hygiene perspective that dominates?
Just Because It’s the Norm Doesn’t Mean It’s Right: Questioning the Gold Standard
When someone dismissively says, “Well, that’s not how we do it here,” the real question we need to ask is: where exactly is “here”? And, more importantly, who decided that “here” is the infallible gold standard for cleanliness and personal hygiene? This unchallenged acceptance of a single norm is particularly insidious when it comes to intimate vaginal care.
Why is it that Western beliefs around hygiene, especially concerning vaginal health, have been aggressively pushed on the rest of the world as if they’re undisputed gospel or universal law? And why is there a noticeable lack of conflicting authorities on Google or other search engines when you look for the “truth” about vaginal cleaning? The digital space seems to be dominated by a singular, often unexamined, perspective that often contradicts the lived experiences of millions.
Let’s be brutally honest. For countless decades, Liberian women have been gently inserting their fingers to wash inside their vaginas. This is a practice passed down through generations. Our mothers, our aunties, and our big sisters teach us this. It isn’t considered taboo. It isn’t dangerous. It isn’t “wrong.” It is, quite simply, effective cleanliness. It’s daily care. It’s intimate hygiene done the right way, based on centuries of practical, observable results. This direct lived experience offers a resounding answer to the question: Why does my vagina have an odor? Is Vagina odor normal?
So, when Western doctors and media confidently declare things like, “The vagina cleans itself. You should only wash your vulva. Never insert anything inside, not even water,” do you truly expect us to believe it, just like that? Do you expect us to discard generations of wisdom, to disregard our own bodies’ signals, simply because a different cultural norm has gained global dominance through marketing and medical authority?
Meanwhile, Liberian women have been diligently washing the inside of our vaginas our entire lives, for generations, not only without issues but actively avoiding the discomfort of odor, discharge buildup, and uncomfortable dampness. We don’t walk around with smelly panties because of leftover discharge gradually leaking into our underwear. We wash inside our vagina so there’s almost nothing to leak out on a normal day. We take charge of our vaginas just like we take charge of our mouths. We don’t leave the cleaning of our teeth and gums solely to our saliva; it’s the same with our vaginas. Beyond Western hygiene, our approach is proactive and intentional.
Again, I ask: why doesn’t this powerful, lived truth get space on Google? Type “How to clean your vagina” into any search bar, and you’ll consistently receive the same boilerplate response every single time:
- “You only need to clean the vulva. The vagina cleans itself.”
- “Never insert anything inside, not even water.”
Okay, but let’s apply some common sense here:
- What about menstrual blood that didn’t finish flowing out during your cycle?
- What about semen left behind after sex?
- What about sweat from a long day of walking, dancing, or just existing?
Where does all that go? Into your panties? Are you truly okay with your panties being the permanent storehouse for lingering vaginal fluids? You’re telling us to just leave it there to cramp up into a slimy pile of mud? Or let it slowly seep out into our underwear during the day, one step at a time? And that’s considered normal? That’s considered healthy?
Let’s think about that critically. If your armpit had a bunch of sweat, old deodorant, lotion, and sticky residue in it, would you just leave it and say, “Well, it cleans itself”? Of course not! You would get in there and wash it out. You would prioritize body cleanliness. So why is it suddenly considered radical or “unnecessary” to do the same for the most sacred, sensitive, powerful part of a woman’s body? How is this any different from medieval Europeans masking dirt with perfume and lace? They weren’t bathing; they were covering. Hiding smells. Dabbing towels on their skin instead of truly cleaning it. When you tell women to leave vaginal fluids in their bodies to “seep out on their own,” how is that any more advanced? How are you supposed to smell genuinely fresh if your vagina is full of old blood, sweat, and sex fluids?
I know you want me to hold your hand, so here I am. Sis, we have to be real about feminine hygiene. Think about it. Westerners in the 1700s believed that bathing could kill them. Today, they swear by soap that kills “99.9% of bacteria.” Tomorrow, they may go back to oil cleansing and skipping soap entirely which, ironically, some Indigenous cultures never stopped doing. So, why should any one way be treated as the gold standard for cleanliness? Why should we unquestioningly accept a paradigm that doesn’t fully answer the question “What is the best way to clean my vagina?” with a truly global perspective?
Girl, Wash Your VJJ! reminds us that hygiene is not just personal, it’s cultural, generational, and ancestral. And just because something is common or recommended in one country doesn’t mean it’s correct for all. It’s time to embrace traditional African hygiene practices for complete vaginal cleanliness.
The Culture Clash: BIPOC vs. Caucasian Hygiene Norms
Here’s where it gets even more interesting and reveals the deep cultural biases embedded in discussions about hygiene. Women of color, especially African, Caribbean, and Latina women often grow up with strict, comprehensive hygiene routines, meticulously passed down generationally. These include:
- Daily bathing (often twice a day), a practice of full body cleanliness.
- Specific, detailed routines for vaginal care, including the internal cleaning methods.
- The use of natural oils, herbs, and water-based cleansing, avoiding harsh chemicals.
- A strong avoidance of perfumes or scented soaps in intimate areas, prioritizing natural balance.
- Body scrubs, exfoliation, and detailed washing techniques that ensure every part of the body is thoroughly cleaned.
Yet, many of these profound practices are mocked, misunderstood, or labeled “wrong“ in mainstream Western culture. They are often dismissed as “excessive” or “unnecessary” by the very medical and cultural systems that once believed bathing was dangerous.
Why are BIPOC hygiene practices often misunderstood or labeled “wrong” by Western culture?
BIPOC hygiene practices are often misunderstood or labeled “wrong” by Western culture primarily due to:
- Historical Supremacy and Colonialism: Western norms were historically imposed as the “civilized” standard, leading to the devaluation of non-Western practices. This is a legacy that continues to influence perceptions today, creating a bias against traditional African hygiene practices.
- Lack of Cultural Understanding: There’s a general lack of education and appreciation for the diverse historical, spiritual, and practical reasons behind non-Western hygiene routines. The focus is often on perceived medical risks (often generalized and not specific to careful, water-based methods) rather than the centuries of lived experience and efficacy.
- Different Priorities: As explored, Western norms often prioritize quick fixes, masking scents, and external appearances, sometimes at the expense of thorough body cleanliness. In contrast, many BIPOC cultures prioritize deep cleanliness, feeling truly fresh, and using natural methods for holistic wellness, particularly in areas like vaginal cleaning.
- Medical Dogma (Often Unchallenged): The Western medical narrative, particularly around the “vagina cleans itself” idea, is often presented as universal scientific fact, dismissing any practice that deviates from it, without truly examining Liberian feminine hygiene practices effectively.
Because white hygiene norms have historically centered around minimalism and fragrance-masking, not thorough, water-based routines, what is labeled “too much” or “obsessive” is often just culturally different, and more effective in achieving true cleanliness. It’s time to move beyond Western hygiene as the sole authority.
Girl, Wash Your VJJ!: A Liberian Girl’s Guide to Ancient Feminine Care
This is where Girl, Wash Your VJJ! comes in. It’s not just a guide; it’s a cultural reclamation. It’s a powerful voice that directly addresses questions like:
Is it safe to wash inside your vagina?
What causes unusual vagina discharge?
Why does my vagina have an odor? Is vagina odor normal?
And What is the best way to clean my vagina?
The Girl, Wash Your VJJ! guide boldly proclaims:
- Let’s stop blindly following someone else’s rules about our bodies.
- Let’s question advice that doesn’t make sense for our everyday reality or align with our bodies’ needs.
- Let’s honor what our grandmothers taught us because it wasn’t backward. It was effective. It was ancestral hygiene wisdom.
The guide opens the door to traditional Liberian hygiene practices that have been passed down for generations, specifically detailing how women wash their vaginas thoroughly, intentionally, and with love. One of the central teachings? That Liberian women use clean fingers to gently insert and wash inside the vagina with plain water. No perfumes. No scented soaps. Just hands, water, and care. This is a direct, practical answer to “Is it safe to wash inside your vagina?”
Western gynecological advice often states, “The vagina cleans itself so you should only wash the vulva area.” But Girl, Wash Your VJJ! dares to challenge that, not with baseless claims, but with truth, common sense, and thousands of years of lived practice. It provides the essential knowledge required to move beyond Western hygiene dogma.
The guide teaches women:
- Exactly how to wash inside their vaginas safely and gently, using just water and clean fingers.
- Why inserting fingers during cleaning isn’t dangerous when done properly; it’s genuinely hygienic and promotes vaginal cleanliness.
- How to manage internal fluids like semen, period remnants, and sweat in a way that leaves you feeling truly dry, fresh, and odor-free, addressing concerns that Western advice often leaves unaddressed.
- Foods from around the world to eat for a healthy vagina, integrating a holistic approach to feminine hygiene.
It teaches you to know your body, love your body, and take full ownership of your vagina without shame, without fear, and without the debilitating burden of Western guilt.
“Clean” Isn’t the Same Everywhere
Cultural hygiene practices deserve respect because they are intentional. They’ve survived for centuries. They’re rooted in lived experience, not just marketing. And perhaps most importantly, they teach us that cleanliness is not one-size-fits-all.
Western hygiene, as dominant as it is in global advertising and medical discourse, is still evolving and, quite frankly, often borrowing. Much of what we accept today as cutting-edge, from exfoliation and detox baths to oil cleansing and bidets, has been borrowed, and often rebranded, from cultures once deemed “primitive” or “unsanitary.” This constant borrowing and rebranding further proves that Western hygiene is far from a universal standard.
So, when a Liberian woman teaches her daughter to wash daily with water and meticulous care, or a South Asian girl learns to steam her vagina with herbs, or an Indigenous elder shows how to cleanse the body in routine ways, that’s not backward. That’s wisdom. That’s a deep, continuous lineage of effective personal care and body cleanliness. This is how Liberian women prioritize their health and well-being.
Final Thoughts: Rethinking “Clean” and Embracing Your Truth
Next time you hear someone criticize a cultural hygiene practice, ask yourself:
- What are they really afraid of?
- Do they truly understand the history of their own cleanliness, or are they operating from a biased, incomplete narrative?
- And what if “clean” isn’t about conformity to one standard, or about the latest soap or scent, but about intention, care, and being intimately connected to your own body and its unique needs?
Your hygiene is not weird. Your routines are not extreme. Your traditions are valid. And your cultural knowledge deserves profound respect. It’s time to take control of your narrative and embrace the power of Liberian feminine hygiene.