Summer Heat Can Turn Fun Days Into "pHunky" Days For Many a Vagina

Summer heat can turn fun days into "pHunky" days for many a vagina.

Aahhh..summertime!  Long, hot days filled with warm weather fun…what could be better?  But for some the heat and humidity are only contributing factors that pHunky smell down there. What causes this? An imbalance in pH factor. And what does an imbalanced pH have to do with it? And what exactly is pH?

For starters, the letters ‘pH’ are used to abbreviate, ‘potential hydrogen’ which, when elevated increases the acidity-level in the vagina.  And no one likes to be unbalanced, the vagina included. When acidity-level or pH is too high, the conditions for ‘bad bacteria’ to breed become perfect and when this happens, the ‘good bacteria’ become outnumbered by the ‘bad bacteria’, causing that smelly odor, vaginal discharge, and itch. Fun times!

Unfortunately for females, there are a number of everyday triggers that may cause a vagina’s ecosystem to become unbalanced and the summer heat is merely one of the many irritations that can ruin a fun summer by the pool.  Let’s examine a few more summer fun spoilers!

Menstruation: Yes, no one likes it when ‘Aunt Flo’ arrives, but at least unlike your mom’s sister, you usually know how long it will stick around.  Even still, menstruating can increase the pH balance which many women know can be the trigger for an impending bacterial infection, and when you’ve got hot summer plans this can be a real downer.

Changes in estrogen levels due to Peri or Post-menopause:  For those that are peri-menopausal, the fluctuations of estrogen further add to the pH woes, as decreased estrogen levels will cause an increase in pH. And well, the post-menopausal woman can expect even higher elevated pH levels.   And let’s face it…who wants to be intimate when you’re feeling ‘pHunky?’

Low estrogren can also be caused by pregnancy, breast-feeding or even medications, yes, that includes birth control pills.  And as we have already learned, low estrogen can often elevate the pH in the vaginal environment, again either bringing on the discomfort of discharge, odors, or even worse vaginal dryness, which we discussed before. Vaginal dryness can lead to painful intercourse.

Sexual intercourse: Oh, this is so unfair. After all, the entire purpose of having a sexy vagina is to have sex in the first place and that can upset the pH balance? Yes it can. That day after sex odor is caused by the semen which has left the vagina with a higher pH than before, allowing for the bacteria to multiply with as much abandon as you hopefully had a day earlier. Ugh.

So what to do? Do we just have to live with it? Some people will try to mask the problem by using sprays, wipes, or pads. But sorry to say, many of these have fragrances that can be harmful to delicate tissues.  Thankfully, there is an over-the-counter solution from your drugstore.  RepHresh Gel keeps the pH balanced—decreasing the chance of Bacterial Vaginosis, and eliminating that “fishy” odor by treating the root cause.  And if estrogen levels have dropped leaving you with vaginal dryness, use a personal lubricant such as Wet Platinum Premium Silicone Lubricant. Because it is pure silicone and does not contain any water, it has no pH and it doesn’t dry out and can be used for even the longest marathon sex sessions.

Remember to see your doctor if you have any recurring odor.

Other Summertime tips:


She wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, polka-dot bikini – along with an itchy, burning bikini-line rash!  Not only is razor rash unattractive, it’s also painful. Ease the heat buildup by wearing cotton panties and loose clothes. When shaving, use a new razor blade to get a close, clean shave and you can use Wet Platinum silicone-based lube instead of shaving cream for a super silky shave sans the bumps and burn.

Love that new pair of strappy sandals but hate the nasty blister it raises on your pinky toe?  Fill a plastic bottle with water and tuck it into the too-tight area with the cap pointing up, then pop your bottle filled shoe in the freezer overnight.  The water in the bottle will expand as it freezes, gently stretching the straps to provide a little extra wiggle room for those tender piggies.  Once you’ve stretched them.  Put a few drops of Wet Platinum on your toes to help keep friction at a minimum.

Just be sure you keep it inside your show as it may stain some fabrics.