Vaginal itching has to be one of the most awkward and uncomfortable of experiences we can experience. It’s not like getting an itchy nose that we can scratch any time, it’s a constant irritation that makes you want to wriggle and squirm just to ease the feeling… oh, and did we mention, you can’t go around scratching your crotch in public! Well, you can do whatever you want, but we don’t recommend that one.

If you’ve read our blog on why the healing process can sting and itch - you’ll know that irritation and possible low grade infection are behind that itchy feeling. When you are just starting out on Silky Peach Cream, it’s probably because the vaginal and vulva skin is so thin and tender that anything starts up that inflammation response.

But what’s going on if you have been using Silky Peach Cream for a while and then the itching starts up?

Here is a perspective on why itching can occur when using Silky Peach Cream. These are all the things that can cause itching:

• Changes in the vaginal flora due to stress.
• Changes in the vaginal flora due to bacteria that has come from sex, or impact of semen on pH.
• Changes in vaginal flora because you are using a range of products, for example: boric acid, lubricants, douches, k-e suppositories, moisturizing oils (coconut, olive oils), arousal oils, hyaluronic acid, colloidal silver, slippery elm, primrose oil, vaginal soaps and wipes, other wipes (for closely located areas of the body), Replens, UTI treatments, vagisil and more.
• Too much estrogen. Yup! Once you reach the healing point, you can gradually reduce the dosage.
• High oxalate diet (e.g. lots of spinach) which can increase risk of UTI’s and therefore local infections.
• Changes in temperature and hydration.
• Increase in consumption of foods that support bacterial growth (sugary ice cream in summer, wine and cookies around the Holidays).
• Tight clothing and wearing sports gear without showering after exercise.
• We all know that hygiene is increasingly important as we age. We do get perineal wrinkles - even though we don’t want to think about that! Sweat, oils, e.coli (from you know where) can gather in those wrinkles, particularly in summer when we do spend more time in bathing suits and exercise gear.

You may remember from science something called a Controlled Study Process…

Understanding what, if anything, is the one variable which causes itching is hard. Pre-menopause we would often get things that affected vaginal flora but we often didn’t think about it because it usually passed. Post menopause – things are starting to fall apart around the edges and most of us don’t really want things to be permanently broken. Understanding what is the one thing that causes itching is tricky. Controlled research is hard because we have to remove all the variables, and test one at a time.

Control your Vaginal Variables

• Isolate the Variables - first step is to only make 1 change at a time with products and give it enough time to make a difference (2 weeks at least). This includes products that are topical as well as oral. This also includes things like changing your diet (sugar for example will feed bacteria).
• Simultaneously, it can be incredibly helpful to track lifestyle from day to day (exercise, diet, sleep, stress, sex) - your body DOES respond to too much AND too little.
• During the 2 weeks, track changes you notice. Look for correlations between lifestyle aspects and product aspects. Then decide whether to continue or test the amount you are using. Hormones in particular are very sensitive to being in or out of balance - very often it’s a matter of adjusting the amount you use to get the results you want.
• Try to use as few products as possible because there WILL be interactions of some sort. It is much easier to balance 3 products and identify if something has gone awry then when you are using a combination of 8 products.

Has the Silky Peach Cream Formula Changed?

Nope! Here’s how our manufacturing process works. We have a formula which we use every time (like making bread with the same recipe over and over). We make up a large batch (we have lots of customers) every 2-3 months. Each batch is tested for pH, consistency, and to make sure there is no presence of microbial pathogens. Once the cream meets testing requirements it is then used to fill both bottle sizes - sample size bottles (15ml) and the regular size bottles (30ml). The cream is at its best stored between 68-77F and we keep our storage room temperature at about 74F. Each batch is allocated a Lot Number (which you find on the bottom of the bottle) along with an expiration date. Our products have a 2 year shelf life, but rather than make one huge batch to last a year or so, we make several batches during the year to ensure highest quality and longest shelf life from your date of purchase.

In a Nutshell…

Vaginal health is critical to our overall health. It’s one of those areas of the body linked to many of the choices we make about health. By exercising, feeding the body the nutrients and minerals to fight off bacterial attacks, and keeping our skin layer strong, we provide an environment that can thrive. Your health picture includes your vagina, and all the things that go in you (and we don’t just mean food, if you catch our drift) and on you - meaning that you have to do some of the work on figuring out the best diet, the best products, and the best routines for you.