I Gave Up Feminine Wash After My Go-To Was Sold Out For Months
Two years ago, I went all organic with my feminine products and it's made a world of difference. My cramps have subsided, and overall my experience with my monthly flow has been great. I went from the girl who could barely exercise on her period to swimming with organic tampons on the heaviest days of my flow monthly. And I was feeling really confident about my new relationship with my vagina until an herbalist suggested that I take the journey one step further and ditch my vaginal wash altogether. It wasn't my first time hearing this conversation before, anyone who's read The Queen V knows that according to Dr. Jackie, all the vagina needs is water. However, I wasn't having it.
Perhaps it was a habit, but I'd been using feminine wash since I got my period. And while swapping out my Always and turning to organic pads/liners wasn't as difficult, this was. I hated the idea of not using anything but water, but COVID-19 made it so that I had no choice but to get to know my vagina. Since quarantine, the company that I used was out of stock for months and it caused me to rely on myself to learn what my body needed. Months in, I'm adjusted and no longer rely on feminine wash.
Here's how I've managed to keep my WAP healthy during these past few months.
I upped my probiotic intake.
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Prior to this year, I'd taken probiotics, but not on a consistent basis. Back in college, I was first introduced to them after I perforated my eardrum and had to get on antibiotics, my mother suggested that I take a probiotic to counter the medication. I remembered that in my research that probiotics not only lead to good gut health but taking a probiotic with 1-2 billion CFU per day can help treat vaginal imbalance issues like bacterial vaginosis.
I clean my vagina with my hands as soon as I get in the shower.
As soon as I get in, I clean my hands, and then I clean my vagina. Not using soap has in many ways allowed for me to redefine self-care, because it's the first thing I tend to when I get in. I'm able to examine any ingrown hairs, the scent, and even how my hair on my vagina feels after I'm finished versus before.
I drink ACV water (yes and mind my business).
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One of the selling points that I hear most people express is that feminine wash balances your pH, and I get that. One of the most important ingredients in my plant-based feminine wash that I loved was ACV. That said, in order to not miss out on the alkalizing benefits, I add a small amount of apple cider vinegar with mother to my water daily. According to doconline.com, drinking ACV with mother is helpful because when the culture of bacteria is removed during filtration and refining, it results in clear and transparent apple cider vinegar. The healing properties of vinegar are due to acetic acid and other beneficial compounds present in it.
I shower as soon as I work out.
This has been my hardest habit to break, but staying in your workout clothes after you hit the gym is a huge no-no. Women's Health cites that skipping the shower after your body has perspired can result in fungus, and lead to potential yeast infections. Even if it's just a five-minute shower before you get ready for work, take it. Your vagina will thank you later.
While the idea of ditching what is a part of your daily regimen can be scary, the benefits of ditching your go-to feminine wash are filled with opportunities for empowerment and self-discovery so that if, by chance, you experience an issue with your vagina, you don't have anything covering up what you need to address.
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Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
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