My Favorite Hacks To Battle A Yeast Infection
There I was, lying face up with my knees to the ceiling. Naked and staring at the lights while getting my vagina swabbed from front to back.
"Yeast Infection," my doctor told the nurse. "Yup, I knew it from the minute I saw it," she replied. I didn't know whether or not I was more confused or embarrassed. How in the world did I--a germaphobe who showered three to four times a day--get a yeast infection?
"Don't worry Kim, this is the norm. In fact, 80% of the women who come and see me during the Summer have it. It's warm out and vaginas tend to get more moist during this time of year--it makes for the perfect environment for yeast."
It took me a few days to muster up the courage to make that appointment for my gynecologist but I knew something was up when I started to feel less normal. To be frank, my vagina was way more moist than usual and although Trina and Khia once boasted that being super wet would be a gift, I quickly learned that it was something more like a curse.
You see, my twenties has brought me a bunch of reality checks that my vag wasn't ready to cash. Gone are the days of eating mountains of sugary candy and wearing those tight and silky five for $25 Victoria Secret G-Strings.
In my twenties, I have learned that my vagina needs a little more TLC. First up, this yeast.
But before I popped the Diflucan my doctor prescribed me, I was on a mission to find something that was more on the organic side. So I tested just about every online at-home remedy to see if it worked and lets just say it was an experience like no other.
Disclaimer: This is the writer's personal experience. xoNecole is in no way recommending these remedies as absolute truth. If you are experiencing issues with yeast, please consult your doctor before trying any of these remedies.
First up, "The Garlic Tampon". Garlic kills yeast, they said. Old Wives Tales say that you have a few options when it comes to garlic. Consume it, any way you'd like (liquid or solid). Stick a clove in your vag or soak a tampon in garlic and sleep with it inserted overnight. So I tried them all and I want to let you know the most important step that just about everyone forgot to mention. DILUTE - because although garlic may kill yeast it also sets fire to the rain. Either I didn't have it inside of me long enough to kill the yeast or the remedy just didn't work, but unless you have an inferno down there and don't mind going to work/school smelling like you're cooking I'd say, use this remedy at your own risk.
Next, I tried yogurt. Tons of it, as yogurt is said to have the "good" bacteria that is used to fight the "bad" bacteria. However, if the yogurt you are using isn't plain and unsweetened, you run the risk of making the infection worse and this, my friends, was my case.
Lastly, I tried apple cider vinegar; after all it worked wonders on my natural hair. However, just like garlic, ACV burned and unless you're Usher and willing to "Let It Burn" this might not be the remedy for you.
It was at that very moment that I realized that internal impurities couldn't be fixed using exterior solutions. So I began taking a look at my diet and cutting out the sugary things that I had been binging on over the past few months--gummy bears, soda, and that good ole Chik-fil-A lemonade, and it was almost at that very instant that I was able to start tackling the Candida that was attempting to cockblock me.
So what finally worked for me? A sugarless diet, a trusty pair of 100% cotton underwear, incorporating more garlic and sugar-free yogurt in my meals, taking a shot of ACV each morning and that good ole Diflucan.
Lesson learned: You don't have to die to kick it.
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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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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images