Home remedies for vaginal itching

If you suffer from an itchy vagina, you may be desperate to look anywhere from your medicine cabinet to your kitchen cabinets for a remedy. Vaginal itching may be the only problem, or it can be associated with pain, discharge, odor, or redness. Your combination of symptoms, as well as the signs present on examination by a healthcare provider, can help to pinpoint the cause of your vaginal pruritus, as it is technically called. For that reason, it is mission-critical to consult your healthcare provider for medical advice rather than guessing the problem and solution. Once these are determined, you might be interested in knowing whether any home remedies are options to help you stop scratching.

7 home remedies for vaginal itching

1. Cotton underwear

According to a medical review of the topic, cotton undergarments can be helpful for itchiness of the vulvar tissue surrounding the vagina. Loose-fitting undergarments are also mentioned. Allowing air to circulate and prevent moisture-related irritation is a probable mechanism for why these wardrobe adjustments may help. Similarly, allowing yourself time to air dry before dressing after baths or showers is sensible.

2. Protective moisturizers

Applying an unscented, simple moisturizer to the vaginal area can make a positive difference too. Vaseline and Aquaphor fit the bill. They can protect from friction and dryness. Even olive or coconut oil can function in similar ways. Besides vulvar skin dryness, vaginal dryness can occur after menopause, resulting in a condition called atrophic vaginitis.

3. Sitz bath

Bubble baths are best avoided due to skin irritation from soap, but letting your bottom soak in warm water without soap for a few minutes can provide a gentle cleansing option that removes irritants. Conversely, vigorous washing with a cloth or strong soap can be counterproductive. Using moist wipes can spell trouble, too, by wiping away natural skin oils from the area. These efforts can lead to more irritation and dryness, with itching as a consequence.

4. Stop douching

Vaginal douches introduce foreign fluids and chemicals into the vaginal environment. They can harm beneficial vaginal bacteria and assist harmful bacteria in ascending higher in the genital tract. They have been linked to a higher risk of vaginal infections with Candida yeast, as well as bacterial vaginosis (BV). Both of these conditions can lead to vaginal itching.

Apple cider vinegar has been used in douche solutions to lower vaginal pH in an attempt to battle BV. A 2023 review of BV treatment states that this is unproven. Based on unproven benefits and possible harm, it should not be used without a consultation with your gynecologist. Likewise, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate douches are sometimes recommended for cytolytic vaginosis, a less common cause of an itchy vagina. This is not a universally agreed treatment or condition, so it highlights the need to talk to your medical team before trying any home remedy

5. Cut out the scented products

Your nose may like the smell of scented feminine products, whether it’s a pad, tampon, pantyliner, spray, laundry detergent, or soap, but your skin may disagree. The chemical irritants that produce the scent can be inflammatory to the vulva and vagina or could cause an allergic reaction. Keeping it simple can pay off by only using water or just a limited amount of unscented, mild soap.

6. Change your diet

What you eat can have an impact on your vaginal health, as detailed in a topic review in 2020. Consuming too many simple sugars can promote vaginal populations of harmful bacteria and Candida albicans, meaning a heightened risk of BV and yeast infections. As you steer away from sugars, you can look to eat more fruits, vegetables, and foods loaded with calcium, such as dairy products. All of these measures, specifically a plant-based diet in one small study, have proven promising for reducing the risk of these pruritus-producing infections. Their mechanism of action may be as prebiotics to support beneficial bacteria and vitamin sources serving as antioxidants.

7. Consider a probiotic

Probiotics are products that promote a population of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract. Often, they consist of lactobacillus bacterial species. These handy germs can outcompete harmful bacteria, and in the vagina, they result in a more acidic environment, which protects against bad germs. However, despite their theoretical benefits, probiotics remain unproven in regard to efficacy and safety. You should speak to your medical team before starting one.

Medications for vaginal itching

Medicine cabinets are often brimming with half-empty tubes of various creams. Before you start applying any of these random topicals, consult your women’s health provider. The wrong cream could worsen your condition. An expert will be able to diagnose the source of your vaginal itching and have a plan to fix it. By taking a detailed history of the issue, examining the genital area, and taking samples for testing, your doctor can determine an appropriate treatment. Testing for sexually transmitted diseases may be recommended, depending on the findings.

Options include antifungal creams and pills for vaginal yeast infections. Topical forms include clotrimazole or miconazole vaginal creams, and oral versions include Diflucan (fluconazole). An anti-inflammatory corticosteroid cream, such as triamcinolone cream, may be recommended in the setting of certain dermatitis conditions, albeit with careful dosing and limited timeframes to reduce adverse effects. 

Eczema and psoriasis can also affect the vulva, and besides steroid creams, injectable immunosuppressants are options for severe cases. Dupixent (dupilumab) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for eczema. When psoriasis occurs in skin folds, including the vulva, it is termed inverse psoriasis, and injectables like Enbrel (etanercept) and Humira (adalimumab) are FDA-approved options for psoriasis. They can get pricey, so don’t hesitate to pull out your SingleCare discount card at the pharmacy.

Postmenopausal atrophic vaginitis produces dry and irritated vaginal tissue. The changes come as a result of lower estrogen levels. Premarin estrogen cream can be called up for this condition.

Other treatment options for vaginal itching 

The evaluation of vaginal itching may require a skin biopsy in some instances if visualizing the area does not provide enough clarity on the diagnosis. In this procedure, after numbing the area with local anesthetic, a small sample of the affected skin is taken for microscopic analysis. 

Vulvar lichen sclerosus is one dermatologic condition that can be diagnosed by biopsy. It is marked by vulvar skin thinning, scarring, and inflammation, along with intense itching. Treatment for vulvar lichen sclerosus can range from potent corticosteroid creams and calcineurin inhibitor creams such as Protopic (tacrolimus) to immunosuppressants like methotrexate. Sometimes, surgery is needed. 

Uncommonly, a vulvar biopsy in the setting of vaginal itching will discover skin cancer. Treatments will then depend on the specific variety of skin cancer. While frightening to consider, the possibility that cancer can be the cause of vaginal itching highlights the need for medical attention to the issue.

When to see your healthcare provider

A brief episode of mild vaginal itching may resolve within days within or without the aforementioned home remedies, and if it does not recur, then you may not need the expertise of a primary care provider or gynecologist. If it is more intense or lasting, you should contact your healthcare provider. If symptoms like pelvic pain, vaginal discharge, fever, or burning with urination coincide with the itching, it is an urgent matter that warrants immediate medical attention. By learning about home remedies for vaginal itching, you have hopefully not only picked up some helpful tips but also learned how important it is to ask for help from your healthcare provider.