HYGIENE

Like all other times, it is important to prioritize hygiene during periods as well. Here are some basic dos and don’ts of cleanliness to follow during your blue days!

Hygiene Mistakes to Avoid During Menstruation

To ensure a healthy, hygienic, and pain-free menstrual cycle, it is advised to avoid the following mistakes during menstruation:

Don’t use fragranced toilet paper, pads, or tampons since they may irritate your skin and even cause burn-like symptoms. Also, avoid using products that contain additives like aloe, and prefer opting for organic materials instead.

Don’t wait to take medications until your period cramps get severely painful. 

Don’t lose track of your period dates and cycle length. Your menstrual cycle can give you valuable insight into your overall health. Such as, detecting early symptoms of diabetes, celiac disease, thyroid dysfunction, and some types of cancers.

Don’t wash your genitals too thoroughly during periods because that may leave you more vulnerable to bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections.

Don’t forget to change your tampon or pad every four hours. Otherwise, you may get exposed to toxic shock syndrome, which is a rare yet potentially lethal infection that spreads to the bloodstream.

Don’t give in to your junk food cravings. Eating unhealthy food or skipping your regular exercise routine during menstruation likely leads to more bloating and mood swings.

Helpful Tips On Feeling Fresh During Periods

Here are a few helpful tips to feel clean during your periods:

Change your sanitary napkin every four to six hours, depending on how heavily you’re bleeding.

Keep your genitals clean, using warm water. It’s best to avoid soaps altogether. However, when using any soap or gel, make sure it is unscented and has an acidic pH of 3.8 to 4.5.

Take a warm shower every day.

Change your undergarments daily.

What is the proper way of taking a ghusl (cleansing yourself) after the period ends?

Here’s the proper way of taking a ghusl (bath) to get rid of all impurities after one is done with their periods:

Wash your hands.
Properly clean your private parts with water using your left hand.
Clean any dirt you may find on any other body part as well.
Make wudu.
Now, pass water all over your body 3 times such that the water flows through your head first, followed by your right shoulder and then your left shoulder, reaching the rest of the body afterwards.

There are three fard of taking a ghusl:

Rinsing your mouth
Rinsing your nose
Rinsing your whole body

Remember that even if just one hair on your body remains dry during your ghusl, you’ll still remain impure. Therefore, it is vital that you wash the insides of your nose and ears thoroughly during your ghusl. 

Moreover, if you’re wearing a ring (or rings) on your finger, make sure you move the piece of jewelry aside such that the water passes beneath the surface and reaches your finder as well.

Similarly, it is crucial that you properly remove your nail polish if applied during your periods so that the water reaches your nails without any obstruction. If there’s any dirt stuck between your nails, make sure you also remove that before taking your ghusl.

Ultimately, anything that could prevent the water from flowing freely over your body (be it nail polish, nail dirt, jewelry items) must be removed before taking a ghusl.

As for your hair, it is necessary to wet all your hair properly if they are left open at the time of ghusl. However, if you’ve left them braided or in any other state where it isn’t possible to wet all your hair, it is enough just to wet the roots of your hair thoroughly.

The same method of taking a ghusl applies when needing to get rid of any impurities besides menstruation.