What No One Tells You About Swimsuit Hygiene & Yeast Infections
WHY WET BATHING SUITS COULD BE CAUSING YOU DISCOMFORT
Let’s talk about something that never gets brought up at the beach: what happens when lake water meets your swimsuit... and stays there.
Whether you’re floating on a dock, chasing kids around the sand, or heading straight from a swim to a patio lunch, sitting in a wet bathing suit for hours might be doing more harm “down there” than you realize.
Lake water is full of things you can’t see, like bacteria, fungi, and all kinds of microorganisms. And when that dampness sticks around your intimate areas, it creates the perfect environment for discomfort, irritation, and yeast infections.
Here’s the hard truth: wearing a wet bathing suit for more than two hours can seriously mess with your vaginal balance. Let me explain why.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Lakes are beautiful... but they’re also full of natural runoff, microbes, and bacteria your body isn’t meant to host. Now add a tight-fitting synthetic swimsuit into the mix, especially one made of nylon or spandex, and you’ve got the ideal warm, moist, airtight situation yeast and bacteria love.
Even if your suit has a cotton gusset, it doesn’t dry quickly, especially if you’re layering with denim shorts or a cover-up. That dampness stays trapped, and your “front garden” stays warm and wet... for hours.
So if you’ve ever felt itchy, irritated, or just off after a lake day, now you know why.
POST-LAKE CARE: 3 Simple Ways to Stay Fresh
Here’s what I recommend to anyone who’s spending time in the water this summer:
1. Change Out of Your Swimsuit ASAP
The second you’re done swimming, change. Even if it’s just into cotton underwear, it gives your skin a break from damp, clingy fabric. Staying in that suit for hours? It’s a fast track to irritation and infection.
2. Rinse the Gusset with an Antibacterial Bar
If you can’t change right away, rinse the gusset of your swimsuit as soon as you get home. Use an antibacterial bar, ideally one with tea tree oil, to remove bacteria from the fabric. It keeps your suit fresher and stops odor causing bacteria in its tracks.
3. Cleanse Your Vaginal and Bikini Area with a Tea Tree Oil Bar
This is the one step I never skip. After a lake swim, I always use a gentle tea tree oil bar to cleanse my bikini area. Tea tree is a natural antifungal, and when diluted properly in a soap bar, it helps neutralize odor-causing bacteria and prevent yeast overgrowth, without upsetting your pH. Just lather, rinse, and dry off with a clean towel. Your body will thank you.
A NOTE ON TEA TREE OIL
Pure tea tree oil is strong stuff, never use it straight from the bottle. Always choose a product that contains diluted tea tree oil in a pre-formulated bar or cleanser. That way, you get all the benefits, without the risk of irritation.
BOTTOM LINE
Swimsuit hygiene might not be the sexiest summer topic, but it’s one of the most important. Just like you wouldn’t skip a post-sun rinse, don’t skip care “down there.” A dry change, a quick wash, and the right antibacterial bar can make all the difference in how you feel after a day at the lake.
