Of course, we all know that self-care isn’t just face masks and bath bombs but sometimes, a big bougie bath is exactly what you need to recharge your batteries and feel more like yourself again.
However, some TikTok creators have been taking the idea of a ‘bougie’ bath and potentially taking it a little too far. Dr Kiara King, a gynaecologist, reacted to one of these videos on the app this week.
In the original video, the creator starts off slow, adding a bath board over the tub, a vase with festive foliage tucked into it, a few candles and then, uh, it seems that the beginnings of mulled wine were brought to the board.
‘Christmas Candidiasis is on the way with this concoction’
Yes, as the creator adds a board of orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and sugared cranberries to the board, the doctor asks, “are they making a large batch of mulled wine???”. Eek.
Then, the creator adds the wine, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, a bath bomb and sugared cranberries to the bath water – yes, really.
The doctor warns in the caption that “Christmas Candidiasis is on the way with this concoction”.
She then went on to say that vulvovaginal candidiasis is a yeast infection and trying this at home, “may bring you 12 days of vulvar symptoms.”
The vulva symptoms the doctor warns of include:
- Itching
- Burning
- Swelling
- Abnormal discharge
- Painful urination
Not exactly a festive cocktail of symptoms!
How to prevent candidiasis
According to Health Direct, some women find taking preventative measures to stop vaginal thrush doesn’t seem to help much, but others find they do make a difference. So it makes sense to try the following:
- Change underwear daily and wash underwear in hot water (this destroys fungi)
- Candida likes moist, warm places. Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing like jeans and pantyhose, and underwear made from synthetic fibres and panty liners
- Avoid douching, or taking baths with bubble-bath, soap and bath salts, as these can upset the natural balance of the vagina
- Avoid staying in wet clothes like swimming costumes for a long time.
- Don’t take antibiotics unless you really need them
- Don’t clean the skin around your vagina more than once a day. You can use water and a moisturiser as an alternative to soap
- If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels under control
- Always wipe from front to back after going to the toilet